Mastering Express.js: Building Scalable Web Applications and APIs
Course Title: Mastering Express.js: Building Scalable Web Applications and APIs
Section Title: Testing and Debugging Express Applications
Topic: Write unit tests for routes and controllers in an Express.js application and debug using built-in tools.(Lab topic)
Objective: By the end of this topic, you will be able to write unit tests for routes and controllers in an Express.js application using Jest and understand how to debug your application using built-in tools.
Prerequisites:
- Familiarity with Express.js and Node.js
- Understanding of the basics of testing and debugging
Materials Needed:
- Node.js (latest version)
- Express.js (latest version)
- Jest (latest version)
- A code editor or IDE of your choice
Step 1: Setting up the Project
Create a new directory for your project and initialize a new Node.js project using the following command:
npm init -y
Install the required dependencies, including Express.js and Jest:
npm install express jest
Create a new file called app.js
and add the following code to get started with Express.js:
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send('Hello World!');
});
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server started on port 3000');
});
Step 2: Writing Unit Tests for Routes
Create a new file called test/app.test.js
and add the following code to write unit tests for the routes:
const request = require('supertest');
const app = require('./app');
describe('GET /', () => {
it('should return Hello World!', async () => {
const response = await request(app).get('/');
expect(response.status).toBe(200);
expect(response.text).toBe('Hello World!');
});
});
In this example, we're using the supertest
library to make a GET request to the root route (/
) and asserting that the response status is 200 and the response text is 'Hello World!'.
Step 3: Writing Unit Tests for Controllers
Create a new file called test/controllers.test.js
and add the following code to write unit tests for the controllers:
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const userController = require('./controllers/userController');
app.use('/users', userController);
describe('GET /users', () => {
it('should return a list of users', async () => {
const response = await request(app).get('/users');
expect(response.status).toBe(200);
expect(response.body).toBeInstanceOf(Array);
});
});
In this example, we're creating a new Express.js app, requiring the userController
module, and mounting it at the /users
route. We're then writing a unit test to assert that the response status is 200 and the response body is an array.
Step 4: Running the Tests
Run the tests using the following command:
jest
You should see the test results in your terminal, indicating whether the tests passed or failed.
Step 5: Debugging Using Built-in Tools
To debug your application, you can use the built-in Node.js debugger or the Chrome DevTools.
To use the Node.js debugger, add the following code to your app.js
file:
const debug = require('debug')('app');
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
debug('Request received');
res.send('Hello World!');
});
Then, run the application with the following command:
node app.js
You can then use the debug
command to inspect the application's variables and functions.
Alternatively, you can use the Chrome DevTools to debug your application. To do this, open the Chrome browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000
. Then, click on the "Sources" tab and select the app.js
file. You can then set breakpoints and inspect the application's variables and functions.
Conclusion:
In this topic, you learned how to write unit tests for routes and controllers in an Express.js application using Jest and how to debug your application using built-in tools. You also learned how to use the supertest
library to make HTTP requests to your application and how to use the Chrome DevTools to debug your application.
Exercise:
Write unit tests for the following routes:
- GET /
- GET /users
- POST /users
Additional Resources:
Leave a comment or ask for help if you have any questions or need further clarification on any of the topics covered in this topic.
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