http-assert

What is http-assert?

The http-assert npm package is a simple assertion library for HTTP server testing. It allows developers to assert certain conditions and automatically throw HTTP errors when those conditions are not met. This can help to streamline error handling in HTTP applications by providing a declarative way to validate requests and ensure that the server responds with the correct status codes and messages when something goes wrong.

What are http-assert's main functionalities?

Asserting conditions with HTTP error codes

This feature allows you to assert a condition and throw an HTTP error with a specific status code and message if the condition is false. In the code sample, if the user is not found, a 404 error with the message 'User not found' is thrown.

const assert = require('http-assert');

// Example usage in an Express route handler
app.get('/user/:id', (req, res, next) => {
  const user = getUserById(req.params.id);
  assert(user, 404, 'User not found');
  res.send(user);
});

Custom error properties

This feature allows you to add custom properties to the error object. In the code sample, if authentication fails, a 401 error is thrown with additional information about the user that attempted to log in.

const assert = require('http-assert');

// Example usage with custom error properties
app.post('/login', (req, res, next) => {
  const user = authenticate(req.body.username, req.body.password);
  assert(user, 401, 'Authentication failed', { user: req.body.username });
  res.send('Logged in successfully');
});

Other packages similar to http-assert

assert

The 'assert' module is a simple assertion library that comes with Node.js. It provides basic assertion tests and is used primarily for testing. Unlike 'http-assert', it does not automatically map assertions to HTTP error codes.

chai-http

Chai-http is an assertion library that can be used with the Chai assertion library for HTTP server testing. It provides a more fluent API for testing HTTP servers and includes assertions specifically designed for HTTP interactions. It is more feature-rich compared to 'http-assert' but also more complex.

supertest

Supertest is a library for testing Node.js HTTP servers. It provides a high-level abstraction for testing HTTP, while allowing you to assert the HTTP response. It is not an assertion library per se, but it integrates well with assertion libraries to provide a full testing solution.

README

#http-assert

Assert with status codes. Like ctx.throw() in Koa, but with a guard.

##Example

var assert = require('http-assert');
var ok = require('assert');

try {
  assert(username == 'fjodor', 401, 'authentication failed');
} catch (err) {
  ok(err.status == 401);
  ok(err.message == 'authentication failed');
  ok(err.expose);
}

##Licence MIT