How to test an express rest api with header parameters using mocha and supertest?

Question

I have to test my rest api. Some routes require a value in the http requests headers for the user authentication token.

I have separated my interesting bussiness logic in pure javascript code but I can't find a way to test the routes that require a token in the headers of the http request.

Any other alternatives to mocha and/or supertest are welcome.

Answer 1

With supertest, you can set a header parameter with the set keyword :

api.get('/aroute/')
...
.set('headerParameterName', value)
...

Here is an example of testing a express server API with token authorization using supertest :

app.js:

var express = require('express');
var app = express();
var jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
var expressJwt = require('express-jwt');

var secret = 'my-secret';

app.get('/get-token', function(req, res) {
  var token = jwt.sign({foo: 'bar'}, secret);
  res.send({token: token});
});

app.post(
  '/test',
  expressJwt({
    secret: secret
  }),
  function(req, res) {
    res.send({message: 'You could use the route!'});
  }
);

app.use(function(err, req, res, next) {
  res.status(err.status || 500).send({error: err.message});
});

app.listen(4040, function() {
  console.log('server up and running at 4040 port');
});

module.exports = app;

---

test.js:

var request = require('supertest');
var app = require('./app.js');

describe('Test Route with Token', function() {
  var token = '';

  before(function(done) {
    request(app)
      .get('/get-token')
      .end(function(err, res) {
        var result = JSON.parse(res.text);
        token = result.token;
        done();
      });
  });

  it('should not be able to consume the route /test since no token was sent', function(done) {
    request(app)
      .post('/test')
      .expect(401, done);
  });


  it('should be able to consume the route /test since token valid was sent', function(done) {
    request(app)
      .post('/test')
      .set('Authorization', 'Bearer ' + token)
      .expect(200, done);
  });
});