api-stub

Simple, no database, temporary API for your prototype.

What is it ?

API Stub is a node.js based API server for prototyping. Idea was simple, sometimes I wanted to work on frontend app before I finish my backend API, or I often needed dummy data when testing out new data visualization designs. I've been using large JSON document as data stub, but I wanted something more quick to modify both schema and size of dataset.

Getting started

You will need node.js installed on your machine.

npm install api-stub --save-dev

// api.js
var API = require('api-stub');
var config = [{
  path:'/status',
  data: {status: true}
}]
var server = new API(config);
server.start(3000);
//then run the script `node api.js`

After you run the script - node api.js, http://localhost:3000/status will return following.

{ "status": true }

You can put as many endpoints as you like in config array.

Repeated dataset

If you need repeated dataset, you can specifying template field, and use placeholder text in data to set repeated amount.

var config = [{
  path:'/random',
  data: [/// info * 3 ///] // [templatename] * [how many to repeat]
  templates:{
    info:{
      message:'Hi there!'
    }
  }
}]

[{ "message": "Hi there!" },{ "message": "Hi there!" },{ "message": "Hi there!" }]

Dynamically generate data

Built in templates

There are few built in templates to generate data dynamically. (Check Templates section for more)

var config = [{
  path:'/id',
  data: [/// users * 3 ///]
  templates:{
    users:{
      id:{
        stub_type:'number',
        starting_num:1000,
        increments:1,
        type:'incremental'
      },
    }
  }
}]

[{ "id": 1000 },{ "id": 1001 },{ "id": 1002 }]

Custom functions

You can also assign your custom function to any key. When initializing API server, API Stub will creates deep copy of data & invoke any function assigned.

var config = [{
  path:'/random',
  data: {value: function(){Math.random();}}
}]

{ "value": 0.05823205946944654 } // random value everytime you start the serer

API

server.start(port, callback)

Start API server on specified port number

server.stop(callback)

Stop API server

server.profile()

Returns status of the API server

• status: True if API server is running
• port: port number that API sever is using,
• runningsince: timestamp of when the API server started,
• path : list of paths this API server is serving

{
  status: true,
  port: 3000,
  running_since: Fri May 15 2015 08:29:21 GMT-0400 (EDT),
  path: [ '/data', '/status' ]
}

Templates

There are 4 stub_type .

select

Select values from given choice.
property | type | value --- | --- | --- type | string | 'liner', 'random', or 'randomunique' choice | array | array of choices 'liner' will select values from top the the array. 'random' will pick values randomly. 'randomunique' will pick values randomly but will not　draw same value twice (must provide enough choices if you are creating repeated dataset).

data:{
  stub_type:'select',
  type:'liner',
  choice:[100,200,300,400]
}

number

Numbers in set increments or randomly within specified range
property | type | value --- | --- | --- type | string | 'incremental' or 'random' startingnum | number | starting value for 'incremental' type increments | number | increment step for 'incremental' type minnum | number | minimum value for 'random' type maxnum | number | maximum value for 'random' type 'incremental' will inclement values specified in increments. 'random' will pick random values between minnum and maxnum.

id:{
  stub_type:'number',
  type:'incremental',
  starting_num:1000,
  increments:1
}

value:{
  stub_type:'number',
  type:'random',
  min_num:1000,
  max_num:5000
}

lipsum

Lorem Ipsum text
property | type | value --- | --- | --- mincharlength | number | minimum character count maxcharlength | number | maximum character count

text:{
  stub_type:'lipsum',
  min_char_length:200,
  max_char_length:500,
}

datetime

parse & create datetime related text
property | type | value --- | --- | --- type | string | 'incremental' or 'random' startingdatetime | string | starting value for 'incremental' type. Pass any string that Date.parse(str) can process increments| string | increments for 'incremental' type in milliseconds (86400000 would be one day) mindatetime | string | minimum date for 'random'. Pass any string that Date.parse(str) can process maxdatetime | string | maximum date for 'random'. Pass any string that Date.parse(str) can process outputformat | string | parsing method for Date object (see outputformat table below)

timestamp:{
  stub_type:'datetime',
  type:'random',
  min_datetime:'2014-01-01',
  max_datetime:'2014-01-31',
  output_format:'toYMDString',
}

timestamp:{
  stub_type:'date',
  type:'incremental',
  starting_datetime:'2014-01-01',
  increments:86400000,
  output_format:'toTimeString',
}

outputformat| return --- | --- toString | Fri May 15 2015 09:30:16 GMT-0400 (EDT) toDateString | Fri May 15 2015' toISOString | 2015-05-15T13:30:16.411Z toJSON | 2015-05-15T13:30:16.411Z toGMTString | Fri, 15 May 2015 13:30:16 GMT toLocaleDateString | 5/15/2015 toLocaleString | 5/15/2015, 9:30:16 AM toLocaleTimeString | 9:30:16 AM' toTimeString | 09:30:16 GMT-0400 (EDT)' toUTCString | Fri, 15 May 2015 13:30:16 GMT toYMDString | 2015-05-15

FAQ

Yet another API mock up tool huh?

Yep. I needed something I can generate unique data easily, quickly modify schema as I go, and avoid set up of database.

Whey there is no <some feature > ?

I have been using this script as part of my dataviz prototyping. While this serves my purpose in what I do, I have not been using it for other applications (i.e consumer app). If you find some key features are missing, I'd love to hear about it.