Skip to content
2023 API Summit Hackathon: Experiment with AI for APIs (August 28 - September 27) Learn More →
Kong Logo | Kong Docs Logo
search
  • We're Hiring!
  • Docs
    • Kong Gateway
      Lightweight, fast, and flexible cloud-native API gateway
      Kong Konnect
      Single platform for SaaS end-to-end connectivity
      Kong Mesh
      Enterprise service mesh based on Kuma and Envoy
      decK
      Helps manage Kong’s configuration in a declarative fashion
      Kong Ingress Controller
      Works inside a Kubernetes cluster and configures Kong to proxy traffic
      Insomnia
      Collaborative API development platform
      Kuma
      Open-source distributed control plane with a bundled Envoy Proxy integration
      Docs Contribution Guidelines
      Want to help out, or found an issue in the docs and want to let us know?
  • API Specs
  • Plugin Hub
    • Explore the Plugin Hub
      View all plugins View all plugins View all plugins arrow image
    • Functionality View all View all arrow image
      View all plugins
      Authentication's icon
      Authentication
      Protect your services with an authentication layer
      Security's icon
      Security
      Protect your services with additional security layer
      Traffic Control's icon
      Traffic Control
      Manage, throttle and restrict inbound and outbound API traffic
      Serverless's icon
      Serverless
      Invoke serverless functions in combination with other plugins
      Analytics & Monitoring's icon
      Analytics & Monitoring
      Visualize, inspect and monitor APIs and microservices traffic
      Transformations's icon
      Transformations
      Transform request and responses on the fly on Kong
      Logging's icon
      Logging
      Log request and response data using the best transport for your infrastructure
  • Support
  • Community
  • Kong Academy
Get a Demo Start Free Trial
Kong Gateway
2.6.x
  • Home icon
  • Kong Gateway
  • Plugin Development
  • Plugin Development - Writing tests
github-edit-pageEdit this page
report-issueReport an issue
  • Kong Gateway
  • Kong Konnect
  • Kong Mesh
  • Plugin Hub
  • decK
  • Kong Ingress Controller
  • Insomnia
  • Kuma

  • Docs contribution guidelines
  • 3.4.x (latest)
  • 3.3.x
  • 3.2.x
  • 3.1.x
  • 3.0.x
  • 2.8.x
  • 2.7.x
  • 2.6.x
  • Archive (pre-2.6)
enterprise-switcher-icon Switch to OSS
On this pageOn this page
  • Write integration tests
You are browsing documentation for an outdated version. See the latest documentation here.

Plugin Development - Writing tests

If you are serious about your plugin, you probably want to write tests for it. Unit testing Lua is easy, and many testing frameworks are available. However, you might also want to write integration tests. Again, Kong has your back.

Write integration tests

The preferred testing framework for Kong is busted running with the resty-cli interpreter, though you are free to use a different one. In the Kong repository, the busted executable can be found at bin/busted.

Kong provides you with a helper to start and stop it from Lua in your test suite: spec.helpers. This helper also provides you with ways to insert fixtures in your datastore before running your tests, as well as dropping it, and various other helpers.

If you are writing your plugin in your own repository, you will need to copy the following files until the Kong testing framework is released:

  • bin/busted: the busted executable running with the resty-cli interpreter
  • spec/helpers.lua: helper functions to start/stop Kong from busted
  • spec/kong_tests.conf: a configuration file for your running your test Kong instances with the helpers module

Assuming that the spec.helpers module is available in your LUA_PATH, you can use the following Lua code in busted to start and stop Kong:

local helpers = require "spec.helpers"

for _, strategy in helpers.each_strategy() do
  describe("my plugin", function()

    local bp = helpers.get_db_utils(strategy)

    setup(function()
      local service = bp.services:insert {
        name = "test-service",
        host = "httpbin.org"
      }

      bp.routes:insert({
        hosts = { "test.com" },
        service = { id = service.id }
      })

      -- start Kong with your testing Kong configuration (defined in "spec.helpers")
      assert(helpers.start_kong( { plugins = "bundled,my-plugin" }))

      admin_client = helpers.admin_client()
    end)

    teardown(function()
      if admin_client then
        admin_client:close()
      end

      helpers.stop_kong()
    end)

    before_each(function()
      proxy_client = helpers.proxy_client()
    end)

    after_each(function()
      if proxy_client then
        proxy_client:close()
      end
    end)

    describe("thing", function()
      it("should do thing", function()
        -- send requests through Kong
        local res = proxy_client:get("/get", {
          headers = {
            ["Host"] = "test.com"
          }
        })

        local body = assert.res_status(200, res)

        -- body is a string containing the response
      end)
    end)
  end)
end

With the test Kong configuration file, Kong is running with its proxy listening on port 9000 (HTTP), 9443 (HTTPS) and Admin API on port 9001.

For a real-world example, see the Key-Auth plugin specs.


Previous Plugin Development - Extending the Admin API
Next Plugin Development - (un)Installing your plugin
Thank you for your feedback.
Was this page useful?
Too much on your plate? close cta icon
More features, less infrastructure with Kong Konnect. 1M requests per month for free.
Try it for Free
  • Kong
    THE CLOUD CONNECTIVITY COMPANY

    Kong powers reliable digital connections across APIs, hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

    • Company
    • Customers
    • Events
    • Investors
    • Careers Hiring!
    • Partners
    • Press
    • Contact
  • Products
    • Kong Konnect
    • Kong Gateway
    • Kong Mesh
    • Get Started
    • Pricing
  • Resources
    • eBooks
    • Webinars
    • Briefs
    • Blog
    • API Gateway
    • Microservices
  • Open Source
    • Install Kong Gateway
    • Kong Community
    • Kubernetes Ingress
    • Kuma
    • Insomnia
  • Solutions
    • Decentralize
    • Secure & Govern
    • Create a Dev Platform
    • API Gateway
    • Kubernetes
    • Service Mesh
Star
  • Terms•Privacy
© Kong Inc. 2023