Disable caching in tests

[ahoiroman]

Hi there,

I'd like to disable the cache in all my test scenarios, as I am using fixtures.

I could imagine to call something like withoutCache() here, but this is not how it works right now, if I read https://docs.saloon.dev/installable-plugins/caching-responses correctly.

    Saloon::fake([
        GetSuggestionsRequest::class => MockResponse::fixture("suggestions/$this->product"),
    ]);

Is there anything you can imagine to solve this?

[JonPurvis]

I've submitted PRs to both this repo and the Cache plugin which will allow you to do:

Saloon::fake([
    GetSuggestionsRequest::class => MockResponse::fixture("suggestions/$this->product"),
])->withoutCache();

I'll catch up with Sam soon to see about getting this released.

[JonPurvis]

Proposed Documentation

Testing

Response Caching and Mocks

When you use the response cache plugin together with a MockClient (including MockResponse::fixture(), successful faked responses can be written to the same response cache as real requests. Later sends may then return the cached mock instead of resolving your fixture or mock sequence again, for example after you change a fixture file on disk.

If you want to turn off response caching for the lifetime of that mock client (typical in tests), chain withoutCache() on the client returned by Saloon::fake():

use Saloon\Laravel\Facades\Saloon;
use Saloon\Http\Faking\MockResponse;

Saloon::fake([
    GetUserRequest::class => MockResponse::fixture('user'),
])->withoutCache();

When not using Laravel, call withoutCache() on the MockClient instance you pass to withMockClient() or on the global client from MockClient::global([...]).

Caching

Testing with mocks, fakes, and fixtures

If you combine this plugin with Saloon’s testing helpers, remember that the cache middleware may store successful responses, including faked ones. On the next send with the same cache key, Saloon can return that cached payload before your mock client runs again. That is usually not what you want when:

• you use MockResponse::fixture() and edit the fixture file between sends, or
• you use a sequence of mock responses and expect each send to consume the next item.

Recommended for tests: opt out of response caching for that mock session by calling withoutCache() on the MockClient:

Laravel (Saloon facade):

use Saloon\Laravel\Facades\Saloon;
use Saloon\Http\Faking\MockResponse;

Saloon::fake([
    GetServersRequest::class => MockResponse::fixture('forge/servers'),
])->withoutCache();

Any application:

use Saloon\Http\Faking\MockClient;
use Saloon\Http\Faking\MockResponse;

$mockClient = (new MockClient([
    GetServersRequest::class => MockResponse::fixture('forge/servers'),
]))->withoutCache();

$connector->withMockClient($mockClient);

That tells the cache plugin not to read or write the response cache for requests that use this mock client, while leaving normal caching unchanged for other code paths.

Per-request alternative: if you only need to bypass caching for specific real (or faked) sends outside of a global test fake, you can still use disableCaching() on the request instance. Use withoutCache() on the mock client when you want the same effect for everything sent while that MockClient is active (for example for the whole test when using Saloon::fake()).

withoutCache() affects the response cache plugin only. It does not change how Saloon’s MockClient chooses mock responses or how fixtures are loaded; it only prevents those responses from being cached and replayed by this plugin.