Support for simple JSON extraction from the response body

[tkeffer]

I have an API that returns a JSON array in the response body. I want to test that it is, in fact, an array. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be possible. It's possible to test an element of the array, but not the whole array.

My test looks like this:

- test:
    - name: "Get all created streams and validate them"
    - url: {'template': "/api/v1/streams"}
    - expected_status: [200]
    - validators:
        - compare: {jsonpath_mini: "", comparator: 'type', expected: 'array'}

This fails because the jsonpath_mini spec causes the validator to actually test (None, array). The reason is the logic in function query_dictionary():

    def query_dictionary(query, dictionary, delimiter='.'):
        try:
            for x in query.strip(delimiter).split(delimiter):
                try:
                    x = int(x)
                    dictionary = dictionary[x]
                except ValueError:
                    dictionary = dictionary[x]
        except:
            return None
        return dictionary

If a blank string is used as a query, then the expression query.strip(delimiter).split(delimiter) returns an array one element long, containing a blank string. So, dictionary=dictionary[x] evaluates to None.

The suggested fix tests for an empty string and, if it finds one, simply returns the dictionary which, in this case, will be the full array. Hence, both subscripting of the array, as well as the full array, can be supported.

This is a general fix. A jsonpath_mini spec of an empty string simply causes the response body to be parsed as JSON and returned. So, you could test against anything.

[svanoort-jenkins]

Can one of the admins verify this patch?

[svanoort]

Hi! Thank you for your contribution -- it looks like supports a valuable use case (and I'm glad to see the new type comparator is already proving helpful). There are a couple more things we need before it is fully ready to merge (per https://github.com/svanoort/pyresttest#feedback):

• Unit tests in test_validators.py for the modified syntax (empty string & a test for case where it is a simple . operator).
• Documentation for this element of the valdiator syntax (https://github.com/svanoort/pyresttest/blob/master/advanced_guide.md#extractor-jsonpath_mini)
• Optional but helpful: a changelog entry -- https://github.com/svanoort/pyresttest/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md

Please could you add these items, and if those changes are solid, we will be ready to merge!
Thanks, Sam

[svanoort]

Jenkins test build

[svanoort]

@tkeffer I'm getting more community interest in this feature, so I wanted to see if you were going to be able to add tests / documentation for this? Otherwise, I'm going to go ahead and add them + merge in the near future, so we can get this out for people to use.

Thanks!
Sam

[tkeffer]

Hi, Sam
Unfortunately, I'm using another testing strategy, so I won't be able to help you.
Apologies.
-tk

[svanoort]

@tkeffer No worries, tests and docs are added, this is now part of the master. Cheers!