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_posts/2013-03-14-ios-network-testing.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "iOS Network Testing"
+description: ""
+category: 
+tags: []
+---
+{% include JB/setup %}
+[Permalink](http://hackazach.net/post/44988952817/ios-network-testing "Permalink to HackaZach; • iOS Network Testing")
+
+# HackaZach; • iOS Network Testing
+
+During development of an API client, do you require VPN connectivity to hit web service? Is a network service your app relies on a little less than completely reliable? oh and each network error handler has been tested  to ensure things keep working, right? Yeah - Maybe not. Network testing can be a real pain in the ass. The aim of this article is to lower the aching pain in your backside while testing iOS apps; and to hopefully make it a part of normal workflow. 
+
+This article contains a sample walk-through of testing an imaginary web service with ILTesting, AFNetworking and Kiwi. It’s assumed the reader is familiar with the basics of Cocoa Touch, XCode and project creation.
+
+If you’re a solid iOS dev but not familiar with Kiwi or AFnetworking, please check them out:
+
+[Kiwi][1] 
+
+[AFNetworking][2] 
+
+It should be noted the approach shown using ILTesting will work with most any testing framework or networking library on iOS.
+
+**Example DogPark Application**
+
+The example application repo is located here on Github: [DogPark][3]
+
+In our example application, we’ll be testing an implementation of an imaginary Dog Park API client. The client sends requests over HTTP and presently has two methods:
+
+We’ll get to the fun of testing a Dog Park API soon, but first a little about the network testing library we’ll be using. 
+
+**Intro To ILTesting ([GitHub][4])**  
+
+
+The magic behind ILTesting is simple: it ingeniously registers itself as an NSURLPrototcol handler thereby getting “first dibs” to handle HTTP requests from the application. (A more technically in-depth article on NSURLProtocol is available here : [NSHipster][5] .)
+
+The registration of a pre-defined HTTP handler effectively keeps our app from hitting the network. (This speeds up our tests!) But the main point is predictively crafting an HTTP response for a given URL. 
+
+(If you’re wondering ‘why not just mock AFNetworking instead’, I shy away from mocking code that I did not write myself.)
+
+Let’s take a look at a couple ILTesting class methods:
+
+**The ILTesting Delegate**
+
+ILTesting allows for delegation of client response data to a class which implements the  protocol.
+
+ The protocol-delegate protocol looks like this and includes several optional methods:
+
+Within the sample application, the delegate is implemented in HKZFakeWebsServer.
+
+A tip for dealing with large APIs is to have several different classes each implement CannedURLProtocol and break up response testing between various functional areas. Ex - billing, user authentication, etc.
+
+Enough stuffy code talk, let’s get going and have some fun! 
+
+**Back to the DogPark**
+
+**![image][6]**
+
+So anyway, we need to test our example APIClient methods. When beginning network testing, this process has proved successful:
+
+1. Capture the desired JSON response from the API and save it within a file. (In the sample application, these are kept within the DogParkTests/JSON folder.
+
+2. Create a trigger within the ILTesting delegate to serve the response.
+
+3. Write a test which utilizes the response.
+
+Take a look at HKZFakeWebserver which implements ‘*responseDataForClient’* which is self explanitory ;) - it loads various JSON files as response data when specific URLs are requested. The request is matched on HTTP verb and path.
+
+**Taking things further - Completing the implementation**
+
+Within the sample application, both tests presently fail. I leave the implementation of the client to the reader as an exercise in using ILTesting. The example code also serves as a reference to employ this testing method in your own project.
+
+Happy testing!
+
+References:  
+[1] Credit for the original idea of injecting test data via NSURLProtocol goes to Claus Broch : [www.infinite-loop.dk][8]
+
+ [1]: https://github.com/allending/Kiwi/wiki/Guide:-Up-and-Running-with-Kiwi "Kiwi"
+ [2]: https://github.com/AFNetworking/AFNetworking
+ [3]: https://github.com/zmcartor/DogPark-ILTesting
+ [4]: https://github.com/zmcartor/ILTesting
+ [5]: http://nshipster.com/nsurlprotocol/
+ [6]: http://media.tumblr.com/547a729f43c4bddfcc8603571dc8ecb9/tumblr_inline_mjfb450f2O1qz4rgp.jpg
+ []: http://www.infinite-loop.dk/blog/2011/09/using-nsurlprotocol-for-injecting-test-data/
+ [8]: http://www.infinite-loop.dk 

about.md

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+---
+layout: page
+title: "About"
+description: ""
+---
+{% include JB/setup %}
+[Permalink](http://hackazach.net/about_me "Permalink to HackaZach; • About Zach")
+
+# HackaZach; • About Zach
+
+**TL;DR - **CTO of [Taivara][1]. A development firm in Columbus, OH. I also enjoy developing in Javascript, Ruby, Objective-C.
+
+Twitter: [@zmcartor][2]
+
+Github: 
+
+**About Myself**
+
+I’m a pragmatic thinker who believes there is no such thing as a perfect program, just some are more optimal than others. When it comes to a problem I’m having trouble solving, I feel it’s better to take a walk in the park and let my subconscious have a crack at it. I have a wide technical skill range that includes work in the secret agent-esque world of information security, teaching and mentoring students in programming, and am involved in the Columbus start-up scene. What makes me different from ‘just another coder’ is my ability to creatively explain highly technical concepts to non-technical people. I love teaching. Each student brings their own point of view which makes me approach the subject matter in ways I would have never considered. 
+
+**Why I love Programming**
+
+Curiosity, the thirst for new knowledge frontiers and the primal urge to create, do and explore is my main passion.  As a young child, I spent most of my child arm deep in a tub of Legos. I never read the instructions that came with the kits, opt-ing instead  to make my own creation and indulge my own creativity. There is a piece of me inside every one of those half built Lego moon-bases and robotic tanks. This passion of designing and constructing is what has drawn me to programming. Writing a program is not unlike creating a tiny universe with its own laws, structure, and limitations. The experience of creating a vast new universe with a team of talented, dedicated developers is what I most enjoy doing. 
+
+**What I do when I’m not programming**
+
+Regarding myself outside of technology, I’ve taken up a number of different hobbies to occupy my time between git commits. I love learning new things and breaking ground in uncharted territory. I taught myself the basics of music theory and piano in my free time and honed my skills through instruction. I have been playing for 5 years, mostly bebop. Combining music and programming, I also indulge in creating glitchy, circuit bent instruments, synth programming and sound design. 
+
+**What I’m Looking For**
+
+I’m seeking the company of similarly passionate developers that I can learn from and build on. I think source code should be written for humans to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute. I hold myself accountable and my work to a high standard. I seek a place where others have the same passion for high quality software.
+
+ [1]: http://www.taivara.com "Taivara"
+ [2]: http://twitter.com/#!/zmcartor "Twitter"
+ []: https://github.com/zmcartor "GitHub"
+ []: https://github.com/zmcartor