Request: PSGI protocol for HTTP::Tiny

[djzort]

The https://metacpan.org/pod/LWP::Protocol::PSGI module allows you to provide code that will called to respond to requests you make with LWP, rather than them going off to a server. The https://metacpan.org/pod/Furl::PSGI module does the same for the Furl library.

Something analogous, but for HTTP::Tiny, would be an amazing addition. The outcome would be vastly easier testing.

The pod of LWP::Protocol::PSGI has a good example, where a trivial dancer app is loaded to respond to LWP requests to google.com. In a test file, an author can mock a web service without having to start up a http daemon of some sort, and doesnt need to insert shims in their code either. Another example from the real world is https://metacpan.org/source/HAKOBE/WebService-SyoboiCalendar-0.02/t/lib/SyobocalMock.pm. The code being tested in entirely unaware of the subterfuge.

A version for HTTP::Tiny would do something very similar. Authors of code using HTTP::Tiny could use this new HTTP::Tiny w/ PSGI in their test suites to mock web services they want to test against.

LWP is multiprotocol, so lends itself to having PSGI added. For HTTP::Tiny to speak to something via PSGI, the code would need to do something like:

• Fake HTTP::Tiny entirely, with a module that would be loaded prior to HTTP::Tiny and trick perl in to not loading it. For example:

use HTTP::Tiny::FakeViaPSGI; # This fakes the HTTP::Tiny namespace
use HTTP::Tiny; # This then does nothing other than call HTTP::Tiny->import, as %INC already contains an entry for HTTP::Tiny

• Add hooks in HTTP::Tiny, so that PSGI can be used
• Other, as suggested by more creative Perl people

[djzort]

See also perl-foundation-outreach/ideas#34

[karenetheridge]

I would fear HTTP::Tiny not being so tiny anymore. Is it possible to do this with a subclass?

[djzort]

My intention is to avoid suggesting the implementation details in the request, as this may distract people from supporting the outcome.

For comparison sake, LWP has pluggable protocols. Furl::PSGI subclasses Furl and replaces key functions. Another approach may be via Class::Method::Modifiers whos maintainer I hear is a cool person.

[xdg]

This is outside the scope of HTTP::Tiny.

[karenetheridge]

This is outside the scope of HTTP::Tiny.

..but perhaps worth exploring in a role or subclass.