LEARNING.md

Learning Outcomes

| Step | Title | Concept Covered | Learning objectives | Further Reading | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | | step 1 | Create our consumer before the Provider API even exists | Consumer-driven design |

• Understand use case

|

• https://martinfowler.com/articles/consumerDrivenContracts.html

| | | step 2 | Write a unit test for our consumer | - |

• How to write a basic unit test for an HTTP Client
• Understand how a unit test is unable to catch certain integration issues

|

• https://docs.pact.io/faq/convinceme

| | step 3 | Write a Pact test for our consumer | Consumer side pact test |

• Understand basic Consumer-side Pact concepts
• Understand "Matchers" to avoid test data brittleness
• Demonstrate that Pact tests are able to catch a class of integration problems

|

• https://docs.pact.io/5-minute-getting-started-guide#scope-of-a-consumer-pact-test
• https://docs.pact.io/best_practices/consumer

| | | step 4 | Verify the consumer pact with the Provider API | Provider side pact test |

• Understand basic Provider-side Pact concepts
• Place provider side testing in a broader testing context (e.g. where it fits on the pyramid)

|

• https://docs.pact.io/5-minute-getting-started-guide#scope-of-a-provider-pact-test

| | step 5 | Fix the consumer's bad assumptions about the Provider | Humans talking to humans (collaboration) |

• Understand that a tool facilitates collaboration, it doesn't replace it

| | | step 6 | Write a pact test for 404 (missing User) in consumer | Testing API invariants |

• Understand how we can test "stateful" APIs without having to create complex, sequential API calls

| | | step 7 | Update API to handle 404 case | Provider States |

• How Pact deals with "stateful" interactions, via the concept of "Provider States"

|

• https://docs.pact.io/getting_started/provider_states

| | step 8 | Write a pact test for the 401 case | Testing authenticated APIs |

• Service evolution - adding a new feature

| | | step 9 | Update API to handle 401 case | Service evolution |

• Understand the challenge of dealing with complex/dynamic data, such as time-bound authentication tokens

| | | step 10 | Fix the provider to support the 401 case | Request filters |

• Understand Pact's approach to dealing with complex/dynamic data, such as time-bound authentication tokens

| | | step 11 | Implement a broker workflow for integration with CI/CD | Automation |

• Understand how to use Pact in a CI and CD workflow

|

• https://docs.pact.io/pact_broker
• https://docs.pact.io/best_practices/pact_nirvana

|