effect-http-testing

Effect HTTP Testing

Core Pattern

Define an API with HttpApi, implement handlers with HttpApiBuilder.group, serve it with HttpApiBuilder.serve(), and use NodeHttpServer.layerTest to get an in-process test server + HttpClient pointed at it.

import { expect, layer } from "@effect/vitest";
import { Effect, Layer, Schema } from "effect";
import {
  HttpApi,
  HttpApiBuilder,
  HttpApiEndpoint,
  HttpApiGroup,
  HttpClient,
  OpenApi,
} from "@effect/platform";
import { NodeHttpServer } from "@effect/platform-node";

// 1. Define the API
class Item extends Schema.Class<Item>("Item")({
  id: Schema.Number,
  name: Schema.String,
}) {}

const ItemsGroup = HttpApiGroup.make("items")
  .add(HttpApiEndpoint.get("listItems", "/items").addSuccess(Schema.Array(Item)))
  .add(
    HttpApiEndpoint.get("getItem", "/items/:itemId")
      .setPath(Schema.Struct({ itemId: Schema.NumberFromString }))
      .addSuccess(Item),
  );

const MyApi = HttpApi.make("myApi").add(ItemsGroup);

// 2. Implement handlers
const ItemsLive = HttpApiBuilder.group(MyApi, "items", (handlers) =>
  handlers
    .handle("listItems", () => Effect.succeed([{ id: 1, name: "Widget" }]))
    .handle("getItem", (req) => Effect.succeed({ id: req.path.itemId, name: "Widget" })),
);

// 3. Build test layer
const ApiLive = HttpApiBuilder.api(MyApi).pipe(Layer.provide(ItemsLive));

const TestLayer = HttpApiBuilder.serve().pipe(
  Layer.provide(ApiLive),
  Layer.provideMerge(NodeHttpServer.layerTest),
);

// 4. Use layer() to share across tests
layer(TestLayer)("My API", (it) => {
  it.effect("works", () =>
    Effect.gen(function* () {
      const client = yield* HttpClient.HttpClient;
      // client is already pointed at the test server
      const response = yield* client.get("/items");
      // ...
    }),
  );
});

Critical Rules

Layer composition order matters

HttpApiBuilder.serve() consumes HttpApi.Api. The API layer must be provided to it, not the other way around:

// CORRECT
HttpApiBuilder.serve().pipe(Layer.provide(ApiLive), Layer.provideMerge(NodeHttpServer.layerTest));

// WRONG — "Service not found: HttpApi.Api"
ApiLive.pipe(Layer.provide(HttpApiBuilder.serve()), Layer.provideMerge(NodeHttpServer.layerTest));