AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk 9.1.0-alpha.49

AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk

👁 NuGet
👁 .NET 10

API snapshot testing so productive it feels like cheating.
Add a JSON file. A test appears. When it fails, you get the exact diff, full HTTP context, and a ready-to-run curl.

---

[TestMethod]
[DynamicRequestLocator]
public Task Should_Create_User(string useCase)
{
 return Client.AssertPostAsync<UserResponse>("api/v1/users", 
 useCase, 
 useCase);
}

---

Quick Start

Install

dotnet add package AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk

Minimal setup

[TestClass]
public abstract class ApiTestBase
{
 private static ApiTestBase<Program> _apiTestBase = null!;

 [AssemblyInitialize]
 public static void AssemblyInitialize(TestContext _)
 {
 // Use Program or Startup as entry point for proper WebApplicationFactory support
 // - Program: for minimal API / top-level statements (Program.cs)
 // - Startup: for traditional Startup.cs class
 _apiTestBase = new ApiTestBase<Program>("Development",
 (services,
 configuration) =>
 {
 // IMPORTANT: Required for endpoint validation and assertable HTTP client features
 services.AddAssertableHttpClient(configuration);
 });

 Client = _apiTestBase.CreateClient();

 // IMPORTANT: Required to make all HttpClientAssertExtensions 100% functional
 HttpClientAssertExtensions.Setup(_apiTestBase.Services);
 }

 protected static HttpClient Client { get; private set; } = null!;

 [AssemblyCleanup]
 public static void AssemblyCleanup()
 {
 _apiTestBase.Dispose();
 Client.Dispose();
 }
}

First test

[TestClass]
public class UserTests : ApiTestBase
{
 [TestMethod]
 public Task Should_Create_User()
 {
 return Client.AssertPostAsync<UserResponse>(
 "api/v1/users",
 "CreateUser.json",
 "CreateUser.json");
 }
}

Add the JSON snapshot files

Use embedded JSON files for request and expected response.

CreateUser.json request:

{
 "Id": 1,
 "Name": "Son",
 "FirstName": "Goku",
 "Age": 99,
 "Emails": [
 {
 "EmailAddress": "alf@gmx.de",
 "Type": "GMX"
 },
 {
 "EmailAddress": "abc@hotmail.de",
 "Type": "Microsoft"
 }
 ]
}

CreateUser.json response snapshot:

{
 "Content": {
 "Headers": [
 {
 "Key": "Content-Type",
 "Value": [ "application/json; charset=utf-8" ]
 }
 ],
 "Value": {
 "Id": 1,
 "Name": "Son",
 "FirstName": "Goku",
 "Age": 99,
 "Emails": []
 }
 },
 "StatusCode": "OK",
 "Headers": [],
 "TrailingHeaders": [],
 "IsSuccessStatusCode": true
}

Result

Run the test and you get:

• full-response validation
• structured diffs on mismatch
• HTTP context in the failure output
• generated curl for instant reproduction

---

What you get

• Full HTTP response snapshots: status, headers, body, trailing headers
• Precise structured diffs with deep MemberPath paths
• Context-specific error headers (Snapshot Mismatch, Schema Mismatch, Status Code, etc.)
• Clickable file links in error output - jump directly to failing test line in your IDE
• Fully qualified class names - see complete namespace path in test information
• Ready-to-run curl output on failures
• Convention-based test discovery with DynamicRequestLocator
• Snapshot generation from live traffic
• Snapshot auto-update and ignore strategies
• Drastically less boilerplate than traditional API tests

---

Why this feels different

Most API testing tools make you choose between speed, coverage, and debuggability.

This SDK does not.

It is built around a simple idea:

• One snapshot validates the whole HTTP response, not just the body
• One failure tells you exactly what changed, down to content.value.emails[1].type
• One pasted curl reproduces the problem immediately
• One added JSON file creates a new test case automatically

That combination changes how API testing feels in practice. Less plumbing. More coverage. Faster debugging.

---

File conventions and folder structure

Use file names, not full resource paths

Prefer this:

"NewUser.json"

Not this:

"Users.V1.Payloads.NewUser.json"

Context-aware disambiguation

If multiple files with the same name exist in different folders, the SDK prefers the file in the same namespace as your test.

Example structure:

Api/
├─ Persons/
│ └─ Requests/SonGoku.json ← Test in Persons namespace uses this
├─ Errors/
│ └─ Requests/SonGoku.json
└─ NativeTypes/
 └─ Requests/SonGoku.json

When you reference "Requests.SonGoku.json" from a test in the Api.Persons namespace, the SDK automatically picks Api.Persons.Requests.SonGoku.json.

If needed, you can be more specific:

"Api.Persons.Requests.SonGoku.json" // Fully qualified
"Persons.Requests.SonGoku.json" // Partial namespace

The SDK uses segment-based matching to avoid false positives. "Requests.SonGoku.json" will not match "ErrorRequests.SonGoku.json" because the dot boundary matters.

This means you get:

• short, readable file references in tests
• automatic disambiguation by context
• explicit paths when you need them
• predictable resolution behavior

Recommended structure

Api
└─ Users
 └─ V1
 └─ Create
 └─ Status_200_Ok
 ├─ Requests
 │ ├─ ValidUser.json
 │ ├─ AdminUser.json
 │ └─ GuestUser.json
 ├─ Responses
 │ ├─ ValidUser.json
 │ ├─ AdminUser.json
 │ └─ GuestUser.json
 └─ CreateUser_Status_200_OK_Test.cs

Why this structure works well

• Requests contains input payloads
• Responses contains expected snapshots
• namespace mirrors folder structure
• DynamicRequestLocator can discover request files automatically
• adding scenarios stays simple and predictable

Example:

namespace Api.Users.V1.Create.Status_200_Ok;

[TestClass]
public class CreateUser_Status_200_OK_Test : ApiTestBase
{
 [DataTestMethod]
 [DynamicRequestLocator]
 public Task Should_Create_User(string requestFileName)
 {
 return Client.AssertPostAsync<UserResponse>(
 "api/v1/users",
 requestFileName,
 requestFileName);
 }
}

---

Add a JSON file. A new test appears.

---

What a failure looks like

The SDK provides context-specific error outputs that make debugging fast and intuitive. Each failure type has a dedicated format with actionable information.

All Failure Types at a Glance

Icon	Failure Type	When It Occurs	What It Means
📸	SNAPSHOT MISMATCH	JSON values differ	Business logic produces different values
📋	SCHEMA MISMATCH	Structure differs	API contract changed (breaking change)
🚫	UNEXPECTED STATUS CODE	Wrong HTTP status	Status code doesn't match expectation
📄	CONTENT TYPE MISMATCH	Wrong Content-Type	Response is not JSON (HTML, XML, etc.)
❌	ASSERT METHOD MISMATCH	Wrong assertion type	Using success assert with error status (or vice versa)
❌	HTTP RESPONSE TYPE MISMATCH	Wrong response type	Test type doesn't match endpoint contract

All errors follow the same structure: Header → Failure Details → Test Info → HTTP Context → Problem Details → Suggested Fix → Curl Command

Note: The File field in Test Information contains a clickable file:// URI that works in most IDEs (Rider, VS Code, Visual Studio). Click it to jump directly to the failing test line.

Snapshot Mismatch (Value Differences)

When JSON values differ from the expected snapshot:

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
📸 SNAPSHOT MISMATCH
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

⚠️ Failure Details
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

JSON values differ from the expected snapshot.
All properties exist but have different values.

📦 Test Information
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project : MinimalApi.Test
Class : MinimalApi.Test.Api.Persons.PersonEndpointsTests
Method : Should_Be_Able_To_Post_A_Person_Object
Line : 65
File : file:///D:/AzureDevOps/AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk/src/MinimalApi.Test/Api/Persons/PersonEndpointsTests.cs:65

🌍 HTTP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Method : POST
Url : http://localhost/api/v1/persons
Status : 201 Created
Body : {"id":1,"name":"Son","firstName":"Goku","age":42,"emails":[]}
Response : NewPerson.json

🔍 Differences (Count 1)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

┌────────────────────┬────────────────┬───────────────┬─────────────────┐
│ MemberPath │ NewPerson.json │ CurrentResult │ MismatchType │
├────────────────────┼────────────────┼───────────────┼─────────────────┤
│ content.value.name │ Son Test │ Son │ ValueDifference │
└────────────────────┴────────────────┴───────────────┴─────────────────┘

📄 Expected Snapshot
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

{"content":{"headers":[...],"value":{"id":1,"name":"Son Test","firstName":"Goku",...}}}

📄 Current Result
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

{"content":{"headers":[...],"value":{"id":1,"name":"Son","firstName":"Goku",...}}}

🔁 Reproduce Locally
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

curl \
--location \
--request POST 'http://localhost/api/v1/persons' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{"id":1,"name":"Son","firstName":"Goku","age":42,"emails":[]}'

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Schema Mismatch (Structural Differences)

When the response structure doesn't match (missing properties, type mismatches):

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
📋 SCHEMA MISMATCH
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

⚠️ Failure Details
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Structure doesn't match expected type schema.
Properties missing, extra properties, or type mismatches detected.

📦 Test Information
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project : MinimalApi.Test
Class : MinimalApi.Test.Api.Persons.PersonEndpointsTests
Method : Should_Get_Person_By_Id
Line : 42
File : file:///D:/AzureDevOps/AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk/src/MinimalApi.Test/Api/Persons/PersonEndpointsTests.cs:42

🌍 HTTP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Method : GET
Url : http://localhost/api/v1/persons/1
Status : 200 OK

🔍 Differences (Count 2)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

┌──────────────────────┬──────────────────┬───────────────┬────────────────┐
│ MemberPath │ Expected │ Current │ MismatchType │
├──────────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────┼────────────────┤
│ content.value.emails │ [email array] │ null │ MissingInFirst │
│ content.value.age │ 42 │ null │ MissingInFirst │
└──────────────────────┴──────────────────┴───────────────┴────────────────┘

🔁 Reproduce Locally
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

curl \
--location \
--request GET 'http://localhost/api/v1/persons/1'

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Assert Method Mismatch

When using success assertion (AssertPostAsync) with error status code:

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
❌ ASSERT METHOD MISMATCH - SUCCESS EXPECTED
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

📦 Test Information
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project : MinimalApi.Test
Class : MinimalApi.Test.Api.Persons.PersonEndpointsTests
Method : Should_Create_Person
Line : 88
File : file:///D:/AzureDevOps/AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk/src/MinimalApi.Test/Api/Persons/PersonEndpointsTests.cs:88

🌍 HTTP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Method : POST
Url : http://localhost/api/v1/persons
Status : Test Type Mismatch

⚠️ Problem
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The test is declared as a SUCCESS test (AssertPostAsync, AssertGetAsync, etc.)
but the expected response has status code 500 (InternalServerError) which is an ERROR status.

📊 Details
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Test Type : Success (expects 2xx)
Expected Status : 500 (InternalServerError)
Status Range : Error (4xx/5xx)

✅ Suggested Fix
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Option 1: Use error assertion method instead
 - Use AssertPostAsErrorAsync() or similar error assertion method

Option 2: Update expected response status code
 - Change the expected response to have a success status code (200, 201, etc.)

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Unexpected Status Code

When the HTTP status code doesn't match expectations:

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
🚫 UNEXPECTED STATUS CODE
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

⚠️ Failure Details
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Expected : 200 (Success)
Actual : 400 (Bad Request)

📦 Test Information
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project : MinimalApi.Test
Class : MinimalApi.Test.Api.Persons.PersonEndpointsTests
Method : Should_Create_Person
Line : 65
File : file:///D:/AzureDevOps/AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk/src/MinimalApi.Test/Api/Persons/PersonEndpointsTests.cs:65

🌍 HTTP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Method : POST
Url : http://localhost/api/v1/persons
Status : 400 Bad Request

🔁 Reproduce Locally
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

curl \
--location \
--request POST 'http://localhost/api/v1/persons' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{"name":"Invalid"}'

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Why This Matters

You immediately see:

1. Failure type: Snapshot mismatch vs Schema mismatch vs Assert method issue
2. Exact location: content.value.name with deep path precision
3. Expected vs actual: Side-by-side comparison
4. HTTP context: Method, URL, status code, request body
5. Reproduction command: Ready-to-run curl
6. Suggested fixes: Actionable guidance

That is a completely different debugging experience from:

Assert.AreEqual("Son", response.Name); // ❌ No context, no curl, no path

This SDK does not just tell you that something failed. It tells you what kind of failure, where, what changed, under which HTTP call, and how to replay it now.

Response Type Mismatch

When test's response type doesn't match endpoint contract:

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
❌ HTTP RESPONSE TYPE MISMATCH
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

📦 Test Information
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project : MinimalApi.Test
Class : MinimalApi.Test.Api.Persons.PersonEndpointsTests
Method : Should_Create_Person
Line : 65
File : file:///D:/AzureDevOps/AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk/src/MinimalApi.Test/Api/Persons/PersonEndpointsTests.cs:65

🌍 HTTP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Method : POST
Url : http://localhost/api/v1/persons
Status : Type Mismatch
Source : MinimalApi.Api.Persons.V1.CreatePersonEndpoint

🔍 Type Validation
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

┌─────────────┬────────────────────────┬────────────────────┬───────┐
│ Status Code │ Endpoint Response Type │ Declared Test Type │ Match │
├─────────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────────────┼───────┤
│ 201 │ Person │ UnknownResponse │ ✗ │
└─────────────┴────────────────────────┴────────────────────┴───────┘

The test is a success (2xx) test and declares response type 'UnknownResponse',
but none of the endpoint's success (2xx) status codes return this type.

Endpoint defines: 201 → Person

📝 Assert Call
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

return Client.AssertPostAsync<UnknownResponse>("api/v1/persons",
 new Person(1, "Son", "Goku",
 42, ImmutableList<Email>.Empty),
 "NewPerson.json");

✅ Suggested Fix
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

return Client.AssertPostAsync<Person>("api/v1/persons",
 new Person(1, "Son", "Goku",
 42, ImmutableList<Email>.Empty),
 "NewPerson.json");

🔁 Reproduce Locally
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

curl \
--location \
--request POST 'http://localhost/api/v1/persons' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{"id":1,"name":"Son","firstName":"Goku","age":42,"emails":[]}'

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Smart endpoint validation with fallback

The SDK validates that your test's response type matches the endpoint's contract using a three-tier strategy.

Tier 1: [ProducesResponseType] attributes

When your endpoint declares explicit response types:

[HttpPost("errors/not-implemented")]
[ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status500InternalServerError)]
public void ThrowNotImplementedException() { ... }

The SDK validates your test type against the declared status codes. Success tests (AssertPostAsync) are checked against 2xx responses. Error tests (AssertPostAsErrorAsync) are checked against 4xx/5xx responses.

Tier 2: Expected response JSON fallback

If no [ProducesResponseType] attributes exist, the SDK extracts the status code from your expected response snapshot:

{
 "StatusCode": "InternalServerError",
 "IsSuccessStatusCode": false,
 "Content": {
 "Value": {
 "title": "Implementation is missing",
 "status": 500
 }
 }
}

This enables validation even when developers forget to add attributes. The SDK parses both numeric (500) and enum string ("InternalServerError") formats.

Tier 3: Assert method validation

The SDK catches when the assertion method doesn't align with the expected status code. This uses the same standardized error format as other failures:

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
❌ ASSERT METHOD MISMATCH - SUCCESS EXPECTED
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

📦 Test Information
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Project : MinimalApi.Test
Class : MinimalApi.Test.Api.Persons.PersonEndpointsTests
Method : Should_Create_Person
Line : 88
File : file:///D:/AzureDevOps/AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk/src/MinimalApi.Test/Api/Persons/PersonEndpointsTests.cs:88

🌍 HTTP
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Method : POST
Url : http://localhost/api/v1/persons
Status : Test Type Mismatch

⚠️ Problem
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The test is declared as a SUCCESS test (AssertPostAsync, AssertGetAsync, etc.)
but the expected response has status code 500 (InternalServerError) which is an ERROR status.

📊 Details
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Test Type : Success (expects 2xx)
Expected Status : 500 (InternalServerError)
Status Range : Error (4xx/5xx)

✅ Suggested Fix
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Option 1: Use error assertion method instead
 - Use AssertPostAsErrorAsync() or similar error assertion method

Option 2: Update expected response status code
 - Change the expected response to have a success status code (200, 201, etc.)

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This catches common mistakes like using AssertPostAsync when you meant AssertPostAsErrorAsync, or vice versa. The header clearly shows whether the test expected SUCCESS or ERROR.

Why this matters:

• catches ProblemDetails vs ValidationProblemDetails confusion
• works even without explicit attributes
• prevents wrong test type usage
• uses test data that already exists

---

Endpoint-only validation mode

Sometimes you need to validate that an endpoint exists and returns the correct type, but don't care about the response content. Perfect for process chain tests or when the endpoint is already thoroughly tested elsewhere.

Simple syntax - no response comparison:

// Validates endpoint exists and returns GetAllNodesResponse
// Skips response content comparison automatically
await Client.AssertGetAsync<GetAllNodesResponse>("api/v1/nodes");

With explicit control:

// Same as above, but explicit
await Client.AssertGetAsync<GetAllNodesResponse>("api/v1/nodes", 
 ignoreResponse: true);

// Full response comparison (default when expectedResult provided)
await Client.AssertGetAsync<GetAllNodesResponse>("api/v1/nodes", 
 "ExpectedNodes.json");

What gets validated:

• ✅ Endpoint exists and is reachable
• ✅ Response type matches endpoint contract
• ✅ HTTP status code is success (2xx)
• ✅ Request executes without errors
• ⏭️ Response content comparison skipped

Why this matters:

In large systems with lots of backend services, you often have:

• Deep tests that validate full response snapshots (detailed unit/integration tests)
• Process tests that validate multi-step workflows where intermediate calls just need to succeed

This feature lets you write process tests that stay fast and focused:

[TestMethod]
public async Task Complete_User_Registration_Flow()
{
 // Step 1: Create user (validate full response)
 var user = await Client.AssertPostAsync<CreateUserResponse>(
 "api/v1/users", 
 "NewUser.json", 
 "NewUser.json");
 
 // Step 2: Send verification email (just validate it succeeds)
 await Client.AssertPostAsync<EmailSentResponse>(
 $"api/v1/users/{user.Id}/send-verification");
 
 // Step 3: Verify email (just validate it succeeds) 
 await Client.AssertPostAsync<VerificationResponse>(
 $"api/v1/users/{user.Id}/verify");
 
 // Step 4: Get final user state (validate full response)
 await Client.AssertGetAsync<GetUserResponse>(
 $"api/v1/users/{user.Id}",
 "VerifiedUser.json");
}

---

Skip endpoint validation

Sometimes you need to test external APIs or use different response types than what the endpoint declares. In these cases, endpoint validation becomes a blocker rather than a helper.

When to skip endpoint validation:

• Testing external APIs where endpoint metadata is not available
• Using a different response type than defined in the endpoint contract
• Working with OpenAPI specs not yet integrated into your codebase
• Testing legacy endpoints without proper [ProducesResponseType] attributes

How to use it:

// Test external API without endpoint validation
await Client.AssertGetAsync<ExternalApiResponse>(
 "https://external-api.com/v1/data",
 "ExpectedResponse.json",
 skipEndpointValidation: true);

// Use custom response type for endpoint
await Client.AssertPostAsync<CustomResponse>(
 "api/v1/users",
 "Request.json",
 "Response.json",
 skipEndpointValidation: true);

What gets validated when skipped:

• ✅ HTTP status code matches expectation (success vs error)
• ✅ Response content comparison (if expectedResult provided)
• ✅ Request executes successfully
• ⏭️ Endpoint metadata validation skipped
• ⏭️ Response type contract checking skipped

What gets skipped:

• Type checking against [ProducesResponseType] attributes
• Endpoint existence validation
• Status code to response type mapping

Difference from ignoreResponse:

Feature	ignoreResponse: true	skipEndpointValidation: true
Validates endpoint exists	✅ Yes	❌ No
Validates response type matches endpoint	✅ Yes	❌ No
Compares response content	❌ No	✅ Yes (if expectedResult provided)
Use case	Process tests where call must succeed	External APIs or custom response types

Example: Testing external API

[TestMethod]
public async Task Should_Fetch_GitHub_User()
{
 // GitHub API is external - no endpoint metadata available
 await Client.AssertGetAsync<GitHubUser>(
 "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",
 "GitHubUser.json",
 skipEndpointValidation: true);
}

Example: Custom response transformation

[TestMethod]
public async Task Should_Transform_Response()
{
 // Endpoint returns User, but we transform to UserViewModel in test
 await Client.AssertGetAsync<UserViewModel>(
 "api/v1/users/123",
 "UserViewModel.json",
 skipEndpointValidation: true);
}

Future enhancement:

Later versions may support OpenAPI spec integration for external APIs, allowing endpoint validation even for external services. This would involve downloading and parsing OpenAPI specs at runtime - a bigger round trip that's not currently implemented.

---

Why this saves ridiculous amounts of time

Traditional API testing

Typical API tests tend to look like this:

Assert.AreEqual(HttpStatusCode.OK, response.StatusCode);
Assert.AreEqual("application/json; charset=utf-8", response.Content.Headers.ContentType?.ToString());
Assert.AreEqual("Son", body.Name);
Assert.AreEqual("Goku", body.FirstName);
Assert.AreEqual(99, body.Age);
// ...and so on

That approach costs time in three places:

• writing the assertions
• maintaining them when the contract changes
• figuring out what actually broke

With this SDK

await Client.AssertPostAsync<UserResponse>(
 "api/v1/users",
 "CreateUser.json",
 "CreateUser.json");

You get:

• full-response verification instead of cherry-picked assertions
• automatic regression detection when new fields appear
• structured diff output instead of vague failures
• replayable curl output instead of manual reproduction steps

Boilerplate reduction that actually matters

Task	Traditional approach	This SDK
Add a new edge case	Add DataRow + add JSON + keep them in sync	Add one JSON file
Validate headers + body + status	Multiple asserts	One snapshot
Reproduce a failed request	Rebuild it manually	Paste generated curl
See nested mismatch location	Manually inspect payloads	Read MemberPath
Update snapshots after intentional API changes	Rewrite asserts	Enable snapshot update mode

The real multiplier: JSON-driven scaling

With DynamicRequestLocator, test count scales with files, not attributes.

• 3 scenarios? Add 3 files
• 30 edge cases? Add 30 files
• new bug found in production? Add one JSON file and you have a permanent regression test

That is why this feels like a productivity tool, not just a test library.

---

Unique features

DynamicRequestLocator: add a JSON file, get a test

This is the killer idea.

[DataTestMethod]
[DynamicRequestLocator]
public Task Should_Create_User(string requestFileName)
{
 return Client.AssertPostAsync<UserResponse>(
 "api/v1/users",
 requestFileName,
 requestFileName);
}

If the Requests folder contains:

• ValidUser.json
• AdminUser.json
• MissingField.json

then the test runner gets one case per file automatically.

No manual [DataRow]. No sync issues. No silent gaps.

Why it matters:

• adding a case is just adding a file
• deleting a case is just deleting a file
• file names become readable test names
• coverage naturally stays aligned with your snapshot set

If you have many input variations, this feature alone changes the economics of testing.

---

Full HTTP response snapshots

This SDK validates the full HTTP response, not just the JSON body.

A single snapshot can include:

• response body
• status code
• headers
• trailing headers
• success state

{
 "Content": {
 "Headers": [
 {
 "Key": "Content-Type",
 "Value": [ "application/json; charset=utf-8" ]
 }
 ],
 "Value": {
 "Id": 1,
 "Name": "Son"
 }
 },
 "StatusCode": "OK",
 "Headers": [],
 "TrailingHeaders": [],
 "IsSuccessStatusCode": true
}

That means changes in headers, status, or response shape are caught by the same test.

---

Structured diffs with deep MemberPath precision

When a snapshot fails, you do not get a vague object mismatch. You get exact paths.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 | MemberPath | SonGokuNewResponse.json | CurrentResult | MismatchType |
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 | content.value.name | Son 1 | Son | ValueDifference |
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is especially valuable when:

• payloads are nested
• arrays are involved
• a response changed in only one deep property
• you need to distinguish missing vs changed values

Supported mismatch types include:

• ValueDifference
• MissingInFirst
• MissingInSecond

Array length mismatches

When array lengths differ, the SDK consolidates element-level differences into a single array-level entry.

Instead of showing:

| content.value.emails[0] | null | {"emailAddress": "test@example.com"} | MissingInFirst |
| content.value.emails[1] | null | {"emailAddress": "user@example.com"} | MissingInFirst |

You get:

DIFFERENCES
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 | MemberPath | NewPersonParameter.json | CurrentResult | MismatchType |
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 | content.value.emails | [] (0 items) | [2 item(s)] | MissingInFirst |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This makes it immediately clear that the issue is array length, not individual element values.

When arrays have mixed differences (some elements changed, some missing), the SDK shows element-level details. Consolidation only happens when all elements are uniformly missing or added.

---

Built-in curl generation

Every failed test includes a ready-to-run curl command.

curl \
--request POST 'https://localhost:5001/api/v1/users' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{ ... }'

That means:

• faster debugging
• easier collaboration
• simpler reproduction outside the test runner
• better handoff between test failures and API investigation

The generated curl output alone removes a surprising amount of wasted time.

---

Automatic test generation from live traffic

You can generate tests from actual API usage.

app.UseTestCreator();

The middleware captures requests and responses and turns them into test assets.

This is useful for:

• bootstrapping regression coverage quickly
• documenting legacy APIs
• converting exploratory testing into permanent test cases
• generating real examples from live behavior

---

Enum test cases without DataRow boilerplate

If you need one test per enum value, use EnumTestCase.

[DataTestMethod]
[EnumTestCase<Status>()]
public async Task Should_Handle_Status(Status status)
{
 // test logic
}

Instead of manually listing enum values with [DataRow], test cases are generated automatically.

This is small, but on large suites it removes a lot of repetitive noise.

---

Snapshot auto-update mode

When an API change is intentional, updating snapshots should be easy.

You can enable snapshot writing per test:

await Client.AssertPostAsync<CreateUserResponse>(
 "api/v1/users",
 "CreateUser.json",
 "CreateUser.json",
 writeResponse: true);

Or globally:

AssertObjectExtensions.WriteResponse = true;

Or via environment variable:

AspNetCoreSimpleMsTestSdk__WriteResponse=true

Use it when:

• refactoring response contracts
• updating baselines after intentional changes
• regenerating snapshots across a suite

---

Global and scoped ignore strategies

Some values are dynamic and should not break the test: timestamps, GUIDs, trace IDs, database-generated IDs.

Global ignore example:

AssertObjectExtensions.DifferenceFunc = differences =>
{
 foreach (var difference in differences)
 {
 if (difference.MemberPath.Contains("timestamp"))
 {
 continue;
 }

 yield return difference;
 }
};

Scoped ignore example:

await Client.AssertPostAsync<AddUserReponse>(
 "api/v1/users",
 "NewUser.json",
 "NewUser.json",
 differenceFunc: differences =>
 {
 foreach (var difference in differences)
 {
 if (difference.MemberPath == "Content.Value.Id")
 {
 continue;
 }

 yield return difference;
 }
 });

This lets you keep snapshots strict where they should be strict and flexible where they must be flexible.

---

Dynamic parameter replacement

If your snapshot needs a runtime value, use placeholders.

var user = await CreateUserAsync();

await Client.AssertGetAsync<GetUserByIdResponse>(
 $"api/v1/users/{user.Id}",
 "GetUser.json",
 [
 ("$Id$", user.Id)
 ]);

Snapshot:

{
 "content": {
 "value": {
 "id": "$Id$",
 "name": "Son",
 "age": 99
 }
 }
}

This keeps snapshots deterministic while still supporting dynamic test flows.

---

Retry support for unstable scenarios

For eventual consistency or flaky integration points, use SnapshotTestMethod.

[SnapshotTestMethod(maxRetries: 3)]
public async Task Should_Eventually_Be_Consistent()
{
 await Client.AssertGetAsync<Response>("api/eventual", "Response.json");
}

Useful for:

• eventual consistency
• async propagation delays
• snapshot creation flows that need retries before settling

---

More examples / advanced usage

Standard API snapshot test

[TestClass]
public class Persons : ApiTestBase
{
 [TestMethod]
 public Task Should_Be_Able_To_Post_A_Person_By_Json()
 {
 return Client.AssertPostAsync<Person>(
 "api/tests/v1/persons",
 "SonGoku.json",
 "SonGoku.json");
 }
}

Raw JSON input

Possible, but better for small payloads only.

[TestMethod]
public Task Should_Return_No_Users_If_No_One_Was_Added()
{
 return Client.AssertGetAsync<GetAllUsersResponse>(
 "v1/users",
 """{ "Users": [] }""");
}

Ignore generated IDs

private static IEnumerable<Difference> IgnoreId(IImmutableList<Difference> differences)
{
 foreach (var difference in differences)
 {
 if (difference.MemberPath == "Content.Value.Id")
 {
 continue;
 }

 yield return difference;
 }
}

Simple object comparison

This is available too, but the primary value of the SDK is the ASP.NET Core API testing workflow.

[TestMethod]
public void Simple_Object_Comparison()
{
 var person1 = new Person("Son", "Goku", 29);
 var person2 = new Person("Muten", "Roshi", 63);

 Assert.That.ObjectsAreEqual(person1, person2, title: "Persons are not equal");
}

Example output:

Persons are not equal

 ----------------------------------
 | MemberPath | person1 | person2 |
 ----------------------------------
 | Name | Son | Muten |
 ----------------------------------
 | FamilyName | Goku | Roshi |
 ----------------------------------
 | Age | 29 | 63 |
 ----------------------------------

Custom comparison strategies

The SDK uses a Strategy Pattern for comparisons, making it extensible for custom types.

Built-in strategies:

1. StringComparisonStrategy - Line-by-line comparison (like git diff) for string types
   • Perfect for comparing console outputs, log files, error messages
   • Use .txt files as snapshots for string comparisons
2. JsonComparisonStrategy - Deep object comparison via JSON serialization (fallback for all non-string types)
   • Use .json files as snapshots for object comparisons

How it works:

• Strategies are checked in registration order via CanCompare()
• First matching strategy handles the comparison
• String comparisons use line-by-line diff
• All other types use JSON deep comparison

Example: String comparison from file

[TestMethod]
public void Compare_Error_Message()
{
 var error = GetErrorMessage();
 
 // Uses StringComparisonStrategy for line-by-line comparison
 Assert.That.ObjectsAreEqual<string>(
 expectedObjectAsJson: "ExpectedError.txt", 
 currentObject: error.Message);
}

Example: Custom CSV comparison strategy

public class CsvComparisonStrategy : ComparisonStrategyBase<CsvData>
{
 protected override ComparisonResult CompareTyped(ObjectAssertContext<CsvData> context)
 {
 var expected = ParseCsv(context.ResolvedExpectedJson);
 var current = context.Current;
 
 var differences = CompareCsvRows(expected, current);
 
 return new ComparisonResult
 {
 Differences = differences,
 FormattedExpected = FormatCsv(expected),
 FormattedCurrent = FormatCsv(current),
 HasSchemaMismatch = differences.Any(d => d.MismatchType != MismatchType.ValueDifference)
 };
 }
}

Registration:

// In your test setup (before running tests)
services.AddSingleton<ISpecificComparisonStrategy, CsvComparisonStrategy>();
services.AddComparisonStrategy(); // Adds built-in strategies (String + JSON)

Why use ComparisonStrategyBase<T>?

• Automatic type checking via CanCompare()
• Automatic casting to strongly-typed context
• Defensive validation built-in
• You only implement CompareTyped() with your comparison logic

When NOT to use the base class:

Don't use ComparisonStrategyBase<T> for fallback strategies that handle multiple types (like JsonComparisonStrategy). Implement ISpecificComparisonStrategy directly instead.

---

Architecture / design philosophy

Snapshot-first, but API-focused

This SDK is not generic snapshot tooling with HTTP support bolted on. It is designed around ASP.NET Core API testing.

That is why the core experience centers on:

• full HTTP response snapshots
• deep object diffs
• request reproduction
• file-based scaling of test coverage

Fail fast, fail with context

The assertion flow is pipeline-based:

1. status code validation
2. content-type validation
3. JSON structure validation
4. deep comparison (extensible via custom comparison strategies)

That means failures stop early and come with relevant context instead of a long tail of noisy assertions.

The comparison system uses a Strategy Pattern, making it extensible for custom types beyond the built-in JSON and string comparisons.

Contract drift should be obvious

Traditional tests often validate only the fields someone remembered to assert.

Snapshot testing flips that:

• if a field changes, you see it
• if a field disappears, you see it
• if a field is added, you see it
• if a header changes, you see it

That is exactly what you want for API regression safety.

Type-safe endpoint validation

The SDK enforces type safety at the HTTP layer by distinguishing between compile-time types (TResult) and runtime validation types (ExpectedType).

Non-generic methods = NoContent endpoints (204):

// Non-generic signatures expect void response (204 NoContent)
await Client.AssertDeleteAsync("api/v1/items/123");
await Client.AssertPostAsync("api/v1/items", "NewItem.json");
await Client.AssertPutAsync("api/v1/items/123", "UpdatedItem.json");
await Client.AssertPatchAsync("api/v1/items/123", "PatchItem.json");
// → ExpectedType = typeof(void)
// → Validates endpoint returns 204 NoContent

Generic methods = Typed responses (200, 201, etc.):

// Generic signatures expect typed responses (200 OK, 201 Created with body)
await Client.AssertDeleteAsync<DeleteItemResponse>("api/v1/items/123", 
 "Expected.json");
await Client.AssertPostAsync<CreateItemResponse>("api/v1/items",
 "NewItem.json",
 "Expected.json");
await Client.AssertPutAsync<UpdateItemResponse>("api/v1/items/123",
 "UpdatedItem.json",
 "Expected.json");
await Client.AssertPatchAsync<PatchItemResponse>("api/v1/items/123",
 "PatchItem.json",
 "Expected.json");
// → ExpectedType = typeof(ResponseType)
// → Validates endpoint returns 2xx with response body

Why this distinction matters:

HTTP semantics demand different handling:

• 200 OK / 201 Created = success with response body
• 204 NoContent = success without response body

Using the wrong method signature catches real bugs:

// ❌ Bug: Test expects void but endpoint returns 200 with body
await Client.AssertPostAsync("api/v1/items", "NewItem.json");
// → Validator Error: "Expected void, got CreateItemResponse"

// ✅ Fix: Use correct generic signature
await Client.AssertPostAsync<CreateItemResponse>("api/v1/items", 
 "NewItem.json",
 "Expected.json");

Supported methods with NoContent variants:

HTTP Method	NoContent (204)	With Response Body (200/201)
DELETE	AssertDeleteAsync()	AssertDeleteAsync<T>()
POST	AssertPostAsync()	AssertPostAsync<T>()
PUT	AssertPutAsync()	AssertPutAsync<T>()
PATCH	AssertPatchAsync()	AssertPatchAsync<T>()

Real-world examples:

// Command-style endpoint (no response needed)
await Client.AssertPostAsync("api/v1/notifications/send", "Notification.json");

// Update endpoint that returns updated entity
await Client.AssertPutAsync<User>("api/v1/users/123", 
 "UpdateUser.json", 
 "UpdatedUser.json");

// Partial update without response
await Client.AssertPatchAsync("api/v1/users/123/status", "StatusUpdate.json");

// Delete with confirmation response
await Client.AssertDeleteAsync<DeleteConfirmation>("api/v1/items/123", 
 "DeletedItem.json");

This prevents:

• Tests passing with wrong expectations
• Refactoring breaking test contracts silently
• 200 vs 204 confusion
• Mismatch between [ProducesResponseType] and actual endpoint behavior

Real behavior should be easy to turn into tests

The live traffic capture feature exists because good API tests often start with a real request. Recording that request and response into reusable test assets is part of the design, not an afterthought.

---

When to use this SDK

Great fit

• REST API testing for ASP.NET Core
• integration tests with real HTTP behavior
• contract and regression testing
• large sets of request/response scenarios
• teams that want fast failure diagnosis
• APIs where headers and status matter as much as body shape

Less ideal

• pure unit tests
• performance benchmarks
• load testing

---

Contributing

This SDK is battle-tested in production environments.

Repository: https://renepeuser.visualstudio.com/_git/AspNetCore.Simple.MsTest.Sdk

---

License

Copyright 2021-2026 (c) Rene Peuser. All rights reserved.