API Mocking 🛠️

1. API and client applications are developed concurrently
2. The API is NOT developed concurrently with the client applications

Using API mocking tools in the following two common scenarios is highly recommended.

1. API and client applications are developed concurrently

In this case, setting up a mock server is not obligatory. The Web team regularly updates the staging server with new endpoint deployments daily, and web development moves faster than mobile development due to the latter’s more substantial workload, such as UI implementation, logic integration, and backend implementation. This means the mobile developers can either test directly on the deployed server or use Proxyman to quickly intercept the few in-development endpoints and mock the data.

Detailed information on how to use Proxyman

When there is a large discrepancy between the progress of API implementation and the development of the client application, depends on the project’s API documentation tool, i.e., Postman or OpenAPI (Swagger), creating a Postman mock server or an OpenAPI mock server also emerges as another beneficial and practical solution. With this approach, developers can continue building and testing the client application even when the API implementation lags too far behind.

2. The API is NOT developed concurrently with the client applications

A mock server is imperative in cases where API development is outside the control of Nimble, such as when it is handled by a third party or started after the client application development has begun. To ensure no obstacles or delays in the development and testing of mobile applications, Prism is a tool for creating an API mock server with mocking, transformations, and validations.

Detailed information on how to use Prism