# SnapshotAgent

The `SnapshotAgent` provides a powerful way to record and replay HTTP requests for testing purposes. It extends `MockAgent` to enable automatic snapshot testing, eliminating the need to manually define mock responses.

## Use Cases

- **Integration Testing**: Record real API interactions and replay them in tests
- **Offline Development**: Work with APIs without network connectivity
- **Consistent Test Data**: Ensure tests use the same responses across runs
- **API Contract Testing**: Capture and validate API behavior over time

## Constructor

```javascript
new SnapshotAgent([options])
```

### Parameters

- **options** `Object` (optional)
  - **mode** `String` - The snapshot mode: `'record'`, `'playback'`, or `'update'`. Default: `'record'`
  - **snapshotPath** `String` - Path to the snapshot file for loading/saving
  - **maxSnapshots** `Number` - Maximum number of snapshots to keep in memory. Default: `Infinity`
  - **autoFlush** `Boolean` - Whether to automatically save snapshots to disk. Default: `false`
  - **flushInterval** `Number` - Interval in milliseconds for auto-flush. Default: `30000`
  - **matchHeaders** `Array<String>` - Specific headers to include in request matching. Default: all headers
  - **ignoreHeaders** `Array<String>` - Headers to ignore during request matching
  - **excludeHeaders** `Array<String>` - Headers to exclude from snapshots (for security)
  - **matchBody** `Boolean` - Whether to include request body in matching. Default: `true`
  - **normalizeBody** `Function` - Optional function `(body) => string` to normalize the request body before matching (e.g. strip volatile fields like timestamps). Only used when `matchBody` is `true`.
  - **matchQuery** `Boolean` - Whether to include query parameters in matching. Default: `true`
  - **normalizeQuery** `Function` - Optional function `(query: URLSearchParams) => string` to normalize query parameters before matching (e.g. strip volatile params like cache-busters). Only used when `matchQuery` is `true`.
  - **caseSensitive** `Boolean` - Whether header matching is case-sensitive. Default: `false`
  - **shouldRecord** `Function` - Callback to determine if a request should be recorded
  - **shouldPlayback** `Function` - Callback to determine if a request should be played back
  - **excludeUrls** `Array` - URL patterns (strings or RegExp) to exclude from recording/playback
  - All other options from `MockAgent` are supported

### Modes

#### Record Mode (`'record'`)
Makes real HTTP requests and saves the responses to snapshots.

```javascript
import { SnapshotAgent, setGlobalDispatcher } from 'undici'

const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ 
  mode: 'record',
  snapshotPath: './test/snapshots/api-calls.json'
})
setGlobalDispatcher(agent)

// Makes real requests and records them
const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/users')
const users = await response.json()

// Save recorded snapshots
await agent.saveSnapshots()
```

#### Playback Mode (`'playback'`)
Replays recorded responses without making real HTTP requests.

```javascript
import { SnapshotAgent, setGlobalDispatcher } from 'undici'

const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'playback',
  snapshotPath: './test/snapshots/api-calls.json'
})
setGlobalDispatcher(agent)

// Uses recorded response instead of real request
const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/users')
```

#### Update Mode (`'update'`)
Uses existing snapshots when available, but records new ones for missing requests.

```javascript
import { SnapshotAgent, setGlobalDispatcher } from 'undici'

const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'update',
  snapshotPath: './test/snapshots/api-calls.json'
})
setGlobalDispatcher(agent)

// Uses snapshot if exists, otherwise makes real request and records it
const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/new-endpoint')
```

## Instance Methods

### `agent.saveSnapshots([filePath])`

Saves all recorded snapshots to a file.

#### Parameters

- **filePath** `String` (optional) - Path to save snapshots. Uses constructor `snapshotPath` if not provided.

#### Returns

`Promise<void>`

```javascript
await agent.saveSnapshots('./custom-snapshots.json')
```

## Advanced Configuration

### Body Matching

By default (`matchBody: true`) the full request body string is included in the snapshot key. Set it to `false` to ignore the body entirely, or use `normalizeBody` to strip volatile fields (like timestamps) before matching:

```javascript
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'playback',
  snapshotPath: './snapshots.json',

  // Match on everything except the timestamp field
  normalizeBody: (body) => {
    if (!body) return ''
    const parsed = JSON.parse(String(body))
    delete parsed.timestamp
    return JSON.stringify(parsed)
  }
})
```

`normalizeBody` receives the raw body (`string | Buffer | null | undefined`) and must return a `string`. It runs at both record and playback time so the hash is consistent. Two requests match the same snapshot whenever their normalized strings are identical.

### Header Filtering

Control which headers are used for request matching and what gets stored in snapshots:

```javascript
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'record',
  snapshotPath: './snapshots.json',
  
  // Only match these specific headers
  matchHeaders: ['content-type', 'accept'],
  
  // Ignore these headers during matching (but still store them)
  ignoreHeaders: ['user-agent', 'date'],
  
  // Exclude sensitive headers from snapshots entirely
  excludeHeaders: ['authorization', 'x-api-key', 'cookie']
})
```

### Custom Request/Response Filtering

Use callback functions to determine what gets recorded or played back:

```javascript
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'record',
  snapshotPath: './snapshots.json',
  
  // Only record GET requests to specific endpoints
  shouldRecord: (requestOpts) => {
    const url = new URL(requestOpts.path, requestOpts.origin)
    return requestOpts.method === 'GET' && url.pathname.startsWith('/api/v1/')
  },
  
  // Skip authentication endpoints during playback
  shouldPlayback: (requestOpts) => {
    const url = new URL(requestOpts.path, requestOpts.origin)
    return !url.pathname.includes('/auth/')
  }
})
```

### URL Pattern Exclusion

Exclude specific URLs from recording/playback using patterns:

```javascript
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'record',
  snapshotPath: './snapshots.json',
  
  excludeUrls: [
    'https://analytics.example.com',  // String match
    /\/api\/v\d+\/health/,           // Regex pattern
    'telemetry'                      // Substring match
  ]
})
```

### Memory Management

Configure automatic memory and disk management:

```javascript
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'record',
  snapshotPath: './snapshots.json',
  
  // Keep only 1000 snapshots in memory
  maxSnapshots: 1000,
  
  // Automatically save to disk every 30 seconds
  autoFlush: true,
  flushInterval: 30000
})
```

### Sequential Response Handling

Handle multiple responses for the same request (similar to nock):

```javascript
// In record mode, multiple identical requests get recorded as separate responses
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'record', snapshotPath: './sequential.json' })

// First call returns response A
await fetch('https://api.example.com/random')

// Second call returns response B  
await fetch('https://api.example.com/random')

await agent.saveSnapshots()

// In playback mode, calls return responses in sequence
const playbackAgent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'playback', snapshotPath: './sequential.json' })

// Returns response A
const first = await fetch('https://api.example.com/random')

// Returns response B
const second = await fetch('https://api.example.com/random')

// Third call repeats the last response (B)
const third = await fetch('https://api.example.com/random')
```

## Managing Snapshots

### Replacing Existing Snapshots

```javascript
// Load existing snapshots
await agent.loadSnapshots('./old-snapshots.json')

// Get snapshot data
const recorder = agent.getRecorder()
const snapshots = recorder.getSnapshots()

// Modify or filter snapshots
const filteredSnapshots = snapshots.filter(s => 
  !s.request.url.includes('deprecated')
)

// Replace all snapshots
agent.replaceSnapshots(filteredSnapshots.map((snapshot, index) => ({
  hash: `new-hash-${index}`,
  snapshot
})))

// Save updated snapshots
await agent.saveSnapshots('./updated-snapshots.json')
```

### `agent.loadSnapshots([filePath])`

Loads snapshots from a file.

#### Parameters

- **filePath** `String` (optional) - Path to load snapshots from. Uses constructor `snapshotPath` if not provided.

#### Returns

`Promise<void>`

```javascript
await agent.loadSnapshots('./existing-snapshots.json')
```

### `agent.getRecorder()`

Gets the underlying `SnapshotRecorder` instance.

#### Returns

`SnapshotRecorder`

```javascript
const recorder = agent.getRecorder()
console.log(`Recorded ${recorder.size()} interactions`)
```

### `agent.getMode()`

Gets the current snapshot mode.

#### Returns

`String` - The current mode (`'record'`, `'playback'`, or `'update'`)

### `agent.clearSnapshots()`

Clears all recorded snapshots from memory.

```javascript
agent.clearSnapshots()
```

## Working with Different Request Types

### GET Requests

```javascript
// Record mode
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'record', snapshotPath: './get-snapshots.json' })
setGlobalDispatcher(agent)

const response = await fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1')
const post = await response.json()

await agent.saveSnapshots()
```

### POST Requests with Body

```javascript
// Record mode
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'record', snapshotPath: './post-snapshots.json' })
setGlobalDispatcher(agent)

const response = await fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({ title: 'Test Post', body: 'Content' })
})

await agent.saveSnapshots()
```

### Using with `undici.request`

SnapshotAgent works with all undici APIs, not just fetch:

```javascript
import { SnapshotAgent, request, setGlobalDispatcher } from 'undici'

const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'record', snapshotPath: './request-snapshots.json' })
setGlobalDispatcher(agent)

const { statusCode, headers, body } = await request('https://api.example.com/data')
const data = await body.json()

await agent.saveSnapshots()
```

## Test Integration

### Basic Test Setup

```javascript
import { test } from 'node:test'
import { SnapshotAgent, setGlobalDispatcher, getGlobalDispatcher } from 'undici'

test('API integration test', async (t) => {
  const originalDispatcher = getGlobalDispatcher()
  
  const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
    mode: 'playback',
    snapshotPath: './test/snapshots/api-test.json'
  })
  setGlobalDispatcher(agent)
  
  t.after(() => setGlobalDispatcher(originalDispatcher))
  
  // This will use recorded data
  const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/users')
  const users = await response.json()
  
  assert(Array.isArray(users))
  assert(users.length > 0)
})
```

### Environment-Based Mode Selection

```javascript
const mode = process.env.SNAPSHOT_MODE || 'playback'

const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode,
  snapshotPath: './test/snapshots/integration.json'
})

// Run with: SNAPSHOT_MODE=record npm test (to record)
// Run with: npm test (to playback)
```

### Test Helper Function

```javascript
function createSnapshotAgent(testName, mode = 'playback') {
  return new SnapshotAgent({
    mode,
    snapshotPath: `./test/snapshots/${testName}.json`
  })
}

test('user API test', async (t) => {
  const agent = createSnapshotAgent('user-api')
  setGlobalDispatcher(agent)
  
  // Test implementation...
})
```

## Snapshot File Format

Snapshots are stored as JSON with the following structure:

```json
[
  {
    "hash": "dGVzdC1oYXNo...",
    "snapshot": {
      "request": {
        "method": "GET",
        "url": "https://api.example.com/users",
        "headers": {
          "authorization": "Bearer token"
        },
        "body": undefined
      },
      "response": {
        "statusCode": 200,
        "headers": {
          "content-type": "application/json"
        },
        "body": "eyJkYXRhIjoidGVzdCJ9", // base64 encoded
        "trailers": {}
      },
      "timestamp": "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"
    }
  }
]
```

## Security Considerations

### Sensitive Data in Snapshots

By default, SnapshotAgent records all headers and request/response data. For production use, always exclude sensitive information:

```javascript
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'record',
  snapshotPath: './snapshots.json',
  
  // Exclude sensitive headers from snapshots
  excludeHeaders: [
    'authorization',
    'x-api-key', 
    'cookie',
    'set-cookie',
    'x-auth-token',
    'x-csrf-token'
  ],
  
  // Filter out requests with sensitive data
  shouldRecord: (requestOpts) => {
    const url = new URL(requestOpts.path, requestOpts.origin)
    
    // Don't record authentication endpoints
    if (url.pathname.includes('/auth/') || url.pathname.includes('/login')) {
      return false
    }
    
    // Don't record if request contains sensitive body data
    if (requestOpts.body && typeof requestOpts.body === 'string') {
      const body = requestOpts.body.toLowerCase()
      if (body.includes('password') || body.includes('secret')) {
        return false
      }
    }
    
    return true
  }
})
```

### Snapshot File Security

**Important**: Snapshot files may contain sensitive data. Handle them securely:

- ✅ Add snapshot files to `.gitignore` if they contain real API data
- ✅ Use environment-specific snapshots (dev/staging/prod)
- ✅ Regularly review snapshot contents for sensitive information
- ✅ Use the `excludeHeaders` option for production snapshots
- ❌ Never commit snapshots with real authentication tokens
- ❌ Don't share snapshot files containing personal data

```gitignore
# Exclude snapshots with real data
/test/snapshots/production-*.json
/test/snapshots/*-real-data.json

# Include sanitized test snapshots
!/test/snapshots/mock-*.json
```

## Error Handling

### Missing Snapshots in Playback Mode

```javascript
try {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/nonexistent')
} catch (error) {
  if (error.message.includes('No snapshot found')) {
    // Handle missing snapshot
    console.log('Snapshot not found for this request')
  }
}
```

### Handling Network Errors in Record Mode

```javascript
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'record', snapshotPath: './snapshots.json' })

try {
  const response = await fetch('https://nonexistent-api.example.com/data')
} catch (error) {
  // Network errors are not recorded as snapshots
  console.log('Network error:', error.message)
}
```

## Best Practices

### 1. Organize Snapshots by Test Suite

```javascript
// Use descriptive snapshot file names
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
  mode: 'playback',
  snapshotPath: `./test/snapshots/${testSuiteName}-${testName}.json`
})
```

### 2. Version Control Snapshots

Add snapshot files to version control to ensure consistent test behavior across environments:

```gitignore
# Include snapshots in version control
!/test/snapshots/*.json
```

### 3. Clean Up Test Data

```javascript
test('API test', async (t) => {
  const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
    mode: 'playback',
    snapshotPath: './test/snapshots/temp-test.json'
  })
  
  // Clean up after test
  t.after(() => {
    agent.clearSnapshots()
  })
})
```

### 4. Snapshot Validation

```javascript
test('validate snapshot contents', async (t) => {
  const agent = new SnapshotAgent({
    mode: 'playback',
    snapshotPath: './test/snapshots/validation.json'
  })
  
  const recorder = agent.getRecorder()
  const snapshots = recorder.getSnapshots()
  
  // Validate snapshot structure
  assert(snapshots.length > 0, 'Should have recorded snapshots')
  assert(snapshots[0].request.url.startsWith('https://'), 'Should use HTTPS')
})
```

## Comparison with Other Tools

### vs Manual MockAgent Setup

**Manual MockAgent:**
```javascript
const mockAgent = new MockAgent()
const mockPool = mockAgent.get('https://api.example.com')

mockPool.intercept({
  path: '/users',
  method: 'GET'
}).reply(200, [
  { id: 1, name: 'User 1' },
  { id: 2, name: 'User 2' }
])
```

**SnapshotAgent:**
```javascript
// Record once
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'record', snapshotPath: './snapshots.json' })
// Real API call gets recorded automatically

// Use in tests
const agent = new SnapshotAgent({ mode: 'playback', snapshotPath: './snapshots.json' })
// Automatically replays recorded response
```

### vs nock

SnapshotAgent provides similar functionality to nock but is specifically designed for undici:

- ✅ Works with all undici APIs (`request`, `stream`, `pipeline`, etc.)
- ✅ Supports undici-specific features (RetryAgent, connection pooling)
- ✅ Better TypeScript integration
- ✅ More efficient for high-performance scenarios

## See Also

- [MockAgent](/docs/docs/api/MockAgent.md) - Manual mocking for more control
- [MockCallHistory](/docs/docs/api/MockCallHistory.md) - Inspecting request history
- [Testing Best Practices](/docs/docs/best-practices/writing-tests.md) - General testing guidance