Mock server

The mock server answers HTTP requests on a local port with responses you define. Point a frontend or a test suite at http://localhost:<port> to develop against fixed responses while the real API is unavailable.

Open the mock server

In VS Code, click Open Mock Server (the server icon) in the API Testing view’s title bar, or run Nouto: Open Mock Server from the Command Palette.

In the desktop app, click Mock Server in the left rail.

Add a route

Click + Add Route. Nouto adds a GET /new-route route that returns 200 with the body {}. Edit the route in its row:

• The checkbox enables or disables the route.
• The method dropdown sets the HTTP method to match.
• The path field sets the URL path, with optional :param segments, for example /users/:id.
• The number field sets the status code to return, from 100 to 599.

Click the arrow at the end of the row to show more fields:

• Description is an optional note.
• Response Body is the text the route returns.
• Latency (ms) sets a minimum and maximum delay.

Click × to remove a route.

Note

The route editor has no field for response headers. In the desktop app, routes return Content-Type: application/json. In VS Code, only routes created with Import from Collection send that header.

Path parameters

A path segment that starts with : matches any single segment:

/users/:id                    matches /users/42
/users/:userId/posts/:postId  matches /users/5/posts/10

Use {{name}} in Response Body to insert the captured value:

{ "userId": "{{id}}", "name": "Mock User" }

A request to /users/42 returns { "userId": "42", "name": "Mock User" }.

Latency

When Latency (ms) has different minimum and maximum values, the server waits a random time in that range before it responds. Equal values give a fixed delay. Leave both at 0 to respond immediately.

Route matching

The server checks enabled routes from top to bottom and uses the first route whose method and path match. It ignores the query string. A request that matches no route gets a 404 response with a JSON body that names the method and path.

Start and stop the server

1. Set Port to a value from 1024 to 65535. The default is 3000.
2. Click Start Server. The button stays disabled until at least one route exists. While the server runs, the badge shows Running on :<port>.
3. Click Stop Server to shut it down.

You can edit routes while the server runs, and changes apply to the next request. The Port field is locked until you stop the server.

Calls from a browser

Every response includes Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * and allows all methods and headers, so a browser app on another origin can call the server.

In VS Code, the server answers every OPTIONS preflight request with 204. In the desktop app, an OPTIONS request goes through route matching like any other method. If a browser preflights a path, add an OPTIONS route for that path with a 204 status.

Request log

The Request Log tab lists the requests the server received, with these columns:

Column	Contents
Time	When the request arrived
Method	HTTP method
Path	Requested path
Matched Route	The route that answered, if any
Status	Status code returned
Duration	Time to respond, including simulated latency

The log keeps the last 100 requests. Click Clear Logs to empty it.

Create routes from a collection

Click Import from Collection and select a collection. Nouto adds one route for each request in the collection and its folders. Each route uses the request’s method and URL path, returns 200 with the body {} and Content-Type: application/json, and takes the request name as its description. Edit the bodies afterward to return realistic data.

Saved routes

In VS Code, Nouto saves the routes and the port to mocks.json in its storage directory, so they survive a restart. The desktop app keeps routes in memory only. They’re lost when you close the app.

The server doesn’t start on its own. Click Start Server each time you open Nouto.