Testing APIs in Visual Studio Using .http Files

Overview

Visual Studio 2022 introduces powerful (and fun) support for testing APIs using .http files. Let’s check it out.

New in Visual Studio 2022

Visual Studio 2022 introduces support for .http request variables, making it easier to test APIs directly within the IDE. This feature allows you to create and manage HTTP requests, send them, and view responses without leaving Visual Studio.

Using .http Files

To use .http files in Visual Studio 2022, follow these steps:

Create an .http File: Create a new file with the .http extension in your project.
Write HTTP Requests: Write your HTTP requests in the .http file using the following syntax:

GET https://localhost:5001/api/values HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json

###
POST https://localhost:5001/api/values HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "value"
}

Send Requests: Use the Visual Studio Endpoints Explorer to send the requests and view the responses.

Request Variables

Visual Studio 2022 supports request variables in .http files, allowing you to define and reuse variables within your requests. For example:

@baseUrl = https://localhost:5001

GET {{baseUrl}}/api/values HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json

User Secrets

When testing APIs that require authentication, you can use ASP.NET user secrets to store sensitive information securely. For more details, refer to the Microsoft Learn documentation.