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Introduction

During the development of web applications, working with APIs is a common task. However, sometimes APIs might not be fully developed or available, which can hinder the development process. To overcome this challenge, developers often resort to mocking APIs to simulate their behavior. One popular tool for achieving this is json-server. In this article, we'll walk you through the process of mocking an API using json-server and provide an example of how to create a mock API with custom data.

Getting Started

1. Installation: First, ensure you have Node.js installed on your machine. If not, download and install it from the official Node.js website. Once Node.js is installed, open your terminal and install json-server globally using npm:

npm install -g json-server

2. Create a JSON File: Start by creating a JSON file to hold your mock data. You can use any text editor or IDE to create this file. For example, let's create a file named db.json with the following content:

{
 "products": [
   {
     "id": 1,
     "name": "Mock Product 1",
     "price": 19.99
   },
   {
     "id": 2,
     "name": "Mock Product 2",
     "price": 29.99
   }
 ]
}

Save this file in your project directory.

3. Start the Mock Server: Open your terminal, navigate to the directory containing db.json, and start the mock server by running:

json-server --watch db.json

The mock server will start at http://localhost:3000.

4. Accessing the Mock API: You can now access your mock API by sending HTTP requests to the appropriate endpoints. In our case, the data will be available at http://localhost:3000/products.

Customizing the Mock API

The example above showcased a simple mock API for products. You can customize the data and structure of the API according to your application's needs. Add more endpoints, nested data, or different types of data to match your requirements.

Conclusion

json-server is a valuable tool for developers to create mock APIs that simulate real API behavior. It allows you to continue developing frontend components without waiting for backend APIs to be fully implemented. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can quickly set up a mock API for testing and development purposes. This approach enhances productivity and ensures a smooth development process, even when working with incomplete or unavailable APIs. Happy mocking!