pytest-recording

Warnings

• breaking `pytest-recording` is incompatible with `pytest-vcr`. If you have `pytest-vcr` installed, you must uninstall it before using `pytest-recording` to avoid conflicts.
  Fix: Uninstall `pytest-vcr` using `pip uninstall pytest-vcr` before installing or using `pytest-recording`.
• gotcha By default, `pytest-recording` uses VCR.py's `none` recording mode, which blocks all network requests and will cause tests to fail if a cassette doesn't exist. To allow network requests for initial recording or updates, you must explicitly set a recording mode (e.g., `once`, `all`, `new_episodes`) via the `--record-mode` CLI option.
  Fix: When running tests that require recording or updating cassettes, use `pytest --record-mode=once` (or another appropriate mode like `all`) in your command line.
• gotcha Sensitive information like API keys, authorization tokens, or personally identifiable information can easily be recorded into VCR.py cassettes. This poses a security risk if cassettes are committed to version control.
  Fix: Use the `vcr_config` fixture or `pytest.mark.vcr` parameters to `filter_headers` and `filter_query_parameters`. For API keys, pass them via environment variables and ensure they are filtered out of the cassette. For example: `@pytest.fixture(scope='module') def vcr_config(): return {'filter_headers': ['Authorization']}`
• gotcha Configuration parameters for VCR.py can be provided via the `vcr_config` fixture (at session, package, module, or function scope) and via individual `pytest.mark.vcr` decorators. These configurations are merged, with more narrowly scoped settings (e.g., function-level mark) taking precedence over broader ones (e.g., session-level fixture).
  Fix: Be aware of the configuration priority: `vcr_config` fixture (lowest priority) < `pytest.mark.vcr` (broad scope) < `pytest.mark.vcr` (narrow scope, highest priority). Explicitly define parameters where you need specific overrides.

Install

• pip install pytest-recording Install stable version

Imports

• pytest.mark.vcr

  import pytest
  # Use as decorator: @pytest.mark.vcr

  pytest-recording integrates directly with pytest markers and fixtures, rather than providing direct class imports from its own namespace.
• vcr_config fixture

  import pytest
  @pytest.fixture(scope='module')
  def vcr_config():
      return {'filter_headers': ['Authorization']}

  The `vcr_config` fixture is a common way to configure VCR.py behavior globally or per scope for pytest-recording.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates setting up `pytest-recording` to record and replay HTTP requests using the `@pytest.mark.vcr` decorator. It includes a `vcr_config` fixture, typically placed in a `conftest.py` file or at the top of a test module, to apply global VCR.py configurations like filtering sensitive headers. To run these tests and record the network interactions, use `pytest --record-mode=once your_test_file.py`. The `--record-mode=once` argument is crucial for the initial recording, as `pytest-recording` defaults to `none` mode to prevent accidental network requests. Subsequent runs without this flag will replay from the cassette.

import pytest
import requests
import os

# Define a vcr_config fixture in conftest.py or test file scope
@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
def vcr_config():
    """
    Global VCR.py configuration for all tests in this module/session.
    Filters out sensitive Authorization headers to prevent them from being written to cassettes.
    """
    return {"filter_headers": ["Authorization"], "ignore_localhost": True}

@pytest.mark.vcr
def test_http_get_request():
    """
    Records a simple HTTP GET request to httpbin.org.
    The cassette will be saved in a default location, e.g., cassettes/{module_name}/test_http_get_request.yaml.
    """
    response = requests.get("http://httpbin.org/get")
    assert response.status_code == 200
    assert response.json()["url"] == "http://httpbin.org/get"

@pytest.mark.vcr
def test_authenticated_api_call():
    """
    Demonstrates recording an API call with an Authorization header.
    The header is filtered by the vcr_config fixture defined above.
    """
    # Simulate retrieving an API key from environment variables
    api_key = os.environ.get('PYTEST_TEST_API_KEY', 'fake_api_key_123')
    headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"}
    response = requests.get("http://httpbin.org/headers", headers=headers)
    assert response.status_code == 200
    # Verify that the Authorization header is not in the recorded response (due to filtering)
    assert "Authorization" not in response.json().get("headers", {})
    assert "fake_api_key_123" not in str(response.json()) # Ensure actual key content not present