Mastering Hoppscotch CLI: A Developer's Guide

Introduction to Hoppscotch CLI

Hoppscotch CLI is a powerful command-line interface tool designed to simplify API testing and development. Whether you're a backend developer, frontend engineer, or working on microservices, Hoppscotch CLI provides a streamlined way to interact with APIs directly from your terminal.

Installation

Before you can start using Hoppscotch CLI, you'll need to install it. There are multiple ways to do this:

npm Installation

hopp request --method GET --url https://api.example.com/protected \
  --headers 'Authorization: Bearer your-access-token'        

yarn Installation

yarn global add @hoppscotch/cli        

Basic Command Structure

The basic command structure for Hoppscotch CLI follows this pattern:

hopp [command] [options]        

Key Commands and Usage

1. Running Requests

To send a simple GET request:

hopp request --method GET --url https://api.example.com/users        

For POST requests with JSON body:

hopp request --method POST --url https://api.example.com/users \ --body '{"name": "John Doe", "email": "[email protected]"}'        

2. Environment Management

Set environment variables:

hopp env set --name development \ --variables '{"BASE_URL": "https://dev.example.com", "API_KEY": "your-secret-key"}'        

Use a specific environment:

hopp request --env development --method GET --url {{BASE_URL}}/users        

3. Collection Execution

Run an entire collection of API requests:

hopp collection run --name "User Management Collection"        

Advanced Features

Authentication Support

Hoppscotch CLI supports various authentication methods:

Bearer Token

hopp request --method GET --url https://api.example.com/protected \ --headers 'Authorization: Bearer your-access-token'        

Basic Authentication

hopp request --method GET --url https://api.example.com/secure \ --auth-type basic --username user --password pass        

Response Handling

Save response to a file:

hopp request --method GET --url https://api.example.com/data \ --output response.json        

Best Practices

1. Use Environment Variables: Keep sensitive information out of your scripts
2. Leverage Collections: Organize related requests into collections
3. Implement Error Handling: Use exit codes and error logging
4. Version Control: Store your Hoppscotch configurations in version control

Troubleshooting

• Ensure you're using the latest version of Hoppscotch CLI
• Check network connectivity
• Verify your API endpoints and authentication credentials
• Use the --verbose flag for detailed debugging information

Conclusion

Hoppscotch CLI offers developers a flexible, powerful tool for API testing and development. By mastering its commands and features, you can streamline your API interaction workflow and improve your development efficiency.

Resources

• Official Hoppscotch Documentation
• GitHub Repository
• Community Support Channels