ActionPhase Route Tester Skill

Purpose

This skill provides patterns for testing authenticated routes in ActionPhase using JWT Bearer token authentication with the Go backend.

When to Use This Skill

•Testing new API endpoints
•Validating route functionality after changes
•Debugging authentication issues
•Testing POST/PUT/DELETE operations
•Verifying request/response data
•End-to-end API testing
•Integration testing before E2E tests

ActionPhase Authentication Overview

ActionPhase uses:

•JWT Bearer tokens (Authorization header)
•Token lifetime: 15 minutes (access token)
•Refresh tokens: 7 days (stored in database sessions)
•Token storage: Frontend stores in memory + localStorage
•Backend: Go with Chi router + JWT middleware

See: /docs/adrs/003-authentication-strategy.md for complete details

Testing Methods

Method 1: api-test.sh (RECOMMENDED)

The api-test.sh script handles authentication and provides convenient commands for testing.

Location: backend/scripts/api-test.sh

Quick Start

bash

# 1. Login and save token
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-player

# 2. Test endpoints
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh games
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh game 164
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh characters 164

Available Commands

Authentication:

bash

./api-test.sh login [username]     # Login as any user (default: TestPlayer1)
./api-test.sh login-gm              # Login as TestGM
./api-test.sh login-player          # Login as TestPlayer1
./api-test.sh test-token            # Verify current token is valid

API Endpoints:

bash

./api-test.sh health                # Check backend health
./api-test.sh status                # Complete status check
./api-test.sh games                 # List all games
./api-test.sh game [id]             # Get game details (default: 164)
./api-test.sh characters [game_id]  # Get characters (default: 164)
./api-test.sh posts [game_id]       # Get posts (default: 164)
./api-test.sh comments <post_id>    # Get comments for post

Create Operations:

bash

./api-test.sh create-post [game_id] [character_id] [content]
./api-test.sh create-comment <post_id> [character_id] [content]

Feature Testing:

bash

./api-test.sh test-mentions         # End-to-end mention testing

What the Script Does

•Logs in via /api/v1/auth/login with test credentials
•Extracts JWT token from response
•Saves token to /tmp/api-token.txt
•Uses token in Authorization: Bearer <token> header for all requests
•Parses responses with jq for readability

Script Output

The script outputs:

•Colored status indicators (✅/❌)
•JSON responses formatted with jq
•Error messages if requests fail
•Token validation results

Method 2: Manual curl with Token

Use the token saved by api-test.sh for manual testing:

bash

# Get the token
TOKEN=$(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)

# Use in curl requests
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  http://localhost:3000/api/v1/games | jq '.'

Manual curl Patterns

GET Request:

bash

curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/games/164" | jq '.'

POST Request:

bash

curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "New Game", "description": "Test game"}' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/games" | jq '.'

PUT Request:

bash

curl -s -X PUT \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "Updated Title"}' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/games/164" | jq '.'

DELETE Request:

bash

curl -s -X DELETE \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/games/164" | jq '.'

Common Testing Patterns

Test New API Endpoint

bash

# 1. Login first
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-player

# 2. Test the endpoint
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/your-new-endpoint" | jq '.'

# 3. Verify response structure
# 4. Check database changes if applicable

Test Character Creation Flow

bash

# 1. Login as player
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-player

# 2. Create character
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "game_id": 164,
    "name": "Test Character",
    "character_sheet": {"class": "Warrior", "level": 1}
  }' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/characters" | jq '.'

# 3. Verify in database
# 4. Login as GM and test approval workflow
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-gm

Test Phase Transition

bash

# Login as GM
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-gm

# Advance phase
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"game_id": 164}' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/phases/advance" | jq '.'

# Verify phase changed
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh game 164 | jq '.current_phase'

Test Private Messages

bash

# Login as Player 1
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login TestPlayer1

# Send message to Player 2
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "recipient_character_id": 1320,
    "content": "Test private message"
  }' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/games/164/messages/private" | jq '.'

# Login as Player 2 and check messages
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login TestPlayer2
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh posts 164

Test with Query Parameters

bash

curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/games/164/posts?limit=10&offset=0" | jq '.'

Test Credentials

Available Test Users:

Username	Password	Role
TestGM	testpassword123	Game Master
TestPlayer1	testpassword123	Player
TestPlayer2	testpassword123	Player
TestPlayer3	testpassword123	Player

Test Game: Game ID 164 (use this for testing)

See: .claude/context/TEST_DATA.md for complete test fixture documentation

API Structure

Base URL

code

http://localhost:3000/api/v1

Route Structure

All routes follow REST conventions:

code

/api/v1/{resource}
/api/v1/{resource}/{id}
/api/v1/{resource}/{id}/{sub-resource}

Examples:

•/api/v1/games - List games
•/api/v1/games/164 - Get game 164
•/api/v1/games/164/characters - List characters in game 164
•/api/v1/games/164/posts - List posts in game 164

Authentication Endpoints

code

POST /api/v1/auth/login          # Login (returns JWT)
POST /api/v1/auth/logout         # Logout
GET  /api/v1/auth/me             # Get current user
POST /api/v1/auth/refresh        # Refresh access token

Main Resource Endpoints

Games:

code

GET    /api/v1/games              # List games
POST   /api/v1/games              # Create game (GM only)
GET    /api/v1/games/{id}         # Get game details
PUT    /api/v1/games/{id}         # Update game (GM only)
DELETE /api/v1/games/{id}         # Delete game (GM only)

Characters:

code

GET    /api/v1/games/{game_id}/characters              # List characters
POST   /api/v1/characters                              # Create character
GET    /api/v1/characters/{id}                         # Get character
PUT    /api/v1/characters/{id}                         # Update character
POST   /api/v1/characters/{id}/approve                 # Approve (GM only)
POST   /api/v1/characters/{id}/reject                  # Reject (GM only)

Messaging:

code

GET    /api/v1/games/{game_id}/posts                   # Common room posts
POST   /api/v1/games/{game_id}/posts                   # Create post
GET    /api/v1/games/{game_id}/posts/{id}/comments    # Get comments
POST   /api/v1/games/{game_id}/posts/{id}/comments    # Create comment
GET    /api/v1/games/{game_id}/messages/private       # Private messages
POST   /api/v1/games/{game_id}/messages/private       # Send private message

Phases:

code

POST   /api/v1/phases/advance                          # Advance phase (GM only)
GET    /api/v1/games/{game_id}/phases/current         # Get current phase

See: .claude/reference/API_DOCUMENTATION.md for complete API reference

Testing Checklist

Before testing a route:

• Backend server is running (just dev)
• Database is migrated (just migrate)
• Test fixtures are loaded (if needed)
• You have a valid token (./api-test.sh login-player)
• You know the full route path
• You know the HTTP method (GET/POST/PUT/DELETE)
• You have the request body prepared (if POST/PUT)
• You know the expected response structure
• You can verify changes (database, logs, etc.)

Verifying Database Changes

After testing routes that modify data:

bash

# Connect to PostgreSQL
PGPASSWORD=example psql -h localhost -U postgres -d actionphase

# Check specific tables
actionphase=# SELECT * FROM games WHERE id = 164;
actionphase=# SELECT * FROM characters WHERE game_id = 164;
actionphase=# SELECT * FROM posts WHERE game_id = 164 ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 5;
actionphase=# SELECT * FROM sessions WHERE username = 'TestPlayer1';

# Or use justfile command
just psql

Quick queries:

sql

-- Latest posts
SELECT id, character_id, content, created_at
FROM posts
WHERE game_id = 164
ORDER BY created_at DESC
LIMIT 10;

-- Character mentions
SELECT p.id, p.content, p.mentioned_character_ids
FROM posts p
WHERE game_id = 164
  AND mentioned_character_ids IS NOT NULL
ORDER BY created_at DESC;

-- Current phase
SELECT id, title, current_phase, phase_number
FROM games
WHERE id = 164;

Debugging Failed Tests

401 Unauthorized

Possible causes:

•No token provided
•Token expired (15 minute lifetime)
•Invalid token format
•JWT secret mismatch

Solutions:

bash

# Check if backend is running
curl http://localhost:3000/health

# Get a fresh token
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-player

# Verify token works
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh test-token

# Check token format (should start with "eyJ")
cat /tmp/api-token.txt

403 Forbidden

Possible causes:

•User lacks required permissions
•Not the GM for GM-only routes
•Not the owner of the resource
•Character not approved yet

Solutions:

bash

# For GM-only routes, login as GM
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-gm

# Check user info
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh test-token

# Verify ownership in database
just psql

404 Not Found

Possible causes:

•Incorrect URL
•Resource doesn't exist
•Route not implemented yet
•Typo in endpoint path

Solutions:

bash

# Check route exists in backend/pkg/http/root.go
grep -r "your-route" backend/pkg/http/

# Verify resource exists
just psql
# Then: SELECT * FROM games WHERE id = 164;

# Check server logs
# (server should print route registrations on startup)

500 Internal Server Error

Possible causes:

•Database connection issue
•Missing required fields
•Validation error
•Application panic/error

Solutions:

bash

# Check server logs in terminal
# Backend prints detailed error logs with correlation IDs

# Check database is running
docker ps | grep postgres

# Verify request body structure
# Compare with models in backend/pkg/core/models.go

# Check correlation ID in error response
# Search logs for that correlation ID

Testing Workflow

1. Unit Tests → 2. API Tests → 3. Manual Tests → 4. E2E Tests

This skill covers steps 2 and 3.

Step-by-Step Testing Flow

•Write/modify backend code
•Run unit tests: just test-mocks
•Start backend: just dev
•Test API with curl/api-test.sh ← This skill
•Verify in database: just psql
•Test in UI manually
•Write E2E tests: Only after API works

See: .claude/context/TESTING.md for complete testing strategy

Integration with Other Tools

Use with Test Fixtures

bash

# Load test fixtures
./backend/pkg/db/test_fixtures/apply_e2e.sh

# Now test with known data
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh game 164
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh characters 164

Use Before E2E Tests

bash

# 1. Test API endpoint works
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh create-post 164 1319 "Test content"

# 2. Verify response structure is correct

# 3. NOW write Playwright test
# The API endpoint is confirmed working

Use with justfile Commands

bash

# justfile integrates api-test.sh
just api-login          # Login as player
just api-login-gm       # Login as GM
just api-games          # List games
just api-game 164       # Get game 164

Environment Variables

bash

# Override API base URL
API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000 ./backend/scripts/api-test.sh games

# Use different port
API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8080 ./backend/scripts/api-test.sh health

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Testing a New POST Endpoint

bash

# 1. Start backend
just dev

# 2. Login
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-player

# 3. Test endpoint
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"field": "value"}' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/your-endpoint" | jq '.'

# 4. Verify in database
just psql
# Then: SELECT * FROM your_table ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 1;

# 5. Test error cases
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"invalid": "data"}' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/your-endpoint" | jq '.'

# Should return 400 with validation error

Scenario 2: Testing Permission-Based Access

bash

# Test as Player (should fail)
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-player
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/phases/advance" | jq '.'
# Should return 403

# Test as GM (should succeed)
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-gm
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/phases/advance" | jq '.'
# Should return 200

Scenario 3: End-to-End Feature Test

bash

# Complete workflow test
echo "=== Testing Character Creation & Approval ==="

# 1. Player creates character
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-player
CHAR=$(curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "game_id": 164,
    "name": "Test Character",
    "character_sheet": {"class": "Mage"}
  }' \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/characters")

CHAR_ID=$(echo "$CHAR" | jq -r '.id')
echo "Created character: $CHAR_ID"

# 2. GM approves character
./backend/scripts/api-test.sh login-gm
curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/characters/$CHAR_ID/approve" | jq '.'

# 3. Verify character is approved
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $(cat /tmp/api-token.txt)" \
  "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/characters/$CHAR_ID" | jq '.status'
# Should return "approved"

echo "✅ Character workflow complete"

Key Files

•Testing script: backend/scripts/api-test.sh
•API routes: backend/pkg/http/root.go
•Handler implementations: backend/pkg/*/api.go
•Test fixtures: backend/pkg/db/test_fixtures/*.sql
•justfile: Development commands that wrap api-test.sh

Related Skills & Context

•backend-dev-guidelines - Patterns for implementing API endpoints
•database-operations - Database schema and query patterns
•authentication - JWT authentication details
•test-fixtures - Test data setup and usage

Context Files:

•.claude/context/TESTING.md - Testing strategy
•.claude/context/TEST_DATA.md - Test fixtures reference
•.claude/context/ARCHITECTURE.md - Request flow
•.claude/reference/API_DOCUMENTATION.md - Complete API reference

Skill Status: COMPLETE ✅ Authentication: JWT Bearer tokens ✅ Testing Script: backend/scripts/api-test.sh ✅ Integration: Works with test fixtures, justfile, E2E tests ✅