DSL – Test Definition Syntax

Axotly uses a simple, readable DSL to describe HTTP tests.
A test is defined as a block, starting with TEST and ending with END.

This document explains how a test is structured, how requests are defined, and how Axotly interprets each part.

Basic Test Structure

TEST <test name>
  <METHOD> <URL>
  <HEADERS>

  BODY
  <REQUEST BODY>
  BODYEND
END

TEST Block

Syntax

TEST <test name>

Description

• TEST starts a new test block
• <test name> is a free-form string

• The test name is used for:

  • Test reporting
  • CLI output
  • Error messages

Example

TEST POST create a resource

HTTP Request Line

Syntax

<METHOD> <URL>

Description

• Must appear immediately after the TEST line
• Defines the HTTP request to execute

METHOD

Supported HTTP methods:

• GET
• POST
• PUT
• PATCH
• DELETE
• HEAD
• OPTIONS

URL

• Must be a valid absolute URL
• Query parameters should be included directly in the URL

Example

POST https://httpbin.org/post

Headers

Syntax

Header-Name: Header-Value

Description

• Headers are written one per line
• Appear after the request line
• Continue until another block keyword is found (BODY, EXPECT, or END)
• Header names are case-insensitive

Example

Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer my-token

Headers are optional. If no headers are provided, the request is sent without headers.

Request Body

Syntax

BODY
<raw body content>
BODYEND

Description

• BODY marks the start of the request body
• BODYEND marks the end of the request body
• Everything between them is sent exactly as written
• Axotly does not transform or validate the body content

Common body formats include:

• JSON
• XML
• Plain text

Example

BODY
{
  "name": "Axotly",
  "role": "tester"
}
BODYEND

Notes

• The body is optional
• Commonly used with POST, PUT, and PATCH
• The body format should match the Content-Type header

END Keyword

Syntax

END

Description

• Marks the end of the test block
• Required for every test
• Axotly will not execute a test without a closing END

Full Example

TEST POST create a resource
  POST https://httpbin.org/post
  Content-Type: application/json

  BODY
  {
    "name": "Axotly",
    "role": "tester"
  }
  BODYEND

  EXPECT status == 200
  EXPECT body.json.name == "Axotly"
  EXPECT body.json.role == "tester"
END

The EXPECT section is documented separately.

Parsing Rules Summary