> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.markapidown.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Desktop smoke testing

> Start the Tauri desktop app, verify the embedded Reqbook web/API surface, and shut it down automatically.

## Overview

Reqbook desktop is a Tauri wrapper around the same embedded preview server used by `rqb serve`. A practical first desktop test is to launch the native binary, wait for the preview server, verify the SPA and desktop-critical API endpoints, then stop the app.

This is a smoke test, not a full click-level native E2E suite. It proves the desktop binary can boot the local server, serve the web UI, issue the desktop write-session cookie, block unauthenticated writes, switch workspace, and read endpoint/flow metadata.

## Run the smoke test

Build the web UI and desktop binary first:

```bash theme={null}
cd web
npm ci
npm run build
cd ..
cargo build --locked -p rqb-desktop
```

Run the smoke script from the repository root:

```bash theme={null}
node scripts/desktop-smoke.mjs
```

The script creates a temporary local workspace, checks `GET /`, verifies the `rqb_write_token` desktop session cookie, confirms `POST /api/workspace/open` is forbidden without that session, opens the workspace with the session cookie, checks `GET /api/workspace/current`, `GET /api/index`, and `GET /api/flows`, then terminates the desktop process.

It does not call any external API and does not modify remote data.

## Configuration

| Environment variable                 | Default                    | Purpose                                                            |
| ------------------------------------ | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `RQB_DESKTOP_BIN`                    | `target/debug/rqb-desktop` | Path to the desktop binary to launch.                              |
| `RQB_DESKTOP_TIMEOUT_MS`             | `30000`                    | Maximum time to wait for the embedded preview server.              |
| `RQB_DESKTOP_SMOKE_KEEP_APP=1`       | unset                      | Keep the desktop app running after the test for manual inspection. |
| `RQB_DESKTOP_SMOKE_KEEP_WORKSPACE=1` | unset                      | Keep the temporary workspace for debugging.                        |

## What this catches

* Desktop binary fails to start.
* Embedded web assets are missing or stale.
* Preview server does not bind to a loopback port.
* Tauri app cannot serve the React UI.
* Desktop write-session cookie is not issued.
* Desktop write endpoints accept unauthenticated writes.
* Workspace switching is broken.
* Endpoint index or flow index cannot be read from the active workspace.

## What still needs full native E2E

Use Tauri WebDriver/`tauri-driver` or platform-specific automation for click-level tests that open the native window and verify real UI behavior:

1. Open the app and confirm the main window is nonblank.
2. Pick or create a workspace through the native folder picker path.
3. Open an endpoint page and run a request against a local fixture API.
4. Open a flow canvas, run a flow, and verify the run state is visible.
5. Save a spec/flow and assert the file changed only inside `api-docs/`.
6. Repeat against packaged release artifacts on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Keep the smoke script in CI as the fast guard, and reserve native click-level tests for release candidates or a nightly job.