Unit 2: Record, Replay, Mock
Time: ~20 minutes • Lessons: 2 • Previous: Unit 1 — CLI track or Embedded track
Capture a session against a real backend, replay it as a local mock server, and use the original schema sidecar to give consumers the full contract — not just the slice you happened to record.
Prerequisites
- Unit 1 complete on either track (CLI or Embedded) — REST + gRPC workbench experience.
- The Lesson 1.1
HelloApisample available — both Unit 2 lessons capture sessions against it. - A free TCP port for the mock server (Lesson 2.1 uses
7070, Lesson 2.2 uses7080). curl(or any HTTP client) on PATH — Lesson 2.2 verifies the mock's schema endpoint with it.
Lessons
| Lesson | Topic | What You'll Build |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Record & replay | A .bwr recording, replayed through bowire mock so the mock answers without the real backend running |
| 2.2 | Schema export + mock-as-stand-in | The recording carries the source OpenAPI, the mock serves /openapi.json, a peer Bowire discovers the full surface through it |
Why this unit
A mock is most useful when consumers can see two things at once: the full contract the original service advertises, and the slice the recording can actually replay. Unit 2 walks through both — first the straight capture-and-replay arc (2.1), then the mock-as-stand-in story where the recording carries the OpenAPI doc and the mock re-emits it for peer discovery (2.2).
By the end, you'll have a self-contained mock server that replaces a real backend for everyone who depends on it — frontend dev environments, CI fixtures, demo stacks, &c.
Next: → Unit 3: AI-Agent Integration