NoBackend - Mock Server for VS Code

Create and manage full local mock servers with HTTP routes (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE), custom status codes, simulated latency, and CORS directly inside VS Code.

Overview

NoBackend is an extension designed to accelerate frontend and integration development. It eliminates the dependency on external APIs in development or separate tools: HTTP mock servers run directly from the VS Code workspace, with support for multiple ports, real-time variant responses, and strict request matching rules.

Key Features

Visual Server and Route Management

• Configure multiple local servers on distinct ports (e.g. 3000, 3001, 8080).
• Dedicated editor for endpoints with configurable global prefixes (e.g. /api, /v1).
• Quick toggles to start, stop, and restart server instances individually or in bulk.

HTTP Methods and CORS Pre-flight

• Native support for GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, and OPTIONS verbs.
• Automatic handling of CORS pre-flight requests and Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * headers togglable per server.

Response Variants per Endpoint

• Define multiple scenarios for the same route (e.g. 200 Success, 400 Bad Request, 404 Not Found, 500 Internal Error).
• Instant toggling of the active response without needing to restart the mock server.
• Support for standardized status codes and custom codes (100 to 599).

Simulated Latency (Delay)

• Configure delay in milliseconds per response variant to validate loading states, spinners, and client timeout policies.

Dynamic Parameters and Request Validation

• Route parameter extraction (e.g. /users/:id) with dynamic interpolation in the response body (:id or {{id}}).
• Interpolation of query parameters in the returned payload ({{query.param}}).
• Optional validation of incoming headers, query parameters, and JSON payloads.

Configuration Persistence

• Stored in ~/.nobackend/servers.json in the user's home directory.
• Global persistence across projects and workspaces.

Native Internationalization (i18n)

• Full support for three languages:
  • English
  • Portuguese (Brazil)
  • Spanish
• Automatic detection based on the active VS Code language (vscode.env.language).

Usage Guide

1. Accessing the Extension

• Click on the NoBackend icon in the VS Code Activity Bar.
• The server tree will display the configured servers and their respective routes.

2. Creating a New Server

• In the sidebar view title area, click the + button (Add New Server).
• Enter a descriptive name, desired port (e.g. 3000), optional prefix (e.g. /api), and confirm.

3. Adding and Editing Routes

• Click the + button on a server to create a route.
• Click on the route in the sidebar tree to open the configuration screen.
• Define the HTTP method, endpoint path, and configure response variants with status code, delay, and JSON payload.

4. Calling the Endpoint

Execute HTTP calls directly from your terminal, REST client (Insomnia, Postman), or frontend application:

# List users (GET)
curl -i http://localhost:3000/api/users

# Create user (POST)
curl -i -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/users \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "New User", "email": "user@example.com"}'

# Get specific user by ID
curl -i http://localhost:3000/api/users/42

Configuration File Structure

Configurations are maintained in .nobackend/servers.json:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "servers": [
    {
      "id": "srv_users_3000",
      "name": "Main API",
      "port": 3000,
      "prefix": "/api",
      "cors": true,
      "enabled": true,
      "routes": [
        {
          "id": "route_get_users",
          "path": "/users/:id",
          "method": "GET",
          "activeResponseId": "resp_200",
          "responses": [
            {
              "id": "resp_200",
              "name": "200 Success",
              "statusCode": 200,
              "delay": 50,
              "headers": {
                "Content-Type": "application/json"
              },
              "body": "{\n  \"id\": \":id\",\n  \"name\": \"Maria Silva\"\n}"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Project and Developer Info

• Repository: https://github.com/vitorbastosbn/NoBackend
• Issues: https://github.com/vitorbastosbn/NoBackend/issues
• Developer: Vitor Bastos (vitorbastosbn@gmail.com)

License

Distributed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more information.

Copyright (c) 2026 Vitor Bastos.