During a recent project, I had to make an HTTP Server using Flask and design several API endpoints. Naturally, having an API client for initial testing is essential.
In my past experiences API Endpoints, I often used Postman or Thunder Client extension for VSCode; however, I recently came across a video that piqued my interest.
The video introduced a new API client called Bruno, and I found it quite interesting, apart for the Dog logo, which is great (personally, I like it). It provided a fresh approach to the current API Clients world by working completely offline, avoiding unnecessary complexity. This made a lot of sense for my project, which was entirely based on localhost.
At first use, I liked that the interface is intuitive, and if you have some experience dealing with other API Clients, the experience should feel virtually the same. I found it intuitive to work with and configure the collections, which can use nested folders for better control. This was very handy, as I could separate test API endpoints from those used for data fetching or sending information to the server. Additionally, adding endpoints was simple — I could just clone a similar endpoint and modify it.
Another interesting aspect that I liked a lot is that the data is handled locally, which means I have full control over the API endpoints. I could even place them inside a project folder and include the Bruno API Endpoints Collection in version control.
For simplicity, the API Endpoints could be stored in a single location inside your project structure. Also, you can open multiple projects collections if needed. In my case, having this flexibility is a plus, as in future projects I can keep my collections locally accessible and version controlled.
Also, having the files locally accessible, turns out to be an interesting feature and becomes particularly handy with the proliferation of AI solutions. For example, when using Copilot, inside VSCode, the AI can be aware of your project routes file and, depending on your needs, you could try to ask the AI to compare your routes against the .bru files to check for inconsistencies in endpoints, helping to find unused endpoints or audit possible errors. This is a potential use case that I haven't explored enough yet, but it's fully feasible because I've tested and, yes, Copilot in VSCode is able to scan the project, and see inside the .bru files.
Also, to complement the above, in VSCode there is an extension that makes the .bru files have syntax highlighting, so I think that will help as well with manual edits directly in the IDE. You can check out it here: Bruno VSCode Extension
To conclude, I see many advantages in Bruno's approach. I know it's a relatively new product, but it has proven to have potential and be very useful. I'm definitely going to keep it in my toolbox for future projects.
Thanks for reading, and you can check out Bruno here: Bruno Website
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