Can norg's in-memory event store replace a credential-backed integration in tests?

Answer

Yes, the in‑memory event store can replace the credential‑backed integration in your test suite — provided the production code does not depend on the credentials themselves (e.g., for authentication, authorization, or per‑user filtering). If the integration merely forwards events and the credentials are only used to establish the connection, the in‑memory store gives you the same publish/subscribe path, including serialization, without any secrets.

Confirmed facts

• The in‑memory store uses the same EventBus implementation as the real store; events are passed through the configured serializer when published or received, not by raw reference.
• To register a custom serializer, implement the org.norg.Serializer interface and pass it to the bus builder, e.g.:

  EventBus bus = EventBus.builder()
      .serializer(new MyCustomSerializer())
      .build();

  This works for both the in‑memory and credential‑backed stores because they share the builder API.
• The in‑memory store is part of the core norg library and is marked as stable; it is not sample‑only code and will not change arbitrarily between patch releases.

Steps to swap the store in tests

1. Add a test‑scope configuration that creates an EventBus with the in‑memory store (EventBus.builder().inMemoryStore()) and your custom serializer.
2. Inject this bus into the component under test (via constructor, setter, or DI framework) instead of the production client that requires credentials.
3. Run the existing test suite; all tests that only verify event publishing/subscription should pass.

Missing diagnostic detail

Does your production code inspect the credential information inside any event handler (e.g., to filter data, enforce roles, or add tenant‑specific metadata)? If yes, you will need to replicate that logic in a fake or explicitly skip those tests, because the in‑memory store cannot reproduce credential‑dependent behavior.