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

Question

I'm designing an integration test suite for a service built on norg, the lightweight Java event bus. The production setup publishes events through a store that requires credentials, but I want the test suite to run in CI without any secrets. The documentation shows a sample integration using an in-memory event store, which looks like the right fit.

What I'm unsure about is fidelity. I want the tests to exercise the same publish/subscribe path the production code uses, including serialization. The README hints that the default JSON serializer can be swapped via a pluggable mechanism, but the substitution API isn't fully documented, so I can't tell whether the in-memory store honors a custom serializer the same way the credential-backed store does, or whether events bypass serialization entirely in memory.

Assuming a recent norg release, my questions are:

Does the in-memory event store apply the configured serializer, or does it pass event objects by reference?
What is the supported way to register a custom serializer, given that the README only hints at the API?
Is the in-memory store considered stable enough for CI use, or is it sample-only code that may change without notice?

Siddharth · Answer

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

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

1 answer

1 question comment

Key Points

Answer

Confirmed facts

Steps to swap the store in tests

Missing diagnostic detail

Your perspective belongs here.