Frances Buffay The Lathe of Heaven

Introduction to Locust

Locust is an open-source load testing tool that allows you to define user behavior using Python code. It is highly scalable and enables you to simulate millions of users effortlessly. This tutorial will guide you through setting up and using Locust for your load testing needs.

Step 1: Installation

Before you can start using Locust, you need to install it on your system. You can easily do this by running the following command:

pip install locust

This command will install Locust along with all its dependencies.

Step 2: Writing a Locust Test Script

Next, you need to create a test script that defines the behavior you want to simulate. Below is an example of a basic test script:

from locust import HttpUser, task, betweenclass MyUser(HttpUser):    wait_time = between(1, 5)    @task    def my_task(self):        self.client.get("/")

In this script, a class MyUser is defined, which inherits from HttpUser. The @task decorator marks the my_task method as a task that will be executed by each user instance.

Step 3: Running Locust

To run your Locust test, navigate to the directory where your test script is located and execute the following command:

locust -f my_test_script.py

This will start a web interface where you can configure the number of users and the spawn rate. Open a browser and go to http://localhost:8089 to access this interface.

Conclusion

Locust is a powerful and flexible tool for load testing that can be easily integrated into your testing workflow. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you will be able to set up and run your own load tests efficiently. Happy testing!