ali is a load testing tool that generates HTTP requests and visualizes the results in real-time within a terminal-based interface.
The tool addresses the need to understand how a service behaves under load by sending configurable HTTP requests to a target and analyzing the response metrics as they arrive. It works by launching an attack with specified parameters such as request rate and duration, then displaying live charts of latency, percentiles, and request progress directly in the terminal. The embedded UI allows developers to interact with the visualizations using mouse support and keyboard shortcuts to switch between different chart views and zoom into specific regions.
Developers should choose this tool if they want to run load tests from the command line with immediate visual feedback rather than post-processing results separately. It suits quick performance assessments and monitoring during development or testing phases. The tool is inspired by vegeta and jplot, combining the attack capabilities of the former with the visualization approach of the latter. It supports various HTTP methods including POST, configurable attack duration and rate, and the ability to export results for downstream processing.
The project shows consistent maintenance with regular updates addressing user needs. Development activity demonstrates responsiveness to feature requests and bug reports. The codebase maintains a focused scope, avoiding feature creep while supporting the core load testing and visualization workflow.
