How to perform CODE is written with API Testing
How to perform CODE is written with API Testing
API TESTING
was a software testing type that validates Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). API Testing aims to see the functionality, reliability, performance, and security of the programming interfaces. In API Testing, rather than using standard user inputs(keyboard) and outputs, you employ software to transmit calls to the API, get a result, and write the system’s response. The API tests are very different from GUI Tests and won’t consider the design and next realize of an application. It mainly condenses on the business logic layer of the software architecture.
Well, not so fast, and The language and syntax of APIs severely limit their abilities. There are four sorts of actions an API can take:
GET: requests data from a server — are often status or specifics (like last_name)
POST: sends changes from the client to the server; consider this as adding information to the server, like making a replacement entry
PUT: revises or adds to existing information
DELETE: deletes existing information
When you combine the endpoints with these actions, you’ll search or update any available information over an API. You’ll get to check the API documentation to seek out out the way to code these actions, as they’re all different.
While we’re talking about language and syntax, let’s cover the ways you’ll make an invitation on a server:
HTTP: hypertext transfer protocol. This is often how you bought to our site in the first place — by typing a URL within the search bar in your browser. This is often a very easy thanks to access data, but it won’t come to you in a pretty format if you request tons of data. We’ll enter this further in only a second.
Text formats: XML, JSON. These are the most languages for accessing data over an API. Once you receive your data, you’ll get to go through the XML or JSON code to know what the server gave you.
How to Test API
API automation testing should cover a minimum of the following testing methods aside from the normal SDLC process
Discovery testing: The test group need manually fulfill the set of calls documented and within the API, like verifying that a selected resource exposed by the API is often listed, created, and deleted as appropriate
Security testing: This testing includes what sort of authentication is required and whether sensitive data is encrypted over HTTP or both
Automated testing: API testing needs to culminate within the creation of a group of scripts and a tool that will be wont to execute the API regularly.
Documentation: The test team has got to confirm that the documentation is adequate and provides enough information to interact with the API. Documentation should be a neighborhood of the ultimate deliverable.
Best Practices of API Testing:
-API Test cases should be group by test category
-On top of every test, you ought to include the declarations of the APIs being called.
-Parameters selection should be explicitly mentioned within the test suit itself
-Prioritize API function calls in order that it’ll be easy for testers to check
-Each test suit should be as self-contained and independent from dependencies as possible
-Avoid “test chaining” in your development
-Special care must take while handling one-time call functions like – Delete, CloseWindow, etc…
-Call sequencing should be performed and strategically
-To ensure then complete test coverage and create API test cases for all possible input combinations of the API.
Types of Bugs that API testing detects
-Fails to handle error conditions gracefully
-Unused flags
-Missing or duplicate functionality
-Reliability Issues. and show Difficulty in connecting and getting a response from API.
-Security Issues
-Multi-threading issues
-Performance Issues. API reaction time is extremely high.
-Improper errors/warning to a caller
-Incorrect handling of valid argument values
-Response Data isn’t structured correctly (JSON or XML)
Challenges of API Testing
Challenges of API testing includes:
-Web API testing is a Parameter Combination, Parameter Selection, and Call Sequencing.
-There is no GUI available to check the appliance, which makes it difficult to offer input values.
-Validating and Verifying the output during a different system is small difficult for testers.
-Parameters selection with categorization is required to be known to the testers.
-Exception handling function must be tested.
-Coding knowledge is important for testers.
Conclusion:
API consists of a group of classes/functions/procedures which represent the business logic layer. If API isn’t tested properly, it’s going to cause problems not only in the API application but also within the calling application. it’s an important test in software engineering.
