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Introduction
Postman has become an indispensable tool for developers, testers, and API enthusiasts worldwide. with its user-friendly interface and rich set of features, Postman simplifies the process of testing, documenting, and collaborating on API. In this blog post, we will explore Postman's key features that make it an essential API development and testing tool.
Here are some useful Postman tips and features.
1. Workspaces
You can create multiple workspaces to isolate all collections, environments, etc. There are five different kinds of Postman workspaces for your different needs: personal workspaces, private workspaces, partner workspaces, team workspaces, and public workspaces.
2. Environments and variables
An environment is a set of variables you can use in your Postman requests. You can use environments to group related sets of values together and manage access to shared Postman data if you are working as part of a team.
Create your environment variables in the Environments tab, then use them in your requests.
You can also fork an environment by selecting Fork in the environment overview tab.
To view pull requests, select the pull request icon.
3. Running scripts
Suppose you have a login API to get a token. Then use this token in all your requests. You can create a test script and save tokens as environment variables. Now your token variable is updated after each successful login request.
You can also run scripts before each request with Pre-request Scripts.
4. Inherit Authorization
Click the collection and select an authorization type from the Authorization tab. Fill in the requested fields. Choose Inherit auth from the parent option for your request. Authorization is done for all your request.
5. Run Automated Tests
Create assertion scripts HTTP status codes, and response objects for all your request. Here is an example test to check if the HTTP status code is 200 and the response.
Select options and tests to run.
6. Examples
Examples show your API endpoints in action and provide additional details on exactly how requests and responses work. You can add an example to a request by saving a response, or you can create an example with a custom response to illustrate a specific use case.
7. Monitors
Postman Monitors give you continuous visibility into the health and performance of your APIs. Uptime monitors (open beta) enable you to keep watch on a single API endpoint, while collection-based monitors enable you to run API test scripts, chain together multiple requests, and validate critical API flows.
Monitor results
8. Visualize Responses
The Postman Visualizer provides a programmable way to visually represent your request responses. Visualization code added to the Tests for a request will render in the Visualize tab for the response body, alongside the Pretty, Raw, and Preview options.
9. Share Collections
You can share your work with others by sharing.
directly to emails
Run in Postman
Via JSON link
The "Run in Postman" button. is a way to share a Postman Collection (and optional environment) with your users. Live Run in Postman buttons automatically stays updated with changes to your collection, providing consumers with its most recent version. You can also attach an environment to your live button to help onboard new users to your API quickly and efficiently.
10. Flows
You can use Flows to chain requests, handle data and create real-world workflows right in your Postman workspace. Flows help you create API workflows by connecting a series of requests through a drag-and-drop UI.
11. API Documentation
You can automatically generate comprehensive API documentation from your postman requests, complete with detailed descriptions, examples, and code snippets. Postman also enables easy sharing and publishing on public networks.
12. Mock servers
Postman's mock server feature accelerates API development by simulating backend endpoints. Mock servers allow you to create custom responses, simulate different scenarios, and thoroughly test your front end without relying on the backend infrastructure.
When you send a request to a mock server, Postman matches the request to a saved example in your collection. Postman then responds with the data you added to the example. To view existing mock servers in your workspace, select Mock Servers in the sidebar.
13. CI/CD Integration
Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) are a core part of the API development workflow. Postman integrates with popular CI tools so you can view details about API builds in the same place where you define and test your API.
After you set up CI integration, you can view the status of builds or start a new build, all from within Postman. You can also run API tests created in Postman as part of your CI pipeline using the Postman CLI and the Postman API.
To set up CI integration for your API, first set up your CI project and then connect Postman to your CI tool. After you set up CI integration, information for CI build jobs is available in Postman. Select Test and Automation for your API to view recent build jobs, see the build status, and even start a new build.
examples of tools provided by Postman are Jenkins, Azure pipelines, GitHub actions, etc.
conclusion
Postman has revolutionized API development with its feature-rich platform that caters to the needs of developers, testers, and collaboration within teams. By leveraging the power of Postman, you can streamline your API development workflow, enhance testing capabilities, generate comprehensive documentation, and collaborate seamlessly with your team.
so, dive into the world of Postman, explore its features, and unlock the full potential of your API development process. Elevate your API game with Postman and experience a new level of efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration.