• Quickly test APIs in GUI • Save APIs into Collection for reuse • Manage multiple environment • Auto generate code from API calls • Standalone application or Chrome plugin • https://www.getpostman.com
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Sending an API Request
• Choose method • Enter URI • Configure headers and authentication • Provide data • Send and verify status • Enter postman-echo.com/get into the URL field and click Send
• You see Status: 200 OK in the response row in Postman and you should get this JSON back as a response body, with your system's value for postman-token
• With an API collection you store and group API requests into folders • Use a Postman collection when you want to use the same variable across many requests
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Using Environments and Variables
• Use a Postman environment when you want to protect credentials or an API endpoint
Variables Make Requests Reusable and Flexible
• Never good to hardcode details • What if you want to connect to different host? • What if credentials change? • Variable References
{{ apic }}# host {{ username }} {{ password }}
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Managing Environments
• To create an environment, click the Settings (gear) icon in the right-hand side of Postman and choose Manage Environments. • Create any number of environment needed • Change between environments with drop down list • Add as many variables as needed • Reference anywhere with {{ variable name }} syntax
Setting Environment Variables Dynamically
• What about when info from one request is needed from another? • Manually copying / pasting slow and error prone • Manually updating environment variables is slow and awkward
• To use a variable, add double curly brackets {{variable}} around the value you want to change within the Postman interface • You can store endpoints you use frequently and then change between environments with a drop-down list
Tests Enable Dynamic Environment Variables
• Each API request offers both pre and post actions ◇ Pre → Pre-request script ◇ Post → Tests • Written in JavaScript
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Using Postman to Generate Code!
You'll eventually want to write some code...
• ** Note ** Maximize your Postman Window to use this feature. Otherwise, you can't see command options available • Postman great for testing and validating APIs • But it's about atomic actons • Business Logic, stringing APIs together, etc all need code • Jumpstart with auto-generated code by Postman • Many, many options for languages available
Full API Request to Code!
• Headers, payload data and URI all included • Environment variables are translated • Great starting point, but expect to edit and update