Until the modifications are introduced to production, smart companies take advantage of API testing and so do you. In both staging and production environments, API's must be checked to ensure that the software framework meets the specifications.
\nLet's discuss how, through how your team approaches your research plan, your team can get the benefits of API testing.
\nWhat is API Testing?\nApplication Programming Interface is often called as API. An API is a set of methods and procedures that developers \"open up\" to other programmers to have their applications communicate and interact with other applications. Once an API is built, it is necessary to test the interface to provide truly secure, reliable and scalable connections between platforms.
\nAPI testing helps identify early issues and is different from UI testing. An API receives requests and sends back responses through internet protocols including, HTTP and SMTP. API tests investigate applications that have varying API functionalities and vary the API call's parameters in different ways that verify functionality and expose failures.
\nAPI testing can be done on the below aspects:
\nFunctional Testing checks API's functionality, Takes payload in the form of JSON or XML and provides the response code and response body.\nLoad Testing checks the performance under the specific load and determines how much traffic the API can handle before being overloaded.\nSecurity Testing checks vulnerabilities like authentication and sensitive data is encrypted over HTTP and includes penetration testing validating authentication.
\nAdvantages of API testing during Software development
\n1. Time efficiency
\nAPI Testing doesn't require GUI to be ready and it can be performed way early in the development cycle. The Automated API tests provide much quicker test results and significantly accelerate development workflows; thus, it helps you speed up the feedback loop and catch issues faster.
\nIn addition to that, API tests are significantly less time-consuming when compared to UI Tests. UI Tests spend much time rendering and loading the web pages and interface elements, whereas can execute API tests in seconds. Let's take an example where a user needs to register and login from UI takes at least 3 to 5 minutes, whereas API testing takes less than 30 seconds.
\n2. Reduced costs
\nIt is very closely connected with time efficiency.
\nThe cost efficiency benefit is closely connected with the previous one. Automated API tests' increased execution speed leads to more effective/efficient resource consumption and lower overall testing costs.
\nAPI tests can be executed as early as the business logic is defined and before any GUI testing. So it will help you to identify the issue at the early stage. Early identification means the less expensive it is to fix it and Reduces the cost of Application changes. API testing enables the QA team to detect and resolve issues before they become a production problem, keeping project costs at bay.
\n3. Technology Independent
\nAPI tests are Language Independent, Since the data is interchanged using JSON or XML and compromised HTTP requests and HTTP responses. So the QA team is free to choose the language of their choice that supports these technologies((JavaScript, Java, Ruby, Python, PHP, etc.).
\n4. Greater tests stability
\nWhile GUI's are dynamic and may change to accommodate new requests from stakeholders and users, API interfaces are very much stable. APIs typically come with detailed documentation, and any changes are reflected there so that QA engineers can adjust their test suites timely. And due to this inherent stability, API tests are also much easier to maintain.
\n5. Improved test coverage
\nUnlike unit tests, automated API tests are generally broader in scope and detail. While unit tests are focused on the limited functionality of components within a single application, problems often arise at the intersection where one layer's scope ends and the other begins.
\nYou won't find these issues with unit tests, but API-level tests are specifically designed to verify that all system components function as intended. API testing helps uncover potential defects in the interfaces, servers, and databases, improving the overall software quality and contributing to better user experiences.
\nEfficiency gains associated with an API testing tool can include:
\nConclusion:\nAPI testing is recognized as a better fit for Continuous Testing in Agile methodologies. Not adequately tested APIs may cause issues at the API application and the calling application. It is a necessary test in software engineering.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 12, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"What is API Testing? - Discover the Benefits","tags":["Automation","API Testing","Agile","Benefits"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.680672268907563,"src":"/static/44fa40d81595c222eae816dc48759915/f571c/api-testing.png","srcSet":"/static/44fa40d81595c222eae816dc48759915/69585/api-testing.png 200w,\n/static/44fa40d81595c222eae816dc48759915/497c6/api-testing.png 400w,\n/static/44fa40d81595c222eae816dc48759915/f571c/api-testing.png 770w","sizes":"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px"}}},"author":{"id":"Surendranath Reddy Birudala","github":"reddysuren","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/engineering/agile-development-team/"},"html":"Agile is becoming another SDLC methodology but in reality, it is beyond normal project management. With time It’s been accessorized a lot and leaving behind the basic building blocks and the important entity the Agile Development Teams.
\nDoes anybody want a product full of bugs, non-scaleable, difficult to maintain?, certainly No.\nNo matter whatever the agile framework we use, the ultimate goal is a wonderful product with complete customer satisfaction. And it's the developers who sit in the centre and build the product and are responsible for the quality.
\nAgile + Development Team = Agile Development Team
Before that let’s see who are the developers and what is a development team. A developer is a proficient individual in his technical skills. And a group of such individuals working on a project/product makes a development team. Then how does an Agile Development Team differ?
\nThe three attributes bring that difference.
\n“A group of proficient individuals who are cross-functional, autonomous and self-organised sharing the same goal of building a bug-free product or delivering the project with proven quality”
\nThis doesn’t mean that every team member is 'master of all' or even a 'jack of all trades'. In fact, every individual carries their proficiency. But the important thing is that each team member is capable of building additional skills and as and when required can be applied during the development journey.
\nIt reduces the dependency and overall predictability increases and gives better room for risk management.
\nThere is no right or wrong way to organise and hence sometimes teams fail. This attribute of the Agile development team gives freedom based on the maturity of the team to organise and plan the work for themselves. If in scrum team plans the daily work on their own. No one assigns the work.
\nThis helps in prevailing the high motivation, team members can better innovate and work towards the quality of deliverables. They can act without escalations without any unnecessary commands and control.
\nThis brings the sense of ownership, a mental state when the team feels the accountability of the results. Team members voluntarily take ownership and make themselves responsible for the results of the product and project deliveries. Team members collaborate, work together, learn and share the feedback with an open mind. Help each other and grow together.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"July 27, 2020","updated_date":null,"title":"Qualities of an agile development team","tags":["Agile","Development","Teamwork"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/1acfbdd4ea318c142272c6adad88697f/14b42/agile.jpg","srcSet":"/static/1acfbdd4ea318c142272c6adad88697f/f836f/agile.jpg 200w,\n/static/1acfbdd4ea318c142272c6adad88697f/2244e/agile.jpg 400w,\n/static/1acfbdd4ea318c142272c6adad88697f/14b42/agile.jpg 800w,\n/static/1acfbdd4ea318c142272c6adad88697f/47498/agile.jpg 1200w,\n/static/1acfbdd4ea318c142272c6adad88697f/0e329/agile.jpg 1600w,\n/static/1acfbdd4ea318c142272c6adad88697f/77d93/agile.jpg 3600w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Vikram Jain","github":null,"avatar":null}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"tag":"Agile"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1171199041","1384082988","2100481360","23180105","528864852"]}