API Testing

APIs or Application Programming Interfaces are pretty much of a concern if you want the developed app to have a seamless integration between the software system and external services. By doing so, it is possible to extend the developed app’s functionality without developing complicated systems from scratch. Now it would be a safe bet to say that we are currently residing in the API-centric world and by now I am sure you must have realised.

From a technical standpoint, it is concerning about two different programs and enabling the capabilities of one which can be further used by another in such a seamless manner. In one way or another, API can be considered a driving force behind the new wave of innovation centered on sharing services.

Application - Apps are business or enterprise-based applications that businesses most of the time rely on to manage their everyday financial transactions, inventories, and other tasks such as supply management between trading partners.

Programming - Developing an application highly relies on programming which is pretty developer-centric. It is possible to develop an application even without seeking the assistance of a developer to create and design the app software and interface.

Interface - This is where the software interacts when collated with other applications.

With the help of APIs, businesses can show the data and its overall functionality to third-party developers, business partners, and other relevant departments within the organization. It may quite interest you to know that throughout the last few years, the need for APIs has simply skyrocketed and any web application developed using APIs is simply useless.

Launching APIs can result in:

Increased overall revenue
Extending customer reach and value
Seamless support for sales and marketing
Stimulating business
Giving rise to technical innovation
Ease integration of backend data and applications

One of the most interesting definitions of API I have come across is - Josh Walker, an analyst at Forrester Research, describes building an application with no APIs as “basically like building a house with no doors. The API for all computing purposes is how you open the blinds and the doors and exchange information.”

Why is API important for your Business?

Further, I would like to mention the true significance of considering API for business.

Streamlining integrations with different applications

Every business comprises a minimum of one or two business applications, and with time passing by, there are many more incorporated and integrated. So to manage them seamlessly we are in desperate need of such technology that can streamline integrations. Here’s when APIs come into play, they successfully sync data from a wide range of sources enabling the conduct of seamless communication regarding the most important information between platforms and successfully streamlining these procedures.

APIs in general tend to lay down the state-owned road network between different applications and do you know what is the best part here? One doesn’t require developing their roads.

With APIs in vogue, data is quite available and can successfully pass between applications as needed.

Automated Tasks

In today’s fast-paced world, more and more businesses are trending towards the concept of automating tasks, and why not, it successfully saves time, and effort and enables businesses to focus on their core competencies very well and other high-value projects.

With the assistance of APIs, it is possible to integrate automation tools into your existing systems which definitely boosts efficiency and reduces costs to a great extent. Also, all the tiring, monotonous, and manual procedures involved in application management can be easily discarded.

APIs not only ensure the automation of tasks but also indirectly impact the conversion rate, accurate reporting, and scalable marketing procedures.

Better Decision Making

The next advantage of considering APIs is better decision-making. Here I would like to mention several aspects among which APIs have proved their worth in the business realm.

Offering real-time feeds - Offering real-time insights can assist you in developing up-to-date decisions that match the speed of business. In case of any issues address them before they cause issues.
Developing reports on individual datasets - API in general offers a centralized hub where professionals can successfully pull specific datasets for reporting. Now this is extremely important, especially when you are willing to make any decision around a specific issue.
Monitoring the data streams for prosperous changes - API tends to automate alerts to enable when metrics tend to go beyond their thresholds. APIs also assist well in staying on top of any changes that sooner or later can affect any report.

Enhanced customer experience

Enhancing or improvising customer experience is extremely crucial for the business’s success. I mean today’s average customer’s attention span is extremely low, if they don’t find or experience what they want to, then they will immediately switch to your competitors.

So how can APIs assist in this particular area? APIs can assist in offering more joined-up user experiences. Yes, with the proper assistance of APIs, data can be transmitted between two applications or more and this surely leads to enhanced user experiences by offering what they require in a specific area.

Let’s take an example of online banking, APIs connect different kinds of data which results in an updated account balance. Not just that, here you can also view past purchases and standing orders by simply clicking a few buttons.

Every business seems to be considering an API-led approach, I hope now you understand why. Now have you come across the concept of API testing?

It is an unusual process of confirming that API is working as predetermined expectations. Fortunately, API testing can be conducted in both ways manually as well as automated. It usually is conducted at the end of the development phase. The ultimate objective of API testing is to ensure that the APIs used here remain reliable and performant. Also, it ensures development teams look out and rectify all the potential issues right before they reach the production stage and the deployment stage.

Types of API Testing

1. Contract Testing

This kind of testing is the API's intended functionality. API contract testing assists well in ensuring that new releases don’t sabotage the contract. It is a human-and-machine-readable concept, just one look at the content and format and testing is done.

2. Unit Testing

API unit testing is another interesting type where a single endpoint returns the current response. This response is done on the basis of a given request. Here it’s all about handling optional parameters correctly.

3. End-to-end Testing

Unit tests successfully assist developers in ensuring that individual endpoints are working as pre-determined and mainly considered to validate key user journeys

4. Load Testing

API load testing ensures developers to simply confirm in case if the API is operating seamlessly during the times of peak traffic. Here it is the usage of the testing tool to stimulate large request volumes and measure the resulting response times and error rates.

Why API Testing?

Quality Assurance
Early issue detection and resolution
Resource conservation
Rapid iteration

So what exactly are the factors that need to be checked during API testing? Data accuracy, missing or duplicate functionality, authorization checks, response time, reliability issues, performance and security issues, Multithreaded issues, Error codes if API returns, and so on.

How to Test API Methods?

Manually

Exploratory testing - Here different kinds of tests are conducted to identify potential bugs. Here mostly black box testing is done by sending certain types of requests to API and checking if the desired output is received or not. As far as white box testing is concerned, testers themselves tend to look out for proper API functions using the source code.
Usability testing - This kind of testing depends on API structure, usability goal, and user segment. And do you know what is the best part here? The structure always has to be reliable and usable. Such kinds of testing are usually user-centric. And the product is being validated from the end-user’s perspective.
Ad.hoc testing - This type is carried out once the formal testing is completed. Testers usually test the product to check for any last-minute loopholes. It is usually done to check the stability of overall API integration. And in case any minor tweaks or changes are made to the end product, it needs to be checked right away.

Automatically

Functional testing - As the name suggests, this is performed to check if the API is performing according to the predetermined expectations or not. For identifying proper valid and invalid requests, the API needs to be well-built. Now most of the time functional testing turns out to be challenging due to the lack of GUI.
Load testing - This is conducted just to find out how API is working especially under heavy traffic. A large amount of request volume and response output and looking around for errors is being done. How well API works under pressure is found here.
Security testing - This kind of testing is done to protect the data and app from potential hackers.
Regression testing - This testing should be considered especially if the application is updated at frequent intervals and there is a need for repeated testing.

Conclusion

So that’s all for now! This is what API testing is all about. I hope you did find the following post worth considering. No wonder there has been a stronger push toward the adoption of standardized testing practices worldwide.