API Testing using Postman #2 : Postman UI and some key features
The Postman interface is designed to provide a user-friendly environment for API development, API Testing, and collaboration. Here’s an overview of the some key features along with their corresponding interface elements have listed below ……
A. Header Section :
By utilizing the header section, we can create workspaces, access reports, explore the public API network, conduct searches within Postman, check sync status and notifications, as well as access your settings, account, and Postman plan.
- Home : This section in Postman act as a centralized dashboard providing quick access to essential features and information which includes our recently visited workspaces,Explore popular APIs.
→ Recent Workspaces: shows lis of recent workspaces.
→ Recent Collections: Highlights recently used collections, allowing easy access to your frequently used API requests.
→ Recent Activity: Provides a snapshot of recent activities within your workspaces.
→ Explore: Allows you to discover and explore public APIs, collections, and workspaces shared by the Postman community.
2. Workspaces : Workspaces feature helps to Search for workspaces, view your recently visited workspaces, or create a new workspace.
→ Switch Workspaces: helps in seamless switching between different workspaces.
→ Create New Workspace: Provides an option to create a new workspace.
→ My Workspaces: gives quick access to the workspaces you are a member of or have created.
→ Explore Workspaces:Allows you to discover and join other public workspaces, facilitating collaboration with a broader community.
→ Workspace Settings:Provides access to the settings of the currently selected workspace, where you can configure permissions, integrations, and other workspace-specific configurations.
3. API Network : Using API Network feature we can explore the Public API Network and access your team’s Private API Network and We can browse public APIs, teams, workspaces, and collections on Postman.
4. Search : We can user search bar to acess all workspaces, collections, Requests, APIs, Flows, and Teams in Postman byentering keywords related to the collections, requests, environments, and other elements and workspaces. The search bar is located at the top of the Postman interface. Simply click on it to activate the global search.
5. Invite : Invite option in Postman is a key feature that allows users to collaborate and work together on API development projects within a shared workspace. You can enter email addresses, names, or group names to send invitations. Team members can have different roles (Admin, Developer, Viewer etc.) with various access levels to collections, environments, and other Postman elements.
6. Settings: Settings option provides a range of options to configure and personalize your experience.To change settings in Postman, select the settings icon. Settings like Language & Theme, Workspace Settings,User Settings like Profile Information,Theme and more..
7. Notifications : Notifications option in Postman allows us to customize and manage how you receive notifications about various activities and events within the Postman platform.
8.Account : Account options in Postman allows to manage account-related settings, profile information, and access additional features.
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B. Left Side Bar:
The Postman sidebar provides the following options
1. Collections : Collection refers to a container or grouping mechanism for organizing and managing related API requests.They act as folders that group related requests. Collections provide a structured way to group together requests, scripts.
2. APIs : APIs option in Postman refers to a dedicated area within the application where users can explore, create, and manage APIs.
3. Environments : Environments option in the left menu refers to a feature that allows users to manage and switch between different sets of variables, making it easy to adapt API requests to various environments. Example development, staging, testing, production.
4. Mock servers : Mock Server functionality is integrated into the Postman environment, and you can create and manage mock servers within the context of a specific collection.
5. Monitors : Monitors option feature allows users to schedule and automate the execution of collections at specified intervals. Monitors allows to run API tests and collections in a recurring and automated manner, helping you ensure the continuous functionality and performance of your APIs.
6. Flows : Flows is API-first visual programming that is easy to use and widely accessible because it doesn’t require coding expertise. Use Flows to connect APIs for task automation or to explain & perform complex API integrations of real world systems.
7. History : History feature refers to a section that keeps track of your recently sent API requests.
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C. Work Bench:
- Request Builder: Allows you to create and customize API requests. It provides a user-friendly interface for constructing HTTP requests with various parameters.Compose API requests with customizable HTTP methods, headers, parameters, and body. Supports various authentication methods. Present on the top portion of the Postman UI, where you construct and configure your API requests.
Key features in the request header listed below
- Request Method: Select the desired HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.).
- Request URL: Enter the complete API endpoint URL.
- Authorization: Set up authentication methods (Basic Auth, Bearer Token, etc.).
- Headers: Add custom headers to the request.
- Body: Define the request body for methods like POST and PUT (raw text, JSON, form-data, etc.).
- Pre-request Script: Add JavaScript code to execute before sending the request.
- Tests: Write JavaScript code to validate the response.
2. Response Viewer : Present at the bottom portion of the Postman UI, where you view and examine API responses.
Key Fearutes in Response viewer listed below:
- Response Body: Displays the raw response data in various formats (text, JSON, XML, HTML).
- Response Status: Indicates the HTTP status code (200 for success, 400 for errors, etc.).
- Response Headers: Lists all response headers.
- Test Results: Shows the results of any tests you’ve written.
- Pretty: Formats JSON responses for readability.
- Raw: Shows the raw, unformatted response.
- Preview: Renders HTML responses directly in Postman.
- Cookies: Displays any cookies received in the response.
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D. Right Side Bar:
Environment” dropdown menu and the “Manage Environments” option. Here’s a general overview:
- Environment Dropdown Menu: Located in the top right corner, this dropdown menu displays the currently selected environment. You can switch between different environments using this dropdown. The active environment influences the variables used in your API requests.
E. Footer:
Features that are seen on footer are listed below
- Hide Sidebar: click the arrow icon that collapses the sidebar on the left.
- Find & Replace: text search tool helps you locate and replace specific keywords within the current collection, environment, globals etc.
- Console: Clicking the terminal icon opens the Console. we can write and execute JS code for debugging, testing etc..
- Cookies: Cookies button capture any requests and cookies sent and received during your current session.
and more features like Runner,Proxy,Trash.
Please Reach or comment if anything wrong or missed out..
References : Postman documentation
