Getting Started with Postman

Hello Readers!

Welcome to this guide as I explore on how to get started with postman which is a powerful API tool for testing and managing APIs.
Whether you are a seasoned developer or a student who is getting started postman has something for everything. So let’s get started.

Why Postman

• User friendly interface
• Instead of manually testing each API endpoint to ensure it works correctly, you can set up automated tests that run these checks for you.
• You can collaborate with your team through the shared workspaces
• Many documentations are available and also you can create one documentation and share it.

Installing Postman

Firstly, lets get postman running into your system.

1. Download Postman: Head over to Postman’s website and grab the version for your operating system.
2. Install and Launch: Follow the installation instructions and fire up the application. Exciting, right?

Exploring the Interface

Workspaces: Here you can organize your projects in different workspaces.

Collections: Group related API requests together.

Requests: Create and send requests to your API endpoints.

Environments: Store and manage variables like API keys and URLs.

Tabs: Work on multiple requests simultaneously with tabbed browsing.

Ready to create your first request? Let’s do it!

Creating Your First Request
We’re going to start simple with a GET request to fetch data from a public API.

Open a New Tab: Click on the + button to open a new tab.
Set the Request Method: Choose GET from the dropdown.
Enter the URL: Type in www.google.com or some other url of your own.
Send the Request: Hit the Send button and voila! You should see the response from the API below.

Writing Tests

Postman lets you automate the validation of your API responses with test scripts.

1. Open the Tests Tab: In your request tab, click on the Tests tab.
2. Write Test Scripts: Use JavaScript to write test scripts. Here’s a simple example :

pm.test("Status code is 200", function () {
  pm.response.to.have.status(200);
});
pm.test("Response time is less than 200ms", function () {
  pm.expect(pm.response.responseTime).to.be.below(200);
});

These tests help ensure your API is working as expected.

Generating API Documentation

Last but not least, let’s talk about documentation.

1. Document Your API: Click on your collection > View in web > Generate Documentation.
2. Customize and Share: Tweak your documentation and share the URL with your team or stakeholders.

Having well-documented APIs is crucial for smooth collaboration and integration.

Conclusion

And here you go folks!

If you want to learn more about API fundamentals, consider completing the Postman Student Expert program using this link.