Testing Across the Stacks: Testing Both the UI and API Layers Together

Hilary Weaver-Robb, a Senior Software Engineer in Test located in Detroit, Michigan will present the following topic to the Washington DC Ministry of Test group:

Abstract: Web services and APIs make up a huge chunk of the code in the applications we test, but either we’re not aware of the APIs or we’re asked to focus on the user interface instead. But those APIs are where all of the business logic for the application is exposed, and can hide some pretty nasty bugs. Web services and APIs can be tested in isolation, but they can also be tested in combination with the UI. Understanding how the UI and API work together can make it easier to troubleshoot when things go wrong from the UI. Having this understanding can also create a more complete picture of the application under test.

In this workshop, we will cover:

Why web services and APIs are important to test
The differences between common types of web services
How HTTP Response Codes fit in to your testing
How familiar UI tests translate to API tests
How to use Postman to test and share tests with your team
How to find the API calls your UI is making