Table of Contents

1. Introduction to API
2. Types of APIs
3. What is Postman
4. Why to use Postman?
5. Installation Guide
6. Exploring Postman
7. Conclusion

Introduction to API

• An API is an abbreviation for Application Programming Interface which is used by different programs to communicate with each other.
• With the help of API, it becomes very easy to manage your program as you don’t have to manage or write complex codes. What you need to do instead is just to make an API calls to your service provider.

Types of APIs

A web service is a system or software that uses an address, i.e., URL on the World Wide Web, to provide access to its services.

The following are the most common types of APIs:

1. RESTAPI
2. SOAP API
3. JSON-RPC
4. XML-RPC

What is Postman?

• Postman is a software for testing your API platform. It is a simple Graphic User Interface for sending and viewing HTTP requests and responses.
• While using Postman, for testing purposes, one doesn’t need to write any HTTP client network code. Instead, we build test requests called collections and let Postman interact with the API.
• This tool has the ability to make various types of HTTP requests like GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and convert the API to code for languages like JavaScript and Python.

Why to use Postman

1. Accessibility
2. Manage APIs using collections
3. Automation testing
4. Managing multiple environments like Development & Production.
5. Debugging
6. Collaboration
7. Continuous Integration

Installation Guide

• Visit the official postman website and download the postman suitable to your system.
• After downloading, Install the software by clicking next and choosing your desired file path.
• Create your account in postman in order to manage your work in different devices.
• Your Environment is ready to go and now you can test your APIs.

Exploring Postman

1. Workspace in Postman

• Workspace helps you to manage all your work including requests, collections different Environment etc. You can create personal as well as team workspace.
• Click on new -> Workspace and provide name, description and add your team members.

2. HTTP requests in Postman

• It helps you to send different types of requests to your API.
• Click on new -> HTTP request after that select your request type and your API url.
• You can choose parameters to put in your url, set authorization type, headers, body and many more.

3. Collections in Postman

• It helps you to manage different types of APIs
• Click on new -> Collection and name your collection. After that save your request in your collection by clicking on save next to your request url.

4. Environment in Postman

• It helps you to manage different types of environment such as Development and Production.
• Environment are variables with key-value pairs. If we enable the key while making the request it will pass it’s value while sending requests.
• Click on new -> Environment and in variable enter the variable name and in value enter the value of variable.

Conclusion

I hope you are now clear with the basic concepts about Postman, how to send request to your APIs using Postman and different features of Postman. For more information visit this url. Thank you for reading, have a nice day 😊