API testing myths debunked

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Copyright © 2014 Parasoft 1 21-12-25 "5 Myths about API testing: There's more than meets the UI"

description

Download Whitepaper from http://alm.parasoft.com/api-testing-myths API integrity plays a vital role in ‘The API Economy’. Yet many are confused about the kind of testing required to ensure secure and reliableAPIs. Discover the truth about API testing and the negative impact businesses face when APIs are not tested properly. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of API testing myths debunked

Page 1: API testing myths debunked

Copyright © 2014 Parasoft 1

2014-11-10

"5 Myths about API testing: There's more than

meets the UI"

Page 2: API testing myths debunked

Copyright © 2014 Parasoft 22

APIs Everywhere and Here to Stay

A few years ago, we entered the era of mobile computing

API failure means your apps fail, and your quality and reputation take a direct hit that flows to your bottom line

But that came with some challenges:

API Testing reduces the business risk of faulty APIs

Many devices, many networks and many connections.

Apps connect devices to vast

amounts of servers and data through

complex APIs.

How do you ensure that the APIs work

as planned?

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Every App Has its API…to Test

The fact that an API is published does not decrease the test scenarios required; it increases test scenarios in all dimensions

Enterprise apps rely on a myriad of internal, external and public APIs

Testing APIs must include different networks, end-points and interfaces

Test Scenarios

NowThen

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Myth #1 about Testing APIs

Public APIs, even the few with SLAs, are the responsibility of third parties – you may trust them, but you must verify them, with API Testing

If it’s a published API, it’s been tested and guaranteed. No further testing required.

Just because an API is “published” does not mean that the API has been tested with anything, particularly your custom applications

You cannot afford to overlook the gaps in testing APIs with your applications

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MIND THE GAP

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Myth #2 about Testing APIs

GUI tests are extremely fragile and are not designed to exercise the integration layer

Tested through the GUI of your applications does not mean you have fully tested the API and its other interactions

Assuming that you’ve tested the API from the GUI means on average 10% test coverage

We’ve tested the API through our application’s graphical user interface testing.2#

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Myth #3 about Testing APIs

End-user experience is dependent upon everything working together flawlessly, not a single message transaction

While direct testing may provide validation of connectivity, it will not exercise the end-to-end logic of the API and its interactions with dependent systems

Composite applications are dependent upon multiple transactions

Our GUI testers can exercise the API directly… It seems pretty straightforward.

You thought you could manage simple

transactions…

…until you realized the API was more complicated (with multiple

operations and elements)

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Testing modern composite applications requires access to an average of 30 dependent applications (APIs, mainframes, web services and other systems dependencies), yet only 20% can be accessed easily for testing

Myth #4 about Testing APIs

This complexity does not mean end-to-end testing cannot be performed

Technologies like service virtualization (test environment simulation), when coupled with API Testing, provide for comprehensive testing across all application dependencies

End-to-end tests are not feasible, because there are too many dependencies involved.4#

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…doesn’t mean you’ve tested this!

Myth #5 about Testing APIs

Methodologies like Agile Development require that application logic changes, improves and evolves

Because you tested this…

APIs that were tested once and worked will continue to work as long as the API hasn’t changed.

In order to ensure the integrity of the API, any material change to the API requires a re-validation of the API and its system dependencies

Creating a regression test suite that exercises dependent APIs consistently is required for API integrity

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The Costs of not Testing APIs

If you’re leveraging APIs to enhance your customer’s experience, you must ensure that the APIs can meet or exceed your business expectations

If software is the interface to your business, then the customer’s experience is only as good as the weakest link in your software

Switching costs for software are at an all-time low; subscription models and common interfaces mean that loyalty has to be earned with quality and innovation

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Parasoft API Testing: Real Results

Parasoft API Testing has helped accelerate and transform application testing for many leading companies and agencies

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Parasoft Leadership

Over 7,000 companies

trust Parasoft

Rock-solid, profitable since

the 1990s

IP war chest with 32 defect

prevention patents

ServiceVirtualization

APITesting

DevelopmentTesting

SHIFT LEFTTest early, test often, with the leader in Continuous Testing: Parasoft

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Download Whitepaper

www.parasoft.com