Cheat Sheet #day20 - Postman

Postman Cheat Sheet

Postman is a popular tool used for API testing and development. It provides a user-friendly interface to send requests, inspect responses, and automate testing. Below is a cheat sheet to help you navigate the essential features and functionalities of Postman.

Basic Operations

• Create a New Request

  • Click the + button next to the existing tab or use Ctrl+T (Cmd+T on Mac).

  • Enter the request URL and select the HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.).

• Save a Request

  • Click the Save button, choose a collection, and name your request.

• Send a Request

  • Fill in the required details and click the Send button.

Request Components

• URL Parameters

  • Add query parameters by clicking on Params and entering key-value pairs.

• Headers

  • Click on Headers and add necessary headers by entering key-value pairs.

• Body

  • Select the Body tab and choose the appropriate format (raw, form-data, x-www-form-urlencoded, binary, GraphQL).

• Authorization

  • Select the Authorization tab to choose an authorization type (No Auth, Basic Auth, Bearer Token, API Key, etc.).

Collections and Folders

• Create a New Collection

  • Click the New button and select Collection. Name your collection.

• Add a Request to a Collection

  • After creating or opening a request, click the Save button and select the collection to save it in.

• Create a Folder in a Collection

  • Right-click on a collection and choose Add Folder. Name your folder.

Environment Variables

• Create an Environment

  • Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and select Manage Environments. Click Add to create a new environment.

• Add Variables to an Environment

  • Inside your environment, add key-value pairs. Use {{variableName}} in your requests to reference these variables.

• Switch Environments

  • Click the environment dropdown at the top right and select your desired environment.

Pre-Request and Test Scripts

• Add a Pre-Request Script

  • Open a request and select the Pre-request Script tab. Write JavaScript code to run before the request is sent.

• Add a Test Script

  • Open a request and select the Tests tab. Write JavaScript code to run after the response is received.

Running Collections

• Collection Runner

  • Click the Runner button at the top left, select the collection, and configure the run (environment, iterations, delay, etc.).

• Newman CLI

  • Install Newman via npm:

      npm install -g newman
    

  • Run a collection using Newman:

      newman run path/to/collection.json -e path/to/environment.json
    

Response Components

• View Response

  • After sending a request, view the response in the Body, Headers, Cookies, and Test Results tabs.

• Response Status and Time

  • Check the status code, response time, and size in the response area.

• Save Response

  • Click the Save Response button to save the response to a file.

Advanced Features

• Monitor

  • Click on a collection, then Monitor Collection to create a monitor that runs your collection at defined intervals.

• Mock Servers

  • Click the New button, select Mock Server, and configure your mock server.

• Documentation

  • Click on a collection and choose Publish Docs to generate and share API documentation.

Shortcuts

• New Tab: Ctrl+T (Cmd+T on Mac)

• Close Tab: Ctrl+W (Cmd+W on Mac)

• Save Request: Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac)

• Toggle Sidebar: Ctrl+\ (Cmd+\ on Mac)

• Send Request: Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter on Mac)

• Find: Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac)

This cheat sheet covers the fundamental aspects of Postman to help you get started and work efficiently with APIs. For more detailed information, refer to the official Postman documentation.