Python for API Testing: Ensure Quality and Reliability

Module Title: Mastering API Testing with Python

Module Description:

This module provides a comprehensive overview of API testing using Python, covering key concepts, techniques, and tools for testing RESTful APIs. Participants will learn how to write automated tests for APIs using popular Python libraries such as requests, unittest, and pytest. Through hands-on exercises and practical examples, students will gain proficiency in testing API endpoints, handling authentication, parameterizing tests, and generating test reports.

Module Objectives:

• Understand the importance of API testing in software development.
• Learn how to write automated API tests using Python.
• Explore different types of API tests: functional tests, integration tests, and performance tests.
• Gain proficiency in testing RESTful APIs using Python libraries.
• Develop skills in test automation, parameterization, and reporting for API testing.

Module Outline:

1. Introduction to API Testing

   • Overview of API testing: importance, benefits, and challenges.
   • Understanding RESTful APIs and HTTP methods.
   • Introduction to API testing tools and frameworks.

2. Setting Up the Testing Environment

   • Installing Python and required libraries for API testing.
   • Overview of popular Python libraries for API testing: requests, unittest, pytest.
   • Setting up a testing project structure and environment.

3. Writing Your First API Test

   • Introduction to API requests using the requests library in Python.
   • Writing a simple test case to verify API response status code and content.
   • Executing and validating API tests using assertions.

4. Handling Authentication in API Tests

   • Understanding different authentication methods: Basic Auth, OAuth, API keys.
   • Implementing authentication in API tests using Python requests library.
   • Writing test cases to handle authentication and authorization scenarios.

5. Parameterizing API Tests

   • Introduction to test parameterization in Python.
   • Using test fixtures and setup methods for reusable test code.
   • Parameterizing API tests with dynamic data using pytest fixtures and markers.

6. Testing API Endpoints and Data Validation

   • Writing tests to validate API response data: JSON schema validation, content validation.
   • Testing different API endpoints: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.
   • Verifying response headers, status codes, and response time.

7. Test Automation and Reporting

   • Implementing test automation using Python testing frameworks.
   • Writing test suites and organizing test cases for API testing.
   • Generating test reports and analyzing test results using pytest plugins.

8. Best Practices and Advanced Topics

   • Best practices for writing maintainable and scalable API tests.
   • Exploring advanced topics in API testing: mocking, test data management, API contract testing.
   • Continuous integration (CI) and continuous testing (CT) for API test automation.