Testing Web APIs

"Automation requires a large amount of upfront investment. It can slow teams down as they attempt to fix unreliable automation, and worst of all, it can mislead teams about the quality of they product that they are building." - Mark WinteringhamFrom sharing steps to start chartering a testing course for your teams to invaluable API testing tool resources to a portion dedicated to API testing code, I am a huge fan of this collection of resources.Mark is incredibly candid about automation and how it can slow us down, or worst of all, mislead teams about the quality of the products they are building for their customers. He also doesn't shy away from offering a path forward for QA and dev teams looking to leverage modern API testing practices in their pursuit of quality. Our book club highly enjoyed this work and hope that you and your teams grab a copy too.

This book helps you to be explicit about the testing of API's. It gets practical into the API technology but also sets the scene on why. It helps you be specific for shifting testing closer to the code. It's for seasoned testing professionals and people just getting started. Some of the lessons I will apply directly in my work are OpenAI spec, the use of swagger, and contract testing.

I purchased an early-access version of this book directly from Manning press, so I don't show as a "Verified Purchaser", but I literally have this book open right now in my Kindle app. :)Mark's written a wonderful book to help people learn the critical skills around testing APIs, and his companion application (restful-booker-platform) is a crucial part of why this book is so successful.Mark is well-known in the testing industry for his skill as a teacher/mentor, and I was so glad when he began working on this book. API testing is crucial for good software delivery, and there's not enough good material on it.This book covers all the critical topics, and focuses on crucial concepts like starting with risk analysis. Mark hits all the points on important tools such as Wireshark, Postman, etc., then dives into great detail on building valuable, trustworthy, and maintainable suites of good tests.Perhaps one of the best parts of this effort is the work Mark put into his companion application, the restful-booker-platform which he hosts on Github. This full-stack application lets testers work through many critical layers of a real-world application, and it also gives one the opportunity to inject defects into the system and see the results.This is a tremendous book, and I'm so happy to see Mark has nailed the delivery!

Too much talking not enough substance

Love the practical examples and github links which makes it easier to consume all the concepts.

This book takes a different approach than many technical books, and starts by explaining the 'Why' API testing is important before getting into the 'How'. With this approach a great foundation is laid for anyone new to the testing field, or anyone new to creating a strategy around API Testing. For those who are comfortable with forming a testing strategy, these sections are good reminder of things to look out for when working with APIs.The remainder of the book really focuses on the 'How', including automating API tests, Contract testing, Performance testing, Security testing, and testing in production.What makes this book really special is it's just not a bunch of information thrown your way. There are exercises and challenges for you to complete throughout the book, that help you practice API testing. If the book ever needs a new name it could be renamed to Testing Web APIs Workbook, as there are hands on examples for each section.

Finding a technical book that is written in such an absorbing and digestible way is a rare find indeed. In ‘Testing Web APIs’ Mark Winteringham has created a fantastic resource for those of us who care about the “why” and “what” of API strategy, as well as the “how” to implement things. I’ve picked up this book several times over the past few months, and it has guided me to learn more about:-Contract testing ins and outsThings to consider when automating APIsPerformance Testing APIs using JMeter and other toolsI am sure it will be the first place I look in future when I want a considered second opinion on how to approach all things API. I know this book has been very well received in the testing community (little surprise given Mark’s reputation for insightful training, technical prowess and clarity of thought) and I will continue to recommend it to anyone who wants to level up their API knowledge.

Best, all encompassing introduction to API concepts. For the first time really understood the meaning of REST. The author leads the reader from introduction to implementation. This is one of my go-to books in my day-to-day job. Honestly, first of all my 'go back and read that chapter again' book.Love the 'wide web' the author provides for families of concept (REST, SOAP, GraphQL, etc.). Besides, while reading we also get a perfect intro into using Visual Studio, which i always tried too casual before but with the help of the book finally completed.

Buy this book to learn on how to create a web api test strategy.