API Testing

API Testing

API stands for Application Programming Interface which acts as an intermediate of communication between two applications. Due to this intermediary role of API (Application Programming Interface) two applications talk to each other and performs the required actions efficiently.

API contains a set of rules and guidelines based on which the applications are developed. So in simple we can say an API acts as an interface between two software applications so that two software applications can communicate with each other. 

API testing is a type of software testing that focuses on the functionality, reliability, and performance of application programming interfaces (APIs). APIs act as a bridge between different software systems, allowing them to communicate and exchange data with each other.

API testing is important because it helps ensure that the different systems that make up an application are working together correctly and that the data being exchanged is accurate and secure. It is also important because it helps identify and fix issues before the application is deployed to production.

           

Example:

Suppose you are searching for a hotel room through an online travel booking site. Using the site’s online form, you will fill the necessary information like the city you want to stay in, check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, and number of rooms. Then you click “search.”. But what’s going on between entering your information to receiving your hotel choices? APIs, that’s what! The site aggregates information from many different hotels.

 When you click “search,” the site then interacts with each hotel’s API, which delivers results for available rooms that meet your criteria. And all this happens in seconds because of an API, which acts like a messenger that runs back and forth between applications, databases, and devices.