Automated API Testing

Abstract

Application programming interface, or API, is a piece of code that enables two software components to interact. Recent software applications are becoming distributed across various servers that interact with back-end utilities through standardised interfaces. Software applications provide a part of their data and business logic through APIs with the end goal to produce extra revenue called API economy. The number of APIs are expanding exponentially with every year. Thus, directing automated tests on the APIs has turned into a pivotal step in software development process since malfunctioning or ineffective APIs can result in lower acquisition of product and ultimately loss in revenue. API testing is crucial to ensure functionality, reliability, security and delivery of business logic. Major challenges faced during automated API testing include sequencing API calls, comparing unpredictable response, handling planned failed test cases, parallel API execution and handling parameter reliance. This paper presents proposed automated API testing tool and literature survey of automated API testing.