Karate Framework for API Testing on Github
In today’s technology-driven world, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) have become an essential part of software development. It has now become a common practice to use third-party APIs to make your software development faster, reliable, and efficient. However, testing APIs is equally important, considering the number of vulnerabilities that exist in APIs. To bring the most out of your API, you need to test it properly before deploying it.
That’s where Karate Framework for API Testing comes into the picture. It offers an intuitive and comprehensive testing framework, which helps you write scenarios in the Gherkin language to automate API testing in no time, with ease. In this blog, we’ll guide you through the basics of Karate Framework for API testing, and how you can leverage this framework on Github.
What is Karate Framework?
Karate is an open-source framework, which was introduced as a solution to reduce the complexity in testing web services. It is a robust testing framework based on the Cucumber BDD (Behavior-Driven Development) approach. It can be used for testing SOAP, REST, and GraphQL web services. This framework provides comprehensive support for API testing, including authorization, request, response comparisons, and schema validations.
How to Use Karate Framework for API Testing?
To start using Karate Framework for API testing, you need to install it first. You can follow the installation instruction provided in the official website of the framework, as it may change over time.
Once you have installed the Karate framework, you have to create a .feature file containing test cases written in Gherkin language. This language helps you write a test case in a human-readable format that can be easily understood by developers and stakeholders. Karate framework reads these .feature files and produces readable reports. Below we have listed the steps to create a .feature file in the Karate framework.
Step 1: Define the Feature
The first step in creating a .feature file is to define the feature you want to test. The feature keyword is used to define the feature being tested. The below snippet shows how to define a feature in Karate framework.
„`
Feature: Verify the user service GET endpoint
„`
Step 2: Define the Scenario
After defining the feature, the next step is to define a scenario. The scenario keyword is used to specify the description of the test you want to perform. Each scenario starts with the keyword `Scenario:`. Below is an example of a scenario for a GET endpoint.
„`
Scenario: Verify the GET endpoint returns the data for the authorized user
„`
Step 3: Define the Steps
Now that we have defined the feature and scenario that we are going to test in the Karate framework, the next step is to define the actual steps. Karate provides several built-in keywords to write these steps in a BDD way. Below is a sample code that you can use while defining the steps for the GET endpoint test case.
„`
Given url ‚https://myapi.com/user‘
And header Authorization = ‚Bearer abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz‘
When method get
Then status 200
Then match response contains {username: ‚#string‘, email: ‚#string‘, role: [‚admin‘, ‚user‘]}
„`
In this test case, we have defined the url of the API under test. We also have defined the authorization header to authenticate the request. We then define the request method, which in this case is a GET method. Finally, we validate the response status code, which should be 200 for a successful response. We validate the response schema using the Karate’s match keyword, which verifies the response contains the desired properties and their types.
How to Use Karate Framework for API Testing on Github?
Github is a popular platform that can help you to manage your source code, build, test, and deploy your software. Integration of Karate Framework for API testing on Github can help you to automate your testing process, which enables you to run the test cases whenever there is a new code change or pull request is created. Below is the step-by-step guide to leverage Karate framework for API testing on Github.
Step 1: Create a .feature file in the repository
First, you need to create a .feature file in the repository. Create any number of .feature files depending on the endpoints you want to test. Below is an example of how to create a sample .feature file in your repository.
„`
# sample.feature
Feature: Verify the user service GET endpoint
Scenario: Verify the GET endpoint returns the data for the authorized user
Given url ‚https://myapi.com/user‘
And header Authorization = ‚Bearer abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz‘
When method get
Then status 200
Then match response contains {username: ‚#string‘, email: ‚#string‘, role: [‚admin‘, ‚user‘]}
„`
Step 2: Configure Testing Environment Variables
Now that you have created a .feature file in the repository, the next step is to configure the environment variables for testing. You can add environment variables directly in the Github repository by following the below steps.
* Go to your Github repository and select settings from the options.
* Select the Secrets option from the left-hand side panel.
* Select the “New repository secret” button to add new secrets.
* Add your environment variables and their values.
Step 3: Configure the Test Action
Now, you need to add a test action to your Github repository that runs whenever there is a new code change or pull request is created.
* Create a new file under the `.github/workflows` directory and name it „karate-test.yml“.
* Copy the below code and paste it into the „karate-test.yml“ file.
„`
name: karate-api-testing
on:
push:
branches:
– ‚main‘
pull_request:
branches:
– ‚main‘
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
– name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v2
– name: Setup java
uses: actions/setup-java@v1
with:
java-version: 11
– name: Build with maven
run: |
mvn -B clean install
env:
SPRING_DATASOURCE_URL: ${{ secrets.DATABASE_URL }}
KARATE_API_BASE_URL: ${{ secrets.API_BASE_URL }}
KARATE_API_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.API_AUTH_TOKEN }}
„`
This code will run the test whenever there is a new code change or pull request is created. It defines the environment variables required for the tests, like API_BASE_URL, API_AUTH_TOKEN, etc.
With these steps, you can leverage Karate Framework for API Testing on Github.
Frequently Asked Questions about Karate Framework for API Testing on Github
The Karate framework is a widely popular open-source testing framework that uses a Gherkin syntax for API testing. It provides effective testing solutions for various types of APIs, including HTTP, SOAP, and REST. Karate framework also has an active community that contributes to its development and maintenance. Several developers prefer Karate over other frameworks as it simplifies testing, provides readable test cases and bespoke support for distributed systems that use protocols like JMS, Kafka and AMQP. In this post, we will answer some of the commonly asked questions about the Karate framework for API testing on Github.
1. What are the benefits of using the Karate framework for API testing?
The following are some of the benefits of using the Karate framework for API testing:
- Simplified testing: The Karate framework uses a simple Gherkin syntax that makes it easy to write test cases. This simplifies the testing process for developers who are familiar with the syntax.
- Readable test cases: Karate enables developers to write readable API test cases that can be easily understood by anyone. This feature helps in better communication across teams.
- Bespoke support for distributed systems: The Karate framework provides bespoke support for distributed systems using protocols like JMS, Kafka and AMQP. This enables developers to test different types of APIs effectively.
- Deployment flexibility: Karate supports easy deployment of tests to different environments, making it flexible to test systems in different scenarios without rebuilding code.
- Open source: The Karate framework is an open-source tool and the community contributing to its development and maintenance ensures that the framework has regular updates.
2. Does the Karate framework support SOAP API testing?
Yes, Karate framework supports testing for SOAP APIs as it has built-in functionality that enables interfacing with SOAP APIs. The Gherkin-like syntax used by the Karate framework makes the creation of SOAP API testing scenarios extremely easy, making it an ideal tool for developers who want to test different types of API protocols.
3. What programming language is required for using Karate framework?
Karate is written in Java, which requires the presence of a JVM to operate. It can be used without prior knowledge of Java because the framework provides an abstraction layer that hides most of the Java code from view, thus enabling even non-technical people to use the tool effortlessly.
4. How does the Karate framework compare to other API testing frameworks?
The Karate framework’s notable strengths include simplified language syntax, better API testing capabilities, flexible deployment, bespoke support for distributed systems, and a wide community for support. These factors make it one of the best frameworks for API testing, and it often compared with other frameworks such as Postman, REST-Assured, and SoapUI. The framework is more suitable for developers who want to test APIs without programming knowledge while still being robust enough to handle advanced testing scenarios.
5. Is it easy to integrate Karate framework with CI/CD pipelines?
Yes, Karate framework can be easily integrated with CI/CD pipelines like Jenkins, Bamboo, and TravisCI. The framework’s flexibility in deploying tests across multiple environments and the ability to produce various test report outputs makes it a preferred tool for organizations looking to automate API testing in their workflow process.
Introduction
Karate is an open-source API testing tool that is built on top of the widely used Cucumber and Gatling frameworks. It is designed to make API testing simpler and more efficient with its easy-to-use syntax, and it provides a rich set of features that allow you to write comprehensive tests quickly.
In this article, we will explore Karate framework for API testing, with a focus on how to use it for GitHub API. We will guide you through the installation process, and introduce you to the key concepts of Karate framework. By the end of this article, you will have a solid understanding of how to use Karate framework effectively for your API testing needs.
What is Karate Framework?
Karate is a powerful API testing tool that enables you to write tests in a concise and readable syntax. It is built on top of Cucumber, which is a popular behavior-driven development (BDD) testing framework. Karate extends Cucumber’s capabilities by including Gatling for performance testing and Apache HttpClient for HTTP calls. What sets Karate apart from other API testing tools is its ability to handle not only simple scenarios, but also complex scenarios that require more specialized testing techniques.
Karate simplifies the process of API testing by providing an easy-to-use syntax that allows you to write tests with minimal coding knowledge. It supports a variety of data types, including JSON, XML, and plain text, among others. Additionally, it has built-in support for common operations like RESTful methods and HTTP authentication.
Installation
Before getting started with using Karate, you will need to install it. There are several ways to install Karate framework:
- You can download the Karate JAR file from Maven Central or GitHub and add it to your project’s classpath.
- You can use the Karate Maven plugin to automatically download and manage Karate’s dependencies.
- You can use the Karate CLI tool to run and manage Karate tests.
Installing with Maven
If you are using Maven as your build tool, you can add Karate as a dependency in your pom.xml file:
„`
„`
This will download the Karate JAR file and its dependencies, and add them to your project’s classpath.
Installing with Gradle
If you are using Gradle as your build tool, you can add Karate as a dependency in your build.gradle file:
„`
dependencies {
testCompile ‚com.intuit.karate:karate-apache:1.1.0‘
}
„`
This will download the Karate JAR file and its dependencies, and add them to your project’s classpath.
Configuring Karate
To configure Karate, you can create a karate-config.js file in your project’s root directory. This file can be used to define environment-specific variables, such as the base URL for your APIs, and any global headers that you want to include in your requests.
Here is an example of a karate-config.js file:
„`
function() {
var env = karate.env; // get system property ‚karate.env‘
karate.log(‚karate.env system property was:‘, env);
var config = {
apiUrl: ‚https://api.github.com‘
}
if (env == ‚dev‘) {
// customize config
// e.g. config.foo = ‚bar‘;
} else if (env == ’stage‘) {
// customize config
// e.g. config.foo = ‚baz‘;
}
return config;
}
„`
This file defines a variable called apiUrl, which specifies the base URL for the GitHub API. You can use this variable in your tests to make requests to the GitHub API.
Writing Tests with Karate
Once you have Karate installed and configured, you can start writing tests. Karate tests are written in a .feature file, which is a plain-text file that uses the Gherkin syntax.
Here is an example of a Karate test for the GitHub API:
„`
Feature: GitHub API Tests
Background:
* url env.apiUrl
Scenario: Search for a repository
Given path ’search/repositories‘
And param q = ‚karate‘
When method get
Then status 200
And match response.items contains { name: ‚karate‘ }
Scenario: Create a new repository
Given path ‚user/repos‘
And request { name: ‚test-repo‘, description: ‚This is a test repository‘ }
When method post
Then status 201
And match response.name == ‚test-repo‘
„`
This test is divided into two scenarios. The first scenario searches for repositories that contain the word “karate” in their name. The second scenario creates a new repository with a name of “test-repo” and a description of “This is a test repository”.
Each scenario starts with a Background section, which sets the base URL for the API. Then, it uses given, when, and then steps to make an HTTP request, and assert the response status and content.
Running Tests with Karate
There are several ways to run Karate tests:
- You can run tests from the command line using the Karate CLI tool.
- You can run tests using the Karate JUnit runner, which is a JUnit-based test runner that provides useful reporting and logging features.
- You can use the Karate Maven plugin to automatically run Karate tests as part of your build process.
Running Tests with Karate CLI
To run tests with the Karate CLI tool, you can use the following command:
„`
java -jar karate.jar mytest.feature
„`
This will run the test in the mytest.feature file.
Running Tests with Karate JUnit Runner
To run tests with the Karate JUnit runner, you can create a JUnit test class, and annotate it with the @RunWith(Karate.class) annotation:
„`
@RunWith(Karate.class)
@CucumberOptions(features = „classpath:mytest.feature“)
public class MyTestRunner {
}
„`
This will run the test in the mytest.feature file, and provide useful reporting and logging features.
Running Tests with Karate Maven Plugin
To run tests with the Karate Maven plugin, you can add the following plugin configuration to your pom.xml file:
„`
„`
This will run all .feature files in the src/test/java/com/mycompany/myapp directory.
Conclusion
Karate is a powerful API testing tool that makes API testing simple and efficient. With its easy-to-use syntax and rich set of features, you can quickly write comprehensive tests for your APIs. In this article, we introduced you to Karate framework for API testing, showed you how to install and configure it, and gave you an overview of how to write and run tests. With this information, you can begin using Karate framework for your API testing needs today.
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