An API can be defined as a set of functions and procedures that help the creation of applications which access the features of an operating system, application, or other service. In other words, it can be said that an API helps the developer find a proper way to write a program which requests a service from any application or the operating software. Now, a RESTful API (also called RESTful Web Service) is a type of API which uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests to GET, POST, PUT or DELETE data. Restful API is a great way of taking advantage of existing protocols. There is no denying the fact that REST is the most efficient and logical choice today in creating APIs for web services. All projects today, including some big names such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube use RESTful API to generate business.
Now that we know what RESTful APIs are, and how important they are in any sort of web service, let’s now talk about how to test restful api. It is important to know for every business or online web service that how well it’s RESTful API are working under stressful situations such as traffic overload. These tests can help ensure that the website or application is up and running in every possible condition. If not, the problems detected in the tests can be solved an enhanced experience for the users can be generated. These tests are called “Load Tests”. These tests are really important to understand how well the website, or the application is performing. It is not recommended to run the test using a single request as it misses to test many aspects of the system and is not efficient in finding the underlying problems. It fails to address the most important aspect of the test, which is to see how the system works when it is bombarded with several requests at a time.
There are several ways to test RESTful API. Some of them are discussed here. A really efficient way of performing the stress test is automation. In this method, the development team can utilize a browser automation program or the HTTP request tool which can then generate a large number of requests to test the RESTful API. This method saves a lot of time and energy. It can be performed by the development team. Also, Google Chrome has a built-in extension to test RESTful API. All of this process can also be done manually in cases where automation is not possible. It can be done by using multiple systems simultaneously to generate multiple requests at the same time. The critical point here is to use multiple systems. This is because a single system may not be enough to generate enough requests. Also, by using multiple computers running browser recording software, the development team may create a large testing load. This will also fulfill the purpose of creating a load large enough to test the RESTful API. If you wish to understand how your website or web applications work through techniques like load testing, the experts can help.