May 2014 Summaries

Users encountered issues with starting Postman after updating to Chrome v34, where the application window would open without loading history data or sending requests, accompanied by numerous errors in the console. Investigation revealed that the issue was linked to a bug involving the "Experimental web platform features" flag in Chrome. The recommended solution is to reset all Chrome flags to their default settings by navigating to chrome://flags, though disabling experimental web features could also help. Users still experiencing problems are encouraged to seek assistance through Twitter or GitHub.

Newman, a command line companion tool for Postman, has released a beta version that allows users to run Postman collections via their terminal, enhancing integration options for API testing and automation. Easily installable through the Node.js package manager npm across major operating systems, Newman offers minimal setup while enabling functionalities such as integrating with build systems, running automated API tests through cron jobs, and using it as a grunt plugin for real-time testing when code is saved. The tool is open-source, licensed under the Apache license, and welcomes contributions from users, fulfilling a significant demand since the introduction of Jetpacks. More information and code are available on the Newman GitHub repository.

In the third installment of a series on API testing with Postman, the focus is on utilizing the tool's collection runner to streamline the execution of multiple requests within a collection, allowing users to run all requests with a single click rather than manually executing each one. The collection runner interface mirrors the main Postman window, with options to select a collection, an optional environment, and the number of iterations for the tests. Environment variables, which are set up separately to protect sensitive data, play a crucial role in this process. Users can analyze results after a collection run to track improvements over time, with the ultimate goal of achieving a 100% test pass rate. The series, initially planned as a three-part guide, will extend into a fourth part to cover automated API testing and feature an exciting announcement, while future enhancements to Postman's test reporting capabilities are anticipated.

Postman v0.9.9.2 has been released on the Web Store, featuring a blend of new functionalities and bug fixes that had been anticipated for some time. This update includes several enhancements such as displaying the version number and debugging information within the settings modal, enabling collection import from URLs to set the Accept header to application/json, and implementing recursive resolution of environment variables. Notable improvements also encompass the prevention of automatic requests when URLs are selected from the autocomplete dropdown, the introduction of a Ctrl+enter/Cmd+Enter shortcut, and the presence of a proper changelog for tracking changes. A significant update is the auto-refresh capability of Basic Auth and Digest Auth tokens based on environment variable values, eliminating the need to manually refresh requests when switching environments. Furthermore, the team is excited about upcoming features and encourages users to stay informed through their blog and Twitter.