August 2015 Summaries

Writing code, particularly for making API calls, can be challenging due to potential errors and complexities. Postman offers a solution for testing backend APIs without coding, but it also simplifies frontend development by allowing users to generate code snippets in over 15 languages using a fork of Mashape’s httpsnippet library. Starting with Postman 3.0, this feature can be accessed via the request builder and is beneficial for API documentation, as it provides developers with the ability to create sample code quickly. The tool includes options for curl and HTTP preview, which were previously part of the 'Preview' feature, and encourages contributions to its actively maintained GitHub repository. Distributing Collection files with documentation is recommended to facilitate the generation of sample code within Postman, enhancing both backend and frontend API integration processes.

Postman and SailsJS complement each other effectively, with SailsJS enabling rapid API server development and Postman facilitating their management, documentation, and testing. At Postman, SailsJS is favored for its flexibility in initializing tasks during server startup or restart, such as sending Slack notifications, setting up encryption, logging server information, and configuring error reporting. The process utilizes a bootstrap.js file in SailsJS to execute necessary code pre-server lift, which can become complex if overloaded. To streamline this, a modular system was devised to store and execute initialization tasks from separate files in a dedicated directory, thus maintaining a clean codebase. This method involves creating individual bootstrap modules similar to SailsJS server policies, each exporting a function that executes upon completion of its task, such as logging server version from a package.json file. This modular approach aids in correlating server exceptions with specific versions to prevent regressions, promoting both efficient server management and development practices that are open to community input and collaboration.

In March 2014, Postman, a tool that facilitates API development, was gaining traction and had been in existence for nearly two years. Initially launched via a post on Stack Overflow, it had grown significantly, prompting a need to establish a unique brand identity beyond its generic stock icon. Abhinav, working full-time on Postman, collaborated with designer Aditi to create a distinctive logo. Aditi was drawn to the project by its potential and the team's passion, despite initial financial concerns. The design brief required something “cool and geeky” unrelated to traditional postal imagery, leading to the creation of a flying space hero that resonated with the team. The logo's design incorporated a playful element where the space hero would scale down and appear younger as the icon size decreased, inspired by apps like IA Writer. By 2015, Postman continued to grow rapidly, and the team was actively working on design improvements and engaging with their community through merchandise like t-shirts and stickers.

Postman 3.0 introduced a new feature called the Collection Browser, which aims to enhance productivity by integrating API documentation directly into the Postman interface, eliminating the need to switch between multiple tools such as a code editor, REST client, and browser. This feature allows users to browse collection metadata, access common actions, and manage API documentation more efficiently by simply clicking an "expand" arrow within Postman. Additionally, the tool supports the import of Swagger, RAML, and WADL documentation, enabling developers to organize all their APIs in one place for a smoother development workflow. The developers have plans for further updates to the Collection Browser and are inviting feedback and suggestions from users through comments and social media.

Docker, a popular container technology, is favored for its simplicity and cross-platform compatibility, allowing software to run seamlessly on Windows, Mac-OSX, and Linux. Postman recently released a Docker image containing Newman, its command line collection runner, to address installation issues on Windows. The process for using the Newman Docker image involves installing Docker, configuring it to work with the Windows Command Prompt by adjusting system path variables, and running the Newman Docker image. The installation includes using "boot2docker" to facilitate Docker's operation on Windows, requiring additional components like Virtualbox and Git for Windows. Users can then execute Newman collections by mounting a local folder to the Docker container, enabling direct access to outputs and features.