January 2016 Summaries

The "Run in Postman" button simplifies public API usage by allowing developers to instantly import specified collections of endpoints, facilitating a smoother learning curve. By embedding this button into documentation pages, developers can make their APIs more accessible to over 8 million Postman users, thereby enhancing engagement. To implement this, users must create a collection of requests, convert Swagger or RAML files if necessary, and obtain the embed code via Postman's Share collection option. Postman plans to promote early adopters of this feature through various channels, including in-app messages, blog features, and social media mentions, further increasing visibility and interaction. An instructional YouTube video is available to help users understand how to generate and share the Run in Postman button effectively.

Back-end development teams often face challenges in establishing an API contract with front-end teams or API consumers, which can be streamlined using tools like Postman and Mockable.io. These tools allow developers to create static responses for specific API endpoints, facilitating the development of services such as user registration by simulating actual API behavior. By utilizing Mockable.io, developers can define mock endpoints that mimic real API responses for scenarios like successful or failed user signups, as well as login attempts. This setup enables the front-end team to develop their applications concurrently without waiting for the actual API implementation, as they can switch between mock and production services using Postman's environment settings. The process involves creating a Postman collection that includes various mock scenarios, which can be shared with the front-end team, thereby enhancing collaboration and efficiency in the development process.

AWS API Gateway simplifies the creation and maintenance of APIs, allowing users to easily establish an API that serves as a "front door" for applications to access back-end services through the AWS Management Console. It manages the acceptance and processing of requests seamlessly, and now integrates with Postman and Swagger to enhance endpoint testing and documentation. Postman supports AWS's SigV4 authentication, which works across various AWS services such as S3, and requires storing access credentials as environment variables for API Gateway endpoints with SigV4 authentication. Users can start by following AWS documentation instructions and importing the Swagger file with Postman extensions.