August 2016 Summaries

With the shift to NodeJS-based script execution in Postman v4.5.0+ and Newman v3, jQuery was replaced due to its reliance on DOM, prompting the introduction of CheerioJS, which emulates jQuery's core functionalities without needing a browser or DOM. This new library allows Postman users to manipulate HTML or XML responses effectively with a syntax familiar to jQuery users, as demonstrated in a sample script that extracts and tests HTML content. Additionally, lodash provides utility functions akin to those in jQuery, such as _.forEach replacing $.each, ensuring a fast, cross-platform scripting environment for Postman users that is free from browser-related issues.

Postman v4.5 for Mac introduced the Postman Console, a new feature designed to simplify and enhance debugging for API development, akin to a browser's developer console but tailored specifically for API tasks. The console logs all API activities, including raw requests, headers, and responses, making it easier to track and debug issues. It also allows users to see what proxy and certificates were used and provides error logs from test or pre-request scripts, similar to JavaScript's console.log. The console was developed to provide a clear and distinct environment for logging user script activities, separate from Postman's internal logs, and to address the limitations of the default Electron console. Additionally, the recent Newman v3 release allows for similar logging capabilities from Postman scripts in the terminal, ensuring consistency across platforms.

Google's announcement to end support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux, which were crucial for Postman's initial cross-platform reach, has prompted Postman to encourage users to transition to its native apps. These native apps for Mac, Windows, and soon Linux, offer the same features as the Chrome app, including API building, testing, documenting, and sharing, while enhancing functionality with seamless request capturing and cookie handling. Transitioning is straightforward, requiring users to sign into their Postman account on the new native app to sync history and collections. Postman is closely monitoring the development of Chrome OS apps to continue providing effective tools for its community.

The latest version of Newman, the Postman command line tool, introduces several enhancements aimed at simplifying API development. Key improvements include a more informative Newman CLI, the removal of infrequently used options, and the addition of reporters capable of generating HTML, XML, and JSON outputs. Newman now supports programmatic usage, allowing integration with NodeJS projects, and is built on the new Postman Runtime and collection SDK, ensuring consistent performance across all Postman platforms. While older CLI options remain compatible, the new version features an improved output file format and a revamped programmatic API. Pseudo-browser features have been discontinued, though CheerioJS remains available for users familiar with jQuery-like APIs.

Postman has released a native app for Windows, catering to the significant portion of its user base operating on Windows systems, which mirrors the functionality of its Mac counterpart by offering a comprehensive platform for building, testing, documenting, and sharing APIs. The Windows app is designed to streamline workflows with features like seamless request capturing and cookie handling, eliminating the need for additional extensions like the Postman Interceptor required for the Chrome app. Available for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems from Windows 7 onwards, the app allows existing users to easily transition by syncing their data upon logging into their Postman account. The introduction of the Windows app is aimed at enhancing the efficiency of API development workflows, encouraging both existing users and newcomers to explore its capabilities, particularly through the use of Postman Collections, which facilitate the saving, sharing, and documentation of API requests.