October 2020 Summaries

Postman Visualizer is a powerful tool within the Postman platform that enhances the way developers interact with web API data by providing visualization capabilities, allowing for deeper insights beyond raw numbers. Used by Orest Danylewycz, founder of Dev Odyssey, the Visualizer enables the translation of complex data into comprehensible visual formats using libraries such as Chart.js and D3.js, which can be applied to tasks like monitoring stock market trends or refining JSON and XML data queries through templates for JSONPath and XPath. Additionally, the Visualizer's functionality extends to micro web app development and web scraping, employing tools like cheerio.js to extract and display data in a user-friendly manner. By serving as an embedded web browser within Postman, the Visualizer helps streamline the software development lifecycle from testing to application, empowering developers to make actionable decisions based on visualized data insights.

Effective API documentation, as exemplified by Postman, focuses on enhancing collaboration and adoption by clearly teaching users how to utilize an API through well-structured content. Good documentation involves using tools like OpenAPI to generate collections, organizing requests logically, and providing comprehensive descriptions and examples that guide users through various scenarios and workflows. It emphasizes the importance of user-friendly elements such as human-readable metadata, placeholder text for variables, and a sandbox environment for testing without risks. Additionally, collaboration and sharing are facilitated through Postman's team workspaces and the API Network, enabling broader discovery and interaction. Successful examples from companies like Microsoft, Twitter, and Dropbox demonstrate how organized collections, clear explanations, and practical examples can transform documentation into a valuable resource for developers, fostering better understanding and utilization of APIs.

Postman highlights the contributions of Carson Hunter, a software developer from Knoxville, TN, who is an active member of the Postman Community since February 2020. Carson has significantly contributed to projects like the 2020 U.S. Election API Resource Center and the COVID-19 API Resource Center through the MTNA Rich Data Services Election API collections. Her journey with Postman began when she was learning to code, and she credits the community for helping her grow as a developer, tester, and documentation writer. Carson's efforts underscore the importance of community involvement in API development, and she aims to offer the same support she received to other members. Additionally, she will be speaking at the Postman Galaxy global online conference, encouraging others to join the Postman Community forum to engage with fellow API enthusiasts.

API mocking is crucial for simulating real-world scenarios during API development, allowing developers to predict and solve potential issues by mimicking both ideal and problematic behaviors. Postman v7.32.0 introduced mock server delays, enabling users to configure standard or custom delays to better replicate API behavior and support robust testing. These enhancements help in building resilient systems by covering a wide range of scenarios, including both positive and negative API behaviors. Recent updates to Postman have also included features like mock call logs and the generation of collections from OpenAPI, Swagger, RAML, or GraphQL APIs, with the company committed to further advancing its API mocking capabilities based on user feedback.

Buffalo, NY, is cultivating a burgeoning startup ecosystem with the aid of state incentives, private investment, and startup incubators, with M&T Bank playing a pivotal role in this transformation. M&T Bank, a Fortune 500 institution, has committed to creating a tech hub and over 1,000 new fintech jobs, while also launching an innovative startup named Nota focused on managing client trust accounts for law firms. Nota uses APIs to directly integrate with M&T's banking systems, simplifying account management and reducing the need for manual bookkeeping or outsourcing. The team employs Postman for API development, leveraging its collaboration tools and Mock Servers to streamline backend and frontend development processes. This agile approach has enabled Nota to quickly evolve from a concept to a platform now used by over 200 attorneys across eight states, positioning it as a promising financial solution in the legal services industry.

Carson Hunter, a software developer at Metadata Technology North America, shares his journey of becoming deeply engaged with COVID-19 data and reporting, which began when his team focused on delivering high-quality coronavirus data through their Rich Data Services API. As he delved into various datasets and reports, Hunter identified a prevalent color-coded scorecard system for real-time monitoring but noticed inconsistencies in its benchmarks. This spurred him to create a personalized alert system using the Postman platform to track COVID-19 case growth in San Francisco, focusing on measures like positive test counts and positivity rates. The system utilizes FIPS codes for location, benchmarks for specific indicators, and data sources like Johns Hopkins and the COVID Tracking Project, allowing users to receive daily updates through integrations such as Slack. Hunter's method is adaptable for monitoring conditions in different locations, providing users with the ability to automate and share their personalized COVID-19 updates with others.

Postman provides enhanced control and visibility over API encryption, crucial for securing data during API operations through Transport Layer Security (TLS), which relies on Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. Developers can manage certificates in Postman by adding, editing, and removing them to troubleshoot common SSL issues. Certificates are issued per domain and can be either CA certificates, which provide higher security as they are issued by trusted authorities, or self-signed certificates. Users can upload .pem files for CA certificates or define self-signed certificates within the platform's Certificates tab, configuring domain details, certificate files, and passphrases for comprehensive SSL/TLS security management. Postman's Network information icon and support resources further assist in troubleshooting and enhancing certificate management, ensuring secure encrypted API calls.

As the importance of APIs in modern businesses grows and more team members are involved in API development, seamless communication becomes crucial. Postman's engineering team has enhanced collaboration by optimizing its commenting features on both web and desktop versions. The platform now allows users to leave inline comments on specific parts of API requests, such as request parameters and scripts, improving clarity and efficiency in communication. This development addresses user requests for more precise feedback mechanisms, enabling teams to tag collaborators, reduce confusion, and enhance debugging and documentation review processes. Postman also offers a YouTube video to help users quickly learn how to utilize these new inline commenting capabilities.