How can Software Quality Engineering improve API Testing?

Businesses are getting highly creative to reach out effectively to their target groups and make the much needed impact. This has made application development and software product development much more complex. Application Program Interface (API) is a set of processes, protocols, and tools that help in software application development, where it specifies how software components must connect and interact. They are mainly used while programming Graphical User Interface (GUI) components. Considering APIs define how various components interact and integrate together, API Testing becomes highly business critical for testing and development teams. Taking a step further, how can Software Quality Engineering boost the API Testing process?

APIs are technically a set of codes and protocols that software programs use to communicate, which practically acts as an interface between different programs to enable interaction. It’s almost similar to the User Interface that works between humans and computers to facilitate communication.

Why are APIs business critical?

Communication and interaction is important, whether it is between applications, machines, or between human and applications. If the interfaces are not good enough for smooth communication, the functioning and performance of the application or the software system can go for a toss. Applications and software systems are getting more complex, which is intensifying the need to stay innovative and result-oriented. Hence, APIs are becoming highly vital tools in businesses across every industry.

When various programs are able to seamlessly interact, it helps to build creative solutions and software, which enables businesses to expand and offer more to their customers. APIs have been enabling businesses to grow faster, and also build innovative applications and solutions for enhanced consumer experience.

Consequently, there is a whole load of interest in exploring the APIs further and leveraging them for potential business solutions. Organizations across various industries are getting very much interested in knowing more about APIs. This is further intensifying the need for effective API Testing, as no one wants to mess up their application due to a faulty interface.

What makes API Testing crucial?

APIs help to control and manage the interactions between various software programs within an organization, especially when the company invests in software to run the business. API testing is a kind of software testing that tests the APIs for their capabilities to integrate, and stand up to the expected functionalities, performance parameters, and security standards, as expected.

APIs can be exploited to hack or probe within an organization’s software system or an enterprise application. Hence, integration testing and testing the software on all grounds in absolutely business critical. It not only ensures security standards, but also confirms that the overall system will perform even under varying loads or network conditions.

Moreover, with APIs, integration of tools or programs can happen at any point of time, especially to enhance the experience and functionalities of the software. This makes continuous testing indispensable. Test Automation is leveraged to make the testing process faster, continuous, and error-free. It will help to set up a recurring cycle and a framework that keeps upgrading to deliver much more confident results.

How can Quality Engineering contribute to API Testing?

Quality Engineering (QE) refers to a set of rules, protocols, and processes that are being set to bring efficiency and speed to the quality assurance process. Only when processes are followed, organizations and teams would be able to achieve the expected efficiency with the APIs. Let’s look at some key strengths that QE brings for API Testing.

Early Defect Detection

QE with set protocols and methodologies ensures that testing and quality assurance doesn’t go at the end of the software development cycle. QA becomes a part of the development process right from its inception. This helps teams to identify the defects or any gaps way ahead in the development cycle. Processes such as DevOps and Shift-Left bring in automation and pushes testing within the development process.

Hence, quality becomes a shared responsibility, and early defect detection brings down the reworking efforts, which saves costs and testing efforts too.

Introduces Predictive approach

With Analytics, testing and development teams are able to predict the expected hassles or hiccups that can occur with an application or a software. Moreover, it helps to assess the way the application will be used and what could be expected by the users. APIs can be tested according to these inferences to ensure that they not only deliver performance, but also ensure that they stay resilient in the consumer scenario.

Incorporate Business-driven approach

What’s the point of building an excellent application that doesn’t serve the business purpose? Incorporating the business goals and ideas while building an application is absolutely critical for teams. QE ensures that the processes are set-up and designed to incorporate the business requirements at every stage in the development process. Moreover, it helps to build in the quality quotient at every level, which makes it business-driven as well as quality-driven.

Ensures Continuous Testing for Continuous Integration

API Testing is critical, as it involves constant integration of programs, codes, and enhancement of the structure/architecture. Hence, it is important to check various programs for seamless integration and unanimous performance. QE brings in processes and tools for Automation of tests, which reinforces Continuous Testing to confirm Continuous Integration. Additionally, methodologies such as DevOps encourage automation to ensure quality along with speed. It also helps to achieve maximum Test Coverage.

New age organizations and enterprises today are working towards achieving Digital Transformation and translating the transformation into commercial success. This specifically needs the right digital skills and proven expertise to assure digital effectiveness across the enterprise. Cigniti’s Quality Engineering services ensure that testing shifts left and begins way ahead in the overall SDLC, ensuring maximum test coverage and quality.

Cigniti’s teams have in-depth experience in Process Intelligence and Predictive Analytics. Connect with us to utilize our engineering-led, analytics driven, early & continuous testing practices to accelerate your DevOps processes and generate greater ROI on your Quality Engineering initiatives.