This presentation gives an answer on why you should use a programming language for automating web service tests

1. Structured Functional Automated Web
Service Testing
Roy de Kleijn

2. Who am I ?
• Technical Test Consultant
• Trainer test automation
• Involved in R&D activities
• Blogs:
– http://selenium.polteq.com
– http://www.rdekleijn.nl

3. Agenda
1. Web Service introduction
2. What's in it for testers ?
3. Testing a Web Service
4. Cases

4. Agenda
1. Web Service introduction
2. What's in it for testers ?
3. Testing a Web Service
4. Cases

5. What is a Web Service ?
A Web service is a software component that can be
accessed by another application (such as a client, a
server or another Web service) through the use of
generally available, ubiquitous protocols and
transports, such as Hypertext Transport Protocol
(HTTP).
[Gartner]

6. Architecture - conventional
application
DB

7. Web Service Based Architecture
• Scalable

8. Web Service Based Architecture
• Scalable
• Support for any application type

9. Web Service Based Architecture
• Scalable
• Support for any application type
• Language independent

10. Web Service Based Architecture
• Scalable
• Support for any application type
• Language independent
• Central business logic

11. Web Service Based Architecture
• Scalable
• Support for any application type
• Language independent
• Central business logic
• Standardised integration

12. Different types
• Protocols: WSDL / SOAP / REST

13. Different types
• Protocols: WSDL / SOAP / REST
• REST (Representational State Transfer)
– Defined by HTTP interface

14. Different types
• Protocols: WSDL / SOAP / REST
• REST (Representational State Transfer)
– Defined by HTTP interface
– Support of basic application methods (CRUD):
• POST -> create new resource
• GET -> retrieve resources
• PUT -> replace existing resource
• Delete -> remove a resource

15. Architecture - SOA
application

16. Architecture - SOA
application DB
Service
1
Service
2
Service
3

17. Architecture - SOA
Desktop
application
Mobile
application
Third-party
application

18. Architecture - SOA
Desktop
application
Mobile
application
Third-party
application
DB
Service
1
Service
2
Service
3
Service
4
Third-party

19. How it works...
• Request messages are send to a specific endpoint
• Messages are mostly XML or JSON fragments
• Client can optionally set headers

20. Agenda
1. Web Service introduction
2. What's in it for testers ?
3. Testing a Web Service
4. Cases

21. Benefits for a tester
• Less brittle tests
– No GUI involved, no browser time-outs

22. Benefits for a tester
• Less brittle tests
– No GUI involved, no browser time-outs
• Testing can start in an early phase

23. Benefits for a tester
• Less brittle tests
– No GUI involved, no browser time-outs
• Testing can start in an early phase
• No access to the code required (might be benefitial
though)

24. Testing Pyramid
UI
SERVICE
UNIT
Developers

25. Testing Pyramid
UI
SERVICE
UNIT
Automated UI Tests
Automated API Tests
Automated Unit Tests
Developers

26. Testing Pyramid
UI
SERVICE
UNIT
Automated UI Tests
Automated API Tests
Automated Unit Tests
Compound
Isolation
Developers

27. Circle of Impact – changing core
Core
S1
S2
S3
A1
A2
A3

28. Circle of Impact – changing core
Core
S1
S2
S3
A1
A2
A3

29. Circle of Impact – changing core
Core
S1
S2
S3
A1
A2
A3

30. Circle of Impact – changing service
Core
S1
S2
S3
A1
A2
A3

31. Circle of Impact – changing service
Core
S1
S2
S3
A1
A2
A3

32. Circle of Impact – changing service
Core
S1
S2
S3
A1
A2
A3

33. Agenda
1. Web Service introduction
2. What's in it for testers ?
3. Testing a Web Service
4. Cases

34. Testing a Web Service
• Pitfalls
• General advice
• Tools you can use

35. Pitfalls
• Using performance test tools

36. Pitfalls
• Using performance test tools
– Hard to use pre/post conditions

37. Pitfalls
• Using performance test tools
– Hard to use pre/post conditions
– Hard to create maintainable scripts

38. Pitfalls
• Using performance test tools
– Hard to use pre/post conditions
– Hard to create maintainable scripts
– Hard to combine testtypes

39. Pitfalls
• Using performance test tools
– Hard to use pre/post conditions
– Hard to create maintainable scripts
– Hard to combine testtypes
– Hard to make complex assertions

40. Pitfalls
• Using performance test tools
– Hard to use pre/post conditions
– Hard to create maintainable scripts
– Hard to combine testtypes
– Hard to make complex assertions
– Limited flexibility in creating test suites

41. General advice
• Use a programming language

42. General advice
• Use a programming language
– IDE features
• Auto-completion, refactoring

43. General advice
• Use a programming language
– IDE features
• Auto-completion, refactoring
– Apply design patterns
• Make it maintainable and DRY (don’t repeat yourself)

44. General advice
• Use a programming language
– IDE features
• Auto-completion, refactoring
– Apply design patterns
• Make it maintainable and DRY (don’t repeat yourself)
– Flexible pre/post conditions

45. General advice
• Use a programming language
– IDE features
• Auto-completion, refactoring
– Apply design patterns
• Make it maintainable and DRY (don’t repeat yourself)
– Flexible pre/post conditions
– Combine your Selenium tests with web service tests

46. Tools you can use
• Jersey
– Making REST requests
• Jackson
– JSON processor
• JAXB
– XML processor
• JsonPath
– Extract parts of a JSON document

47. Tools you can use
• TestNG
– Java testing framework
• XMLUnit
– Assertions for XML, validate against XSD schema
• Hamcrest
– General matcher library

48. Agenda
1. Web Service introduction
2. What's in it for testers ?
3. Testing a Web Service
4. Cases

49. Case 1
Imagine you work for a Dutch Railway company. They
decide to create a public API, so developers can embed
railway information into their application.
You (as a tester) have to test the service.

50. Create a GET request
Client client = Client.create();
WebResource webResource =
client.resource("http://webservices.ns.nl");
MultivaluedMap<String, String> params = new
MultivaluedMapImpl();
params.add("station", "ut");
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.get(ClientResponse.class);
if(response.getStatus() != 200) {
throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : "
+ response.getStatus());
}
System.out.println(response.getEntity(String.class));
Output: Failed : HTTP error code : 401

51. Create a GET request
Client client = Client.create();
WebResource webResource =
client.resource("http://webservices.ns.nl");
MultivaluedMap<String, String> params = new
MultivaluedMapImpl();
params.add("station", "ut");
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.get(ClientResponse.class);
if(response.getStatus() != 200) {
throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : "
+ response.getStatus());
}
System.out.println(response.getEntity(String.class));
Output: Failed : HTTP error code : 401

52. Create a GET request
Client client = Client.create();
WebResource webResource =
client.resource("http://webservices.ns.nl");
MultivaluedMap<String, String> params = new
MultivaluedMapImpl();
params.add("station", "ut");
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.get(ClientResponse.class);
if(response.getStatus() != 200) {
throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : "
+ response.getStatus());
}
System.out.println(response.getEntity(String.class));
Output: Failed : HTTP error code : 401

53. Create a GET request
Client client = Client.create();
WebResource webResource =
client.resource("http://webservices.ns.nl");
MultivaluedMap<String, String> params = new
MultivaluedMapImpl();
params.add("station", "ut");
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.get(ClientResponse.class);
if(response.getStatus() != 200) {
throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : "
+ response.getStatus());
}
System.out.println(response.getEntity(String.class));
Output: Failed : HTTP error code : 401

54. Create a GET request
Client client = Client.create();
WebResource webResource =
client.resource("http://webservices.ns.nl");
MultivaluedMap<String, String> params = new
MultivaluedMapImpl();
params.add("station", "ut");
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.get(ClientResponse.class);
if(response.getStatus() != 200) {
throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : "
+ response.getStatus());
}
System.out.println(response.getEntity(String.class));
Output: Failed : HTTP error code : 401

55. Create a GET request
Client client = Client.create();
WebResource webResource =
client.resource("http://webservices.ns.nl");
MultivaluedMap<String, String> params = new
MultivaluedMapImpl();
params.add("station", "ut");
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.get(ClientResponse.class);
if(response.getStatus() != 200) {
throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : "
+ response.getStatus());
}
System.out.println(response.getEntity(String.class));
Output: Failed : HTTP error code : 401

56. Create a GET request
Client client = Client.create();
WebResource webResource =
client.resource("http://webservices.ns.nl");
MultivaluedMap<String, String> params = new
MultivaluedMapImpl();
params.add("station", "ut");
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.get(ClientResponse.class);
if(response.getStatus() != 200) {
throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : "
+ response.getStatus());
}
System.out.println(response.getEntity(String.class));
Output: Failed : HTTP error code : 401

57. Set request headers
Basic Authentication
Client client = Client.create();
client.addFilter(new HTTPBasicAuthFilter("username",
"password"));
Other headers
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.header("key", "value").get(ClientResponse.class);

58. Set request headers
Basic Authentication
Client client = Client.create();
client.addFilter(new HTTPBasicAuthFilter("username",
"password"));
Other headers
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.header("key", "value").get(ClientResponse.class);

59. Set request headers
Basic Authentication
Client client = Client.create();
client.addFilter(new HTTPBasicAuthFilter("username",
"password"));
Other headers
ClientResponse response = webResource.path("ns-api-avt")
.queryParams(params).accept("text/xml")
.header("key", "value").get(ClientResponse.class);

60. Case 2
Imagine you have to control a relatively difficult XML-
string.

61. XML-response
<ActueleVertrekTijden>
<VertrekkendeTrein>
<RitNummer>3146</RitNummer>
<VertrekTijd>2013-06-13T14:28:00+0200</VertrekTijd>
<EindBestemming>Schiphol</EindBestemming>
<TreinSoort>Intercity</TreinSoort>
<RouteTekst>Bijlmer ArenA, A'dam Zuid</RouteTekst>
<Vervoerder>NS</Vervoerder>
<VertrekSpoor wijziging="true">5</VertrekSpoor>
</VertrekkendeTrein>
....
....
</ActueleVertrekTijden>

62. XML-response
<ActueleVertrekTijden>
<VertrekkendeTrein>
<RitNummer>3146</RitNummer>
<VertrekTijd>2013-06-13T14:28:00+0200</VertrekTijd>
<EindBestemming>Schiphol</EindBestemming>
<TreinSoort>Intercity</TreinSoort>
<RouteTekst>Bijlmer ArenA, A'dam Zuid</RouteTekst>
<Vervoerder>NS</Vervoerder>
<VertrekSpoor wijziging="true">5</VertrekSpoor>
</VertrekkendeTrein>
....
....
</ActueleVertrekTijden>

63. XML-response
<ActueleVertrekTijden>
<VertrekkendeTrein>
<RitNummer>3146</RitNummer>
<VertrekTijd>2013-06-13T14:28:00+0200</VertrekTijd>
<EindBestemming>Schiphol</EindBestemming>
<TreinSoort>Intercity</TreinSoort>
<RouteTekst>Bijlmer ArenA, A'dam Zuid</RouteTekst>
<Vervoerder>NS</Vervoerder>
<VertrekSpoor wijziging="true">5</VertrekSpoor>
</VertrekkendeTrein>
....
....
</ActueleVertrekTijden>

64. XML-response
<ActueleVertrekTijden>
<VertrekkendeTrein>
<RitNummer>3146</RitNummer>
<VertrekTijd>2013-06-13T14:28:00+0200</VertrekTijd>
<EindBestemming>Schiphol</EindBestemming>
<TreinSoort>Intercity</TreinSoort>
<RouteTekst>Bijlmer ArenA, A'dam Zuid</RouteTekst>
<Vervoerder>NS</Vervoerder>
<VertrekSpoor wijziging="true">5</VertrekSpoor>
</VertrekkendeTrein>
....
....
</ActueleVertrekTijden>

65. Create POJO (1)
POJO = Plain Old Java Object (nothing special)
- Create a class
- Implement fields (corresponding to XML elements)
- Generate getters/setters
- Map Getters to XML elements
- By annotations
In eclipse:
Right-click on the class file -> Source -> Generate Getters/Setters

66. Create POJO (2)
@XmlRootElement(name = "ActueleVertrekTijden")
public class ActueleVertrekTijden {
private List<VertrekkendeTrein> vertrekkendeTrein;
@XmlElement(name = "VertrekkendeTrein")
public List<VertrekkendeTrein> getVertrekkendeTrein() {
return vertrekkendeTrein;
}
public void setVertrekkendeTrein(List<VertrekkendeTrein>
vertrekkendeTrein) {
this.vertrekkendeTrein = vertrekkendeTrein;
}
}

67. Create POJO (2)
@XmlRootElement(name = "ActueleVertrekTijden")
public class ActueleVertrekTijden {
private List<VertrekkendeTrein> vertrekkendeTrein;
@XmlElement(name = "VertrekkendeTrein")
public List<VertrekkendeTrein> getVertrekkendeTrein() {
return vertrekkendeTrein;
}
public void setVertrekkendeTrein(List<VertrekkendeTrein>
vertrekkendeTrein) {
this.vertrekkendeTrein = vertrekkendeTrein;
}
}

68. Create POJO (2)
@XmlRootElement(name = "ActueleVertrekTijden")
public class ActueleVertrekTijden {
private List<VertrekkendeTrein> vertrekkendeTrein;
@XmlElement(name = "VertrekkendeTrein")
public List<VertrekkendeTrein> getVertrekkendeTrein() {
return vertrekkendeTrein;
}
public void setVertrekkendeTrein(List<VertrekkendeTrein>
vertrekkendeTrein) {
this.vertrekkendeTrein = vertrekkendeTrein;
}
}

69. Create POJO (3)
public class VertrekkendeTrein {
private int ritNummer;
private String vertrekTijd;
private String eindBestemming;
private String treinSoort;
private String routeTekst;
private String vervoerder;
private String vertrekSpoor;
@XmlElement(name = "RitNummer")
public int getRitNummer() {
return ritNummer;
}
public void setRitNummer(int ritNummer) {
this.ritNummer = ritNummer;
}

70. Create POJO (3)
public class VertrekkendeTrein {
private int ritNummer;
private String vertrekTijd;
private String eindBestemming;
private String treinSoort;
private String routeTekst;
private String vervoerder;
private String vertrekSpoor;
@XmlElement(name = "RitNummer")
public int getRitNummer() {
return ritNummer;
}
public void setRitNummer(int ritNummer) {
this.ritNummer = ritNummer;
}

71. Create POJO (3)
public class VertrekkendeTrein {
private int ritNummer;
private String vertrekTijd;
private String eindBestemming;
private String treinSoort;
private String routeTekst;
private String vervoerder;
private String vertrekSpoor;
@XmlElement(name = "RitNummer")
public int getRitNummer() {
return ritNummer;
}
public void setRitNummer(int ritNummer) {
this.ritNummer = ritNummer;
}
<RitNummer>
<VertrekTijd>
<EindBestemming>
<TreinSoort>
<RouteTekst>
<Vervoerder>
<VertrekSpoor>

72. Create POJO (3)
public class VertrekkendeTrein {
private int ritNummer;
private String vertrekTijd;
private String eindBestemming;
private String treinSoort;
private String routeTekst;
private String vervoerder;
private String vertrekSpoor;
@XmlElement(name = "RitNummer")
public int getRitNummer() {
return ritNummer;
}
public void setRitNummer(int ritNummer) {
this.ritNummer = ritNummer;
}
<RitNummer>
<VertrekTijd>
<EindBestemming>
<TreinSoort>
<RouteTekst>
<Vervoerder>
<VertrekSpoor>

73. Parse String to POJO
Output = response.getEntity(String.class);
Unmarshaller jaxbUnmarshaller =
jaxbContext.createUnmarshaller();
StringReader reader = new StringReader(output);
ActueleVertrekTijden actueleVertrekTijden =
(ActueleVertrekTijden) jaxbUnmarshaller
.unmarshal(reader);
System.out.println(actueleVertrekTijden.getVertrekkendeTrein()
.get(1).getEindBestemming());

74. Parse String to POJO
Output = response.getEntity(String.class);
Unmarshaller jaxbUnmarshaller =
jaxbContext.createUnmarshaller();
StringReader reader = new StringReader(output);
ActueleVertrekTijden actueleVertrekTijden =
(ActueleVertrekTijden) jaxbUnmarshaller
.unmarshal(reader);
System.out.println(actueleVertrekTijden.getVertrekkendeTrein()
.get(1).getEindBestemming());

75. Parse String to POJO
Output = response.getEntity(String.class);
Unmarshaller jaxbUnmarshaller =
jaxbContext.createUnmarshaller();
StringReader reader = new StringReader(output);
ActueleVertrekTijden actueleVertrekTijden =
(ActueleVertrekTijden) jaxbUnmarshaller
.unmarshal(reader);
System.out.println(actueleVertrekTijden.getVertrekkendeTrein()
.get(1).getEindBestemming());

76. Parse String to POJO
Output = response.getEntity(String.class);
Unmarshaller jaxbUnmarshaller =
jaxbContext.createUnmarshaller();
StringReader reader = new StringReader(output);
ActueleVertrekTijden actueleVertrekTijden =
(ActueleVertrekTijden) jaxbUnmarshaller
.unmarshal(reader);
System.out.println(actueleVertrekTijden.getVertrekkendeTrein()
.get(1).getEindBestemming());

77. Handle Errors
<error>
<message>No station found for input ecvve</message>
</error>
if(xml.contains("error")){
// parse to error object
} else if(xml.contains("name")){
// parse to different object
}

78. Conclusion
If you want something that is:
– Easy to maintain
– Flexible
Use a programming language for your automated
testing.

79. Questions

80. Thank you!
Source available on GitHub:
https://github.com/roydekleijn/webservicetests
Book: https://leanpub.com/LearningSelenium/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheWebTester
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/roydekleijn
Website: http://rdekleijn.nl
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