API Testing Guide

This guide explains how to run the API tests for the RealWorld application.

Overview

The API tests are implemented using Postman collections and can be run locally against your backend. These tests ensure that your API implementation meets the RealWorld API specification.

Prerequisites

pnpm installed
newman (will be installed automatically via pnpm)
Your backend server running locally

Running the Tests

Basic Usage

To run the tests against your local backend, execute:


APIURL=http://localhost:8001/api ./tools/test/run-api-tests.sh

Configuration Options

The test script supports several environment variables for customization:

Variable	Description	Default Value
APIURL	The base URL of your API	http://localhost:8001/api
USERNAME	Username for test user	u[timestamp]
EMAIL	Email for test user	[username]@mail.com
PASSWORD	Password for test user	password

Examples

Run with custom user credentials:


APIURL=http://localhost:8001/api \
USERNAME=testuser \
EMAIL=test@example.com \
PASSWORD=testpass \
./tools/test/run-api-tests.sh

Run against a different environment:


APIURL=https://api.example.com/api ./tools/test/run-api-tests.sh

Test Collection

The tests are defined in the Postman collection file: tools/test/realworld.postman_collection.json. This collection includes tests for all endpoints specified in the RealWorld API specification.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

Ensure your backend server is running and accessible
Check that the APIURL is correct and points to your API
Verify that your API implements all endpoints required by the RealWorld specification
Check the test output for specific error messages