Skip to content
Postman API Testing Tips

How To Use Postman With Aci And Cvs Files

API Testing Blog

How to Use Postman with ACI and CSV Files for API Testing

This guide will walk you through using Postman with ACI (Azure Container Instances) and CSV files for efficient API testing. We’ll cover integrating these tools to manage and execute test cases, making your API testing process more streamlined and data-driven.

Utilizing ACI for Scalable API Testing

ACI offers a lightweight and scalable environment to run your API testing scripts. You can containerize your Postman collection and utilize ACI to spin up instances for parallel execution, speeding up the testing process significantly.

Step 1: Containerize Your Postman Collection

  • Create a Dockerfile: Define a Dockerfile that installs the necessary dependencies (Node.js, Newman) and sets up your Postman collection.
FROM node:16


WORKDIR /app


COPY package.json ./
RUN npm install


COPY . ./


CMD ["newman", "run", "collection.json"]
  • Build the Docker Image: Use the docker build command to create your Docker image.
Terminal window
docker build -t postman-aci .
  • Push to a Container Registry: Push your image to a container registry like Docker Hub or Azure Container Registry.

Step 2: Deploy to Azure Container Instances

  • Create an ACI Resource: Use the Azure CLI or Portal to create an ACI instance with the necessary resources (network, storage).
  • Deploy Your Image: Specify your Docker image and configure the deployment settings (resources, environment variables) for testing.

Step 3: Integrate Test Results

  • Use Environment Variables: Store test data in environment variables within your ACI deployment.
  • Generate Reports: Leverage the Newman CLI to generate comprehensive reports and integrate them with your CI/CD pipeline.

Integrating CSV Files for Data-Driven Testing

CSV files are ideal for managing and feeding test data directly into your Postman requests, making your tests more dynamic and reusable.

Step 1: Create a CSV File

  • Define Structure: Design a CSV file structure that maps your API request parameters and expected responses.

    • Example:
    test_case,method,url,body,expected_status,expected_response
    1,GET,https://api.example.com/users,{},200,{ "name": "John Doe", "email": "john@example.com" }
    2,POST,https://api.example.com/orders,{"product": "Laptop", "quantity": 1},201,{"order_id": "123456"}

Step 2: Import CSV Data into Postman

  • Create a Data File: Import your CSV file into Postman’s data file feature.
  • Iterate over Data: Add a data variable to your request and configure the request parameters to access data from the imported CSV.

Step 3: Automate Test Execution

  • Use Newman: Employ Newman to run your Postman collection with the integrated CSV data. Newman allows you to loop through each row of the CSV, sending requests and verifying responses based on the provided data entries.

Example:

newman run collection.json -d data.csv --reporters cli,junit

This command will run the collection against the CSV, generating both console output and a JUnit report for detailed analysis.

Data-Driven API Testing with ACI and CSV: A Comprehensive Example

Scenario: Test a user registration API endpoint with different user data.

Step 1: Create a Postman Collection

  • Create a new collection in Postman.
  • Add a request to test the user registration endpoint.

Step 2: Create a CSV File (user_data.csv)

username,password,email
johndoe,password123,johndoe@example.com
janedoe,test1234,janedoe@test.com

Step 3: Import CSV Data into Postman

  • Import the ‘user_data.csv’ file into Postman’s data file feature.

Step 4: Iterate over the CSV Data

  • Add a {{username}}, {{password}}, {{email}} variable to your request body, referencing the corresponding columns in your data file.

Step 5: Containerize and Deploy with ACI

  • Dockerfile:

    FROM node:16
    

    WORKDIR /app
    

    COPY package.json ./
    RUN npm install
    

    COPY . ./
    

    CMD ["newman", "run", "collection.json", "-d", "user_data.csv"]

  • Build and Push the Docker Image

  • Create ACI Instance: Configure your ACI with the required resources and specify your Docker image.

Step 6: Execute and Analyze

  • Launch your ACI instance.
  • Monitor logs and results generated by the Newman CLI executing your tests.
  • Analyze the JUnit report for detailed test results.

Further Considerations

  • Environment Variables: Store authentication tokens and sensitive data in ACI environment variables for security.
  • Test Data Management: Implement strategies for managing and updating your CSV files effectively.
  • Reporting and CI/CD Integration: Integrate test results into your CI/CD pipeline for automated reporting and failure detection.

By leveraging the capabilities of Postman, ACI, and CSV files, you can create a robust and efficient API testing workflow that ensures high-quality API development.

API Testing Blog