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How To Use Soap In Postman

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Getting Started with SOAP in Postman

Postman, widely known for REST API testing, also provides powerful tools to handle SOAP requests. Let’s explore a step-by-step guide on how to use SOAP with Postman.

1. Setting up the SOAP Request

1.1 Create a New Request:

  • Open Postman and click “New” to create a new request.
  • Select the “POST” method for your request.

1.2 Add the SOAP Endpoint:

  • In the “Request URL” field, enter the complete SOAP endpoint URL. For example: http://www.webservicex.net/globalweather.asmx

1.3 Set Headers:

  • Click on the “Headers” tab and add the following essential header:
    • Key: Content-Type
    • Value: text/xml; charset=utf-8

1.4 Configure the Body:

  • Go to the “Body” tab and select the “raw” option.
  • Choose “XML” for the syntax highlighting.
  • Paste the SOAP request XML within the body. Here’s an example for getting weather information:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <soap:Body>
    <GetWeather xmlns="http://www.webservicex.net/">
      <CityName>London</CityName>
      <CountryName>UK</CountryName>
    </GetWeather>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

2. Validating SOAP Responses

2.1 Understanding SOAP Responses:

  • SOAP responses typically come in XML format.
  • Postman automatically parses XML responses, making data extraction easy.

2.2 Examining the Response Body:

  • After sending the request, switch to the “Body” tab within the response.
  • The response XML will be displayed, allowing you to inspect the data returned by the server.

3. Utilizing Pre-Request Scripts for Dynamic SOAP Requests

3.1 Adding a Pre-Request Script:

  • Click the “Pre-request Script” tab.
  • Use JavaScript to programmatically modify the SOAP request before sending it.

3.2 Example Pre-Request Script for Parameterization:

// Set the city and country dynamically
pm.environment.set("cityName", "New York");
pm.environment.set("countryName", "USA");


// Modify the SOAP body with the dynamic values
let soapBody = pm.request.body.raw();
soapBody = soapBody.replace("London", pm.environment.get("cityName"));
soapBody = soapBody.replace("UK", pm.environment.get("countryName"));


pm.request.body.raw(soapBody);

4. Creating Test Scripts for SOAP Requests

  • 4.1 Understanding Postman Test Scripts:

    • Postman’s test scripts run after every request, allowing you to validate the response data.
    • JavaScript is used for writing test scripts.

  • 4.2 Example Test Script for a SOAP Response:

    // Extract the temperature from the response XML
    let temperature = pm.response.text().match(/<Temperature>(.*?)<\/Temperature>/)[1];
    

    // Check if the temperature is a valid number
    pm.test('Verify Temperature', () => {
      pm.expect(temperature).to.be.a('number');
    });
    

    // Assert that the temperature is below a certain limit
    pm.test('Temperature Limit', () => {
      pm.expect(temperature).to.be.below(30);
    });

5. Automating SOAP Tests with Collections

  • 5.1 Understanding Postman Collections:

    • Collections are powerful for grouping related requests and managing multiple test cases.

  • 5.2 Creating a SOAP Collection:

    • Click on the ”+ Create” button next to “Collections” in the left sidebar.
    • Name your collection, for example, “SOAP Weather API.”

  • 5.3 Adding Requests to the Collection:

    • Drag and drop the SOAP request you’ve created into the collection.
    • Add more requests as needed to comprehensively test your SOAP API.

  • 5.4 Run the Collection and Review Results:

    • Click the “Run” button on the collection.
    • Postman will execute all requests within the collection.
    • Review test results and debug any failures.

6. Advanced Techniques for SOAP in Postman

  • 6.1 Using WSDL (Web Services Description Language):

    • Postman can automatically generate requests from WSDL, simplifying the process of setting up SOAP calls.
    • Click the “Import” button in the Postman sidebar.
    • Select “WSDL” and paste the WSDL URL.

  • 6.2 Utilizing the SOAP UI Plugin:

    • To integrate Postman with the popular SOAP client tool, SoapUI, use the “SOAP UI” plugin.
    • Install the plugin from the Postman marketplace.
    • Find and use the SOAP UI related functionalities within Postman.

With these practical tips and steps, you can seamlessly leverage Postman’s features for robust SOAP API testing. Remember, integrating pre-request scripts, test scripts, and collections is key to creating efficient and scalable SOAP test workflows.

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