Interactive use-case generation tool for functional REST API testing

Abstract

Software is an integral part of any business, which makes the significance of high-quality software in today’s digital age undeniable. However, despite the advancements in software testing, challenges persist in efficiently planning, generating, and executing test cases, particularly for REST API-based applications. This project addresses the issue by developing a sequence generator tool that enables testers to effortlessly create and execute sequences of requests, streamlining the creation of comprehensive test scenarios. By simplifying the process of connecting response values to subsequent request values, the software seeks to maximize test coverage, improve test quality, and enable testers to focus more on software quality enhancement than the efforts of test construction. The client for this project is Testifi GmbH, a company dedicated to enhancing software delivery processes through DevOps integrations and AI-automated quality assurance solutions. The main focus of the project was to find out if the test quality increased by using the sequence generator tool due to more edge cases and more complex scenarios being tested compared to manual API testing, as well as showing if the efficiency improvement can be measured in reduced amount of time necessary for creation sequences. To answer these questions and develop an application that offers value for Testifi GmbH, a literature review was conducted on the subjects of basic user interface design and user experience concepts for advanced users. Based on the findings, the user interface of the application was outlined and the software implemented. During development and with the finished product, multiple sets of user tests were conducted with users experienced in working with APIs, to improve the design and software during development, and to gain insights about the effectiveness of the final product. Those tests showed that the main goals of the project could be reached by demonstrating a considerable amount of time saved by using the application, while also outperforming manual testing methods in efficiency and ease of use. Key features like the linking of response values to subsequent request values and the suggestion of such links based on Testifi’s Pulse Artificial intelligence (AI) as well as previously created sequences were well received by testers and customer. The literature review also proved to be very valuable as users praised the straightforward design, while never missing any important data. When Testifi GmbH integrates the end product in their pulse workflow, its ability to create sequences easily and intuitively as well as the potential of the additional link suggestions created by the tool to be used in improving the Pulse AI will be indispensable.