Advanced Features

1. Dynamic Data Generation: Postman allows to generation of dynamic data using scripts and libraries like Faker.js. This feature is especially useful for creating realistic testing scenarios with random or sequential data.
2. Chaining Requests: Variables can be used to extract data from a response and pass it as input to subsequent requests, enabling the chaining of requests in a workflow.
3. Environment Inheritance: The Postman environment supports inheritance, allowing variables to be inherited from the parent environment, and providing a hierarchical structure for managing variables.
4. Data-Driven Testing: Variables enable data-driven testing by allowing users to parameterize requests with different sets of data, facilitating broader test coverage.

Variables in Postman play an important role in increasing flexibility and efficiency in API development and testing. In this article, we will walk you through the concept of variables in Postman, focusing on practical steps and real-world examples to empower developers and testers to maximize the potential of variables in Postman.

Variables in Postman are placeholders that store and manage values used in different requests and environments. They provide flexibility and efficiency in API development and testing by enabling users to reuse values, store data, and create dynamic workflows.

Step 1: Environment in Postman

1. It allows you to Create Environments in Postman facilitating the organization of variables based on different contexts (e.g., development, production).

Step 2: Creating an Environment

1. Open Postman and go to the “Environment” tab.
2. Click “Add Environment” and name it (for example, “JSONPlaceholder“).
3. Define variables like “BaseURL” and set their corresponding values to “https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com“

Step 3: Environment Variable in Postman

In each request, use environment variables by enclosing them in double curly braces, like {{baseURL}}. This allows seamless switching between environments.

1. Now, create a new request to the “https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/albums” endpoint.
2. In the request, use the environment variable by enclosing it in double curly braces, like {{BaseURL}}/albums.

Step 4: Creating an Environment Variable in Postman

1. Navigate to the created environment and click “Add new variable” Define a new variable (e.g., “apiKey“) and set its value.

Step 5: Global Variables in Postman

1. Global variables are accessible across all environments. Create them by going to the “Globals” tab and adding variables like “authToken.”

Step 6: Creating a Global Variable in Postman

1. Similar to environment variables, define global variables by clicking “Add” in the “Globals” tab.

Step 7: Using a Global Variable in Postman

1. Utilize global variables in requests, enhancing reusability and consistency across different environments.