System and method to test executable instructions

• US 9,477,584 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hong, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, LOAN
• Application Number:
  US14/684,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a method of testing an Application Programming Interface (API) call that includes receiving data identifying a schema associated with web services together with an API call. Various example embodiments may relate to accessing a data repository associated with the schema to identify an API response corresponding to the API call. In some example embodiments, a message is returned that is based on a determination of whether the API call is valid. The example message may simulate an API response from web services.

Claims

1. A method of testing an application programming interface (API) calls, comprising:

receiving, by a response simulator, data identifying a schema together with a test API call to access a web service, the schema including schema information defining specific API calls and corresponding API responses associated with the web service;

searching a data repository associated with the web service, to determine whether the test API call, as defined by the schema information, has a corresponding API response;

providing a simulated test API response associated with the web service based on the corresponding API response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulated test API response represents a message transmitted to a submitter of the test API call received by the response simulator.

3. The method of claim 2, Therein the simulated test API response is associated with output fields having sample data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the message indicates a success, failure, or partial failure of the test API call based on the corresponding API response of the test API call.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the data repository associated with the web service, to determine whether the test API call, as defined by the schema information, has the corresponding API response comprises:

searching an output field table that includes a list of output fields defined for the corresponding API responses in the schema.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, searching the data repository associated with the web service, to determine whether the test API call, as defined by the schema information, has the corresponding API response comprises:

accessing the data repository to match an entry in the data repository to the received test API call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a set of instructions included within the test API call is valid based on data referenced within the data repository.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, performs a method of testing an application programming interface (API) call, the method comprising:

receiving, by a response simulator, data identifying a schema together with an test API call to access a web service, the schema including schema information defining specific API calls and corresponding API responses associated with the web service;

searching a data repository associated with the web service, to determine whether the test API call, as defined by the schema information, has a corresponding API response; and

providing a simulated test API response associated with the web service based on the corresponding API response.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the test API call corresponds to instructions executable by the web service to perform a function.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein providing the simulated test API response includes generating at least one output field populated with a value.

11. A response simulator to test an Application Programming Interface (API) call, the response simulator comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive from a user interface data identifying a schema together with an test API call to access a web service, the schema including schema information defining specific API calls and corresponding API responses associated with the web service;

a validation module communicatively coupled to communications interface and configured to search a data repository associated with the web service to determine whether the test API call, as defined by the schema information, has a corresponding API response; and

a response module, communicatively coupled to the validation module and to the communication interface, and configured to provide a simulated test API response associated with the web service based on the corresponding API response.

12. The response simulator of claim 11, wherein the test API call includes at least one input field populated with a value.

13. The response simulator of claim 12, wherein the validation module is configured to determine the test API call is valid based on verifying at least one of:

that the input field is populated with at least one value; and

that the input field is associated with a valid extensible markup language (XML) schema data type.

14. The response simulator of claim 11, wherein the test API call corresponds to instructions executable by the web services to perform a function.

15. The response simulator of claim 11, wherein the validation module is configured to validate the test API call based on syntax of the schema.

16. The response simulator of claim 15, wherein the response module is configured to indicate failure or partial success of the test API call, based on comparing the test API call with syntax of the schema.

17. The response simulator of claim 11, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the test API call via a world wide web (WWW) from a web browser, and the communication module is further configured to return an indication of failure or partial success of the test API call to the web browser via the WWW.

18. The response simulator of claim 11, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the test API call via a world wide web (WWW) from a desktop program interface, and the communication module is further configured to return an indication of failure or partial success of the test API call to the desktop program interface via the WWW.

19. The response simulator of claim 11, wherein the response module is configured to generate the simulated API response that includes at least one output field populated with a value.

20. The response simulator of claim 11, wherein the response simulator is integrated into a desktop program via installation of a plugin to the desktop program, wherein the desktop program is included within the user interface.