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Soap Panda - A Web Service Test Tool

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31 Dec 2009CPOL4 min read 71.8K   3.8K   36   12
This article will show you how to use Soap Panda, a SOAP client tool application.

Introduction

There are many libraries that can help you generate SOAP proxy client code from WSDL in various languages such as Java, C#, C++ but what is not readily (free) available is a GUI tool which capitalizes on the generated SOAP proxy client code to simplify the calling of Web Services method.

The following features are expected to be useful for developers and test engineers developing and testing SOAP based Web Services.

SOAP Request Entered in a Form

Soap Panda provides form based user interface to accept soap method input arguments. The user interface expands as more complex types are encountered within a argument type. The array of complex types are also handled by this application in a form based manner. This provides great flexibility for inserting array elements for a type.

Lock/Unlock Feature

Soap Panda can lock user entered input for a web service method argument inside the soap request form. The locked argument automatically gets populated for other methods as long as their type and name are matched to the one locked by the user. This feature remains persistent even after closing and opening of the application. This feature will help in testing and working with web services where many of the input arguments remain the same across different web service methods; User of this application could lock the input argument field and modify only the input argument that are unique to the web service method.

Testplan and Testcase Feature

Soap Panda provides user ability to save input arguments of a Web Service method into a Testcase object and provides interface to add conditions for testcase’s success using xpath location of the tag to be compared to the response of the Web Service method request.

How to Use Soap Panda Application

  • Start Soap Panda application and click on File menu to select New Soap Client.
  • The following dialog box will appear. Please enter values for at least two fields “Test Plan Name” and “URL for WSDL”.

    Image 1

    The “Test Plan Name” (e.g. “MyWebService”) entered by the user is used for namespace in generated proxy client code and directory by its name is also created for storing binary and source code of the SOAP proxy client. An XML file “MyWebService.spxml” is also created. This file will store SOAP properties such as target URL, Username, password and testcases created by the user.

    Image 2

    Note: This example of Amazon FPS requires you to create pkcs12 file using X.509 private and public keys created in your account setup at Amazon Flexible Payment Service. To add PKCS12 certificate file to SOAP Panda application, click Soap menu and then click “Add Security Header”.

    You can use tools like openssl to generate PKCS12 certificate file.

    Image 3

    Image 4

    Clicking on “Save” icons saves the response of a web service method to an XML file.

    Image 5

    Clicking on “Copy” icons copies XML text of the response to the clipboard.

    Image 6

    Image 7

How to Save a Testcase

  1. After entering all values required for a web service method, click on “Save Testcase” button. This will submit your request to web service server.
  2. This will open a Testcase property window. You will be asked to provide the name of your Testcase.

    Image 8

  3. Click on “Add Condition”, it will open another dialog box which will allow you to set conditions for your testcase.

    Image 9

  4. Click Ok.

    Image 10

How to Run, Edit or Remove a Saved Testcase

Method 1 - View only Web Service method Testcases
    1. Select the web service method for which you want to load input test data and run.
    2. Click on “Run Testcase” button. It will present dialog box with list of testcases that exist in Testplan for this web service method.

      Image 11

    3. After selecting Testcase, you want to run, Click “Ok”.

      Image 12

Method 2 – View all Testcases
  1. Click “Test Plan” menu option and select “View Testcases”.
  2. A dialog box with list of Testcases grouped alphabetically by “Testcase” name will appear. You can click any column to change the Group sorting to that column.

    Image 13

  3. Select the testcase and click “Run” button.
  4. You can click on Edit to edit a testcase.
  5. Similarly clicking on Remove will remove the selected testcase from the Testplan.
Method 3 – View all Test to Run in batch mode
  1. Click “Test Plan” menu option and select “Run Testcases”.
  2. A dialog box with list of Testcases grouped alphabetically by “Testcase” name will appear. You can click any column to change the Group sorting to that column.

    Image 14

  3. Select the testcases you like to “Run” and Click “Run Selected”.

    Image 15

  4. Select testcase and click “View Result” to find conditions that failed.

    Image 16

    License

    This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


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    Comments and Discussions

     
    QuestionSOAP UI Pin
    Member 1206886721-Dec-16 19:26
    Member 1206886721-Dec-16 19:26 
    QuestionUnable to Test WCF Service? Pin
    Hardy Wang25-Jan-10 4:03
    Hardy Wang25-Jan-10 4:03 
    AnswerRe: Unable to Test WCF Service? Pin
    Anantjot Anand25-Jan-10 12:45
    Anantjot Anand25-Jan-10 12:45 
    GeneralRe: Unable to Test WCF Service? Pin
    Hardy Wang26-Jan-10 3:23
    Hardy Wang26-Jan-10 3:23 
    I tried again (version 1.0.0.1), not work with my basic http binding, not work with my ws http binding.

    My open source project Sea Turtle Batch Image Processor
    Hardy

    GeneralRe: Unable to Test WCF Service? Pin
    Anantjot Anand27-Jan-10 15:01
    Anantjot Anand27-Jan-10 15:01 
    GeneralRe: Unable to Test WCF Service? Pin
    Hardy Wang1-Feb-10 3:15
    Hardy Wang1-Feb-10 3:15 
    GeneralReally good Pin
    foxsermon5-Jan-10 6:09
    foxsermon5-Jan-10 6:09 
    GeneralRe: Really good Pin
    Anantjot Anand6-Jan-10 13:46
    Anantjot Anand6-Jan-10 13:46 
    GeneralNice article Pin
    Sohel_Rana3-Jan-10 3:26
    Sohel_Rana3-Jan-10 3:26 
    Generalpretty useful.. Pin
    Rajesh Pillai2-Jan-10 17:49
    Rajesh Pillai2-Jan-10 17:49 
    GeneralCool Pin
    Syed M Hussain31-Dec-09 2:41
    Syed M Hussain31-Dec-09 2:41 
    GeneralRe: Cool Pin
    Bhasker Kandpal31-Dec-09 2:57
    Bhasker Kandpal31-Dec-09 2:57 

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