Environment variables in Postman - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to access an environment variable named 'api_key' in Postman test script.

Postman

const apiKey = pm.environment.get('[1]');

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aapi_key

BAPI_KEY

Capikey

Dkey_api

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using uppercase or different spelling for the variable name.

Trying to access variables without using pm.environment.get().

In Postman, environment variables are accessed by their exact name using pm.environment.get(). Here, the variable name is 'api_key'.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to set an environment variable 'session_id' to '12345' in Postman test script.

Postman

pm.environment.[1]('session_id', '12345');

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aget

Bset

Cunset

Dclear

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'get' instead of 'set' to assign a value.

Using methods that remove variables instead of setting them.

To assign a value to an environment variable in Postman, use pm.environment.set() with the variable name and value.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the code to remove an environment variable named 'token' in Postman test script.

Postman

pm.environment.[1]('token');

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aclear

Bremove

Cdelete

Dunset

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'delete' or 'remove' which are not valid Postman methods.

Using 'clear' which removes all variables, not one.

To remove an environment variable in Postman, use pm.environment.unset() with the variable name.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to check if environment variable 'user_id' exists and log its value in Postman test script.

Postman

if (pm.environment.[1]('user_id')) {
  console.log(pm.environment.[2]('user_id'));
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aget

Bset

Cunset

Dhas

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'get' to check existence instead of 'has'.

Using 'set' or 'unset' incorrectly in this context.

Use pm.environment.has() to check if a variable exists, and pm.environment.get() to retrieve its value.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to update environment variable 'count' by incrementing its value by 1 in Postman test script.

Postman

let count = parseInt(pm.environment.[1]('count') || '0');
count = count [2] 1;
pm.environment.[3]('count', count.toString());

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aget

B+

Cset

D-

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using subtraction instead of addition.

Forgetting to convert the number to string before setting.

Using wrong methods like 'unset' or 'has' in this context.

First, get the current value with get. Then add 1 using +. Finally, update the variable with set.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of environment variables in Postman?

easy

A. To store reusable values that can be used across multiple requests

B. To write test assertions for API responses

C. To create new API endpoints automatically

D. To generate random data for requests

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand environment variables role

   Environment variables hold values like URLs or tokens that you reuse in many requests.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   Writing tests or generating data are different features, not the main use of environment variables.

3. Final Answer:

   To store reusable values that can be used across multiple requests -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Environment variables = reusable values [OK]

Hint: Environment variables hold reusable data for requests [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing environment variables with test scripts
• Thinking environment variables create endpoints
• Assuming they generate random data automatically

2. Which of the following is the correct way to set an environment variable named token to abc123 in a Postman test script?

easy

A. pm.environment.set('token', 'abc123');

B. pm.variables.set('token', 'abc123');

C. pm.environment.get('token', 'abc123');

D. pm.setEnvironment('token', 'abc123');

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct method to set environment variable

   Postman uses pm.environment.set(key, value) to set environment variables.

2. Step 2: Check other options for correctness

   pm.variables.set sets local variables, pm.environment.get is for getting values, and pm.setEnvironment is not a valid method.

3. Final Answer:

   pm.environment.set('token', 'abc123'); -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Set env var = pm.environment.set(key, value) [OK]

Hint: Use pm.environment.set() to assign environment variables [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using pm.environment.get() to set variables
• Confusing pm.variables.set() with environment variables
• Using non-existent methods like pm.setEnvironment()

3. Given the following Postman test script, what will be the value of the environment variable userId after execution?

pm.environment.set('userId', 10);
pm.environment.set('userId', Number(pm.environment.get('userId')) + 5);

medium

A. Error

B. 10

C. undefined

D. 15

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze first line setting userId

   The first line sets userId to 10.

2. Step 2: Analyze second line updating userId

   The second line gets current userId (10), adds 5, and sets it back, so userId becomes 15.

3. Final Answer:

   15 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   10 + 5 = 15 [OK]

Hint: Get then set adds values correctly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming variable stays 10 after second line
• Thinking get returns undefined initially
• Expecting a runtime error

4. You wrote this Postman script to remove an environment variable sessionId but it does not work:

pm.environment.delete('sessionId');

What is the correct way to delete an environment variable?

medium

A. pm.environment.remove('sessionId');

B. pm.environment.unset('sessionId');

C. pm.environment.clear('sessionId');

D. pm.environment.deleteVariable('sessionId');

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct method to delete environment variable

   Postman uses pm.environment.unset(key) to remove environment variables.

2. Step 2: Check why original code fails

   pm.environment.delete() is not a valid method, so it does not remove the variable.

3. Final Answer:

   pm.environment.unset('sessionId'); -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Delete env var = pm.environment.unset(key) [OK]

Hint: Use pm.environment.unset() to remove variables [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using pm.environment.delete() which is invalid
• Trying pm.environment.remove() or clear() which don't exist for single variables
• Confusing with non-existent deleteVariable()

5. You want to run the same Postman collection on two different servers: dev and prod. Which is the best way to use environment variables to switch the base URL without changing the request code?

hard

A. Use global variables to store the URLs and change them before each run

B. Hardcode the server URL in each request and manually change it before running

C. Create two environments with a variable baseUrl set to each server URL, then select the environment before running

D. Write separate collections for dev and prod with different URLs

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand environment variables for different setups

   Creating separate environments with baseUrl variables allows easy switching without code changes.

2. Step 2: Compare other options

   Hardcoding or separate collections cause manual errors and duplication; global variables are less flexible for multiple setups.

3. Final Answer:

   Create two environments with a variable baseUrl set to each server URL, then select the environment before running -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use environments to switch URLs easily [OK]

Hint: Use separate environments with baseUrl variables [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Hardcoding URLs in requests
• Using global variables instead of environments
• Creating duplicate collections for each server