Running collections via CLI in Postman - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the CLI tool used to run Postman collections?

The CLI tool used to run Postman collections is called Newman. It allows you to run and test collections from the command line.

beginner

How do you run a Postman collection using Newman?

You run a collection by typing newman run <collection-file.json> in the terminal, where <collection-file.json> is your exported Postman collection file.

intermediate

Why would you use Newman to run collections instead of the Postman app?

Newman lets you run collections automatically in scripts or CI/CD pipelines, making it easy to test APIs continuously without opening the Postman app.

intermediate

What option do you add to Newman to specify an environment file?

Use --environment <env-file.json> to specify an environment file when running a collection with Newman.

intermediate

How can you generate a report after running a collection with Newman?

You can add reporters like --reporters cli,json,html to generate different types of reports after the run.

Which command runs a Postman collection using Newman?

A newman execute collection.json

B postman run collection.json

C npm run collection.json

D newman run collection.json

The correct command is newman run collection.json to run a collection file.

How do you specify an environment file in Newman?

A --set-env environment.json

B --env-file environment.json

C --environment environment.json

D --env environment.json

Use --environment environment.json to specify the environment file.

What is a main benefit of running collections via CLI with Newman?

A Automated testing and integration with CI/CD

B Requires GUI interaction

C Manual testing only

D Only runs in Postman app

Newman allows automated testing and easy integration with CI/CD pipelines.

Which reporter option generates an HTML report in Newman?

A --reporters html

B --report html

C --html-report

D --reporter html

The correct option is --reporters html to generate an HTML report.

What file format must the Postman collection be in to run with Newman?

A .xml

B .json

C .yaml

D .txt

Postman collections must be exported as JSON files to run with Newman.

Explain how to run a Postman collection from the command line using Newman.

Think about the basic command and useful options.

Describe why running collections via CLI is useful in software testing.

Consider benefits for continuous testing and automation.

Practice

1. What is the primary command line tool used to run Postman collections via CLI?

easy

A. npm

B. newman

C. curl

D. postman-cli

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the official CLI tool for Postman collections

   Newman is the official command line tool designed to run Postman collections.

2. Step 2: Differentiate from other tools

   npm is a package manager, curl is a general HTTP client, and postman-cli is not an official tool.

3. Final Answer:

   newman -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Postman CLI tool = newman [OK]

Hint: Remember: Newman runs Postman collections in CLI [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing npm with the CLI runner
• Using curl as a Postman collection runner
• Assuming postman-cli is official

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to run a Postman collection file named test_collection.json using Newman?

easy

A. newman execute test_collection.json

B. newman start test_collection.json

C. newman run test_collection.json

D. newman launch test_collection.json

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the Newman command to run collections

   The correct command is newman run <collection-file>.

2. Step 2: Verify the options

   Options like execute, start, or launch are not valid Newman commands.

3. Final Answer:

   newman run test_collection.json -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Command syntax = newman run [OK]

Hint: Use 'newman run' to execute collections [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'execute' instead of 'run'
• Trying 'start' or 'launch' commands
• Omitting the 'run' keyword

3. Given the command newman run my_collection.json -e my_environment.json --delay-request 1000, what effect does the --delay-request 1000 option have?

medium

A. Limits the collection run to 1000 requests total

B. Sets the timeout for each request to 1000 milliseconds

C. Runs the collection 1000 times

D. Delays each request by 1000 milliseconds between executions

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the --delay-request option

   This option adds a delay between each request in the collection, measured in milliseconds.

2. Step 2: Interpret the value 1000

   1000 milliseconds equals 1 second delay between requests.

3. Final Answer:

   Delays each request by 1000 milliseconds between executions -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   --delay-request = wait time between requests [OK]

Hint: Delay means wait time between requests in ms [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing delay with timeout
• Thinking it repeats the collection
• Assuming it limits total requests

4. You run the command newman run collection.json -e env.json --reporters cli,html but get an error saying Unknown reporter: html. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The HTML reporter is not installed or supported by Newman

B. The environment file is invalid

C. The collection file is missing

D. The CLI reporter cannot be combined with others

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the error message

   The error states 'Unknown reporter: html', meaning Newman does not recognize the 'html' reporter.

2. Step 2: Understand reporter support

   Newman supports some reporters by default; others require installation or are unsupported.

3. Final Answer:

   The HTML reporter is not installed or supported by Newman -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Unknown reporter means unsupported or missing plugin [OK]

Hint: Check reporter names and installation before running [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Blaming environment or collection files
• Assuming CLI reporter conflicts
• Ignoring reporter installation requirements

5. You want to run a Postman collection multiple times with different data sets from a CSV file named data.csv. Which Newman command correctly achieves this?

hard

A. newman run collection.json -d data.csv

B. newman run collection.json --data data.csv

C. newman run collection.json -e data.csv

D. newman run collection.json --env data.csv

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the option for data files in Newman

   The -d or --iteration-data option is used to specify a data file for iteration.

2. Step 2: Differentiate environment and data options

   -e or --env is for environment files, not data files.

3. Final Answer:

   newman run collection.json -d data.csv -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use -d for data files in Newman [OK]

Hint: Use -d to specify data file for iterations [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using -e or --env for data files
• Using --data, an invalid flag
• Confusing environment and data files