Charter 7: Explore forecast data API with different inputs to discover input validity

Charter:

• Explore forecast data API with different inputs to discover input validity

Testers:

• Mike Walker-Rose

Date:

• 6/6/24

Duration:

• 45 - 90 mins

Scope:

• exploring valid_time_from, valid_time_to, location_type, base_time & location_name
• Use different heuristics for input validity to find surprises

References:

• Ministry of Testing Heuristics cheat sheet
• Postman QA forecast_data databse

Test Approach:

• Use Postman to explore the forecast api and establish if there are any suprises in the inputs the API takes as parameters

Notes

• location_type
  • empty - "Input should be 'city'" 422
  • number - "Input should be 'city'"
  • negative number
  • whitespace - "Input should be 'city'"
  • long paragraph - "Input should be 'city'"
  • <>,
  • leading spaces
  • missing - "loc": [ "query", "location_type" ], "msg": "Field required"
• valid_date_from
  • missing
  • "type": "datetime_from_date_parsing", "loc": [ "query", "valid_date_from" ], "msg": "Input should be a valid datetime or date, input is too short",
  • 1 - 200 gets all results
  • 2024.06.11T00%3A00%3A00.000%2B00%3A00 - "Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid date separator, expected -"
  • /
  • 11-06-2024 11/06/2024 11.06.2024 Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid character in year
  • empty - 422
  • number 4363455634 - 200 ok, returns empty array,
  • negative number -56 returns all results
  • whitespace - "Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid character in year"
  • long paragraph - ""Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid character in year""
  • <>,
  • leading spaces
• valid_date_to
  • missing
  • "type": "missing", "loc": [ "query", "valid_date_to" ], "msg": "Field required", "input": null
  • 1 - 200 gets an empty array
  • 2024.06.12T00%3A00%3A00.000%2B00%3A00 - "Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid date separator, expected -"
  • / same
  • 11-06-2024 11/06/2024 11.06.2024 Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid character in year
  • empty - 422
  • number 4363455634 - 200 ok, returns empty array,
  • negative number -56 empty array
  • whitespace - "Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid character in day"
  • long paragraph - ""Input should be a valid datetime or date, invalid character in year""
  • <>,
  • leading spaces
• forecast_base_time *
• location_name
  • number, <>, /, - returns empty array
  • big and small
  • capitalisation at front required empty - empty array whitespace - empty array long paragraph - took 3s, empty array 200 status

Overall You can send a body - json, 10 paragraphs of string impossible dates: valid_date_from - 0000-06-11T00%3A00%3A00.000%2B00%3A00 500 error Can't take a year of 10000

Conclusion

• valid_date_from, valid_date_to, forecast_base_time can take numbers as parameters
• using a year of 0000 (e.g 0000-06-11T00%3A00%3A00.000%2B00%3A00) gets a 500 response
• location_name does not seem to have any kind of validation, you can use for example <>, /, - returning an empty array with status 200
• you can send a body, I was able to send a json and a 10 paragraph string
• it works with no headers