Karate DSL vs Newman: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Karate DSL and Newman are both tools used for testing and automation in software development. However, they have several key differences that set them apart.

1. Language:

   • Karate DSL is a testing tool specifically designed for testing web services and APIs. It uses a Gherkin-based syntax similar to Cucumber, making it more readable and accessible to non-technical team members.
   • Newman, on the other hand, is a command-line collection runner for Postman, a popular API development and testing tool. It uses JavaScript as its scripting language.

2. Integration with Development Tools:

   • Karate DSL can be easily integrated into the development workflow as it runs directly from the command line, making it suitable for Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. It also provides a Test Execution Protocol (TEP) that allows it to be executed from within IDEs like Eclipse or IntelliJ.
   • Newman integrates seamlessly with Postman, enabling users to run and test collections created in Postman directly from the command line. It also supports Newman as a Node.js package, allowing integration with other development tools.

3. Reporting and Extensibility:

   • Karate DSL provides detailed and comprehensive HTML reports by default, making it easier to track and analyze test results. It also allows users to customize test reports using Cucumber and Spark frameworks.
   • Newman supports generating both HTML and JUnit reports, providing users with a visual representation of test results. Additionally, it allows users to create custom reporters using Node.js, enhancing extensibility.

4. Built-in Features:

   • Karate DSL comes with built-in capabilities for handling JSON, XML, XPath, and payload validation. It also provides support for parallel test execution, session management, and data-driven testing. Additionally, it supports cross-browser and mobile testing using WebDriver.
   • Newman focuses primarily on running and testing Postman collections, offering features like environment variable support, script execution, file uploads, and response validation. It does not provide direct support for other testing aspects like session management or cross-browser testing.

5. Community and Support:

   • Karate DSL has a growing and active community that actively contributes to its development and provides support through forums, documentation, and sample projects. It is supported by Intuit, a widely recognized company in the financial software domain.
   • Newman has a strong community support primarily driven by the popularity of Postman. There are numerous online resources available, including forums, documentation, and tutorials. However, its community may not be as specific or dedicated as Karate DSL.

6. Licensing and Cost:

   • Karate DSL is an open-source tool released under the Apache 2.0 license. It is free to use, modify, and distribute without any licensing costs.
   • Newman is also an open-source tool released under the MIT license, thus allowing users to freely use, modify, and distribute. However, it requires a paid subscription for certain advanced features offered by the Postman platform.

In summary, while both Karate DSL and Newman are powerful tools for API testing and automation, they differ in their supported languages, integration capabilities, reporting options, built-in features, community support, and licensing. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs and requirements of the project or organization.