zuqa
no-code end-to-end API testing toolkit
Not exactly a launch, but we were excited to finally take real feedbacks by rolling out our Alpha release for zuQA.
v1.0.0-alpha.3
https://github.com/zukatechnologies/zuqa-app-releases/releases/tag/v1.0.0-alpha.3
With following features -
- GUI
- Dark mode
- APIs functional testing
- APM Python agent
- APM Node agent
- API Editor
- Variables
- History
- DSL
- Environments
- Collections
- Import from postman collection
- import from OpenAPI
- Integrated code profiling
We identified major optimisations -
- Replacing plugged-in APM server binary by built-in express service. This could help us handle one less child-service and also reduce App size significantly.
- Also rewriting frontend part to use system-native runtime to hit APIs instead of using browser-side Fetch library, with the help of Electron IPC methods
As our deadline to launch 2nd MVP was already due, we only implemented pt (1) and added pt (2) in backlog
We loved electron, it was just what we needed.
And because we were already familiar with nodejs, it was very easy to get started with it.
I finished a quick Electron Mastery course on Udemy in a day on 2x speed and we were able to prepare packages with all zuQA features within a week.
All development and figuring out lots of workarounds to make everything work well for 2nd MVP was done.
Now we needed a way to package all parts of zuQA into a single desktop application -
- APM server binary compiled from go
- Badger Embedded database we used for APM
- All counterparts of NodeRed
- Registry of user-defined nodes to be used by NodeRed
- Frontend
Me and Vishal were working on zuQA full time keeping it all self-funded, and our runway got a hit. Making up for the funds, we took a few projects, August & September fueled lifeline to zuQA for next few months of development.
We planned to release 2nd releasable MVP by December.
While looking for a better alternative to RapiDoc with better UI and also more API editing capabilities like postman, we found Hoppscotch!
We were already fond of Vue.js and with Hoppscotch's large community, it was an easy decision to replace RapiDoc with Hoppscotch for functional testing interface in zuQA.
Vishal quickly took a hold of it, and started migration APM components from RapiDoc to our Hoppscotch.
Our first MVP was a forked RapiDoc project with a functional APM and its agents for Python and Nodejs based applications. Allowing directly importing postman collections and OpenApi 3.0 specs.
We had been playing with our MVP and I already realized that RapiDoc's UI isn't anywhere close to Postman's ease.
Still, instead of launching it for internal testing by our friends right now, we listed down 50 devs in our network and scheduled one-on-one calls with them to take their feedback on problem we were solving.
Pleased to receive feedbacks which indicated need of zuQA we carried on with our new learnings.
Vishal went through Rapidoc. While I checked on Elastic APM's server and its python agent.
Afterwhich, I started going through NodeRed, while handing over APM works and its nodejs agent to Vishal.
We kept in touch on Zoom calls then moved to a Discord room for sharing quick words and thoughts. Used ToDoIst for task management.
When Covid-19 reached India, the country went under nationwide lockdowns starting March 2020. Consequently, Many of our projects got discontinued or paused, and we had time on our hands.
I explained Vishal about zuQA and onboarded him. We started focusing on zuQA with a larger share of our time, and aimed to prepare the first MVP to fetch feedback about the problem we are solving at earliest.
Collecting all insights & with a brief idea in mind. I started exploring open-source resources which can help in building zuQA in my free time.
Shortlisted and decided to dive deep into following -
- RapiDoc for API testing Layout
- NodeRed for flow and scenario testing
- Elastic APM and its agents for building APM part
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