![\"concurrent-diagram\"](\"/4da086c176314fb8e41d4bf512857493/concurrent-diagram.webp\")
Whenever we talk about asynchronous programming in JavaScript, there is sometimes confusion in how it can be asynchronous if it is single-threaded. To answer this correctly, I think it's a good thing first to understand the difference between concurrency and parallelism, two terms that are commonly brought up with multithreading.
\nConcurrency describes independent parts of a program to run in an arbitrary order without affecting the outcome. A concurrent application can execute multiple tasks over an overlapping period. This means that while we can start new tasks before the previous one is complete, we cannot perform work on each task simultaneously.
\n
You can think of a concurrent execution model as a single chef preparing a meal. Any chef worth their salt can work on multiple dishes (or various parts of a dish) at once. They might chop the vegetables for their stir-fry while the rice is steamed in the rice cooker or leave the vegetables to fry in the pan while cleaning up their workspace. In this scenario, the chef can perform multiple tasks at once; however, at any given time, he is only able to work on a particular unit of work at a given time.
\nYou might point out that the chef can perform other actions in this example scenario while something like the rice is steaming, which is technically work still being done. However, the concurrency in this scenario only applies to the chef's context, who is not actively working on the rice as it is being steamed.
\nSimilarly, the JavaScript Event Loop allows your scripts (the chef) to hand off tasks like HTTP requests and timeouts to the browser Web API (rice cooker), allowing the script to execute other code portions while waiting for a response. Once the Web API task is complete, it is pushed back into the Event Loop call stack. While the Web API acts as a separate thread where it can complete certain tasks outside the main thread's scope, your actual JavaScript code is still executed on a single thread concurrently.
\nParallelism describes the ability for independent parts of a program to be physically executed at the same time. A parallel application can distribute its tasks to independent processors (such as different cores or threads of a CPU) to be executed simultaneously.
\n![\"parallel-diagram\"](\"/673e8d6bccb42949459d15d8adc0dc32/parallel-diagram.webp\")
You can think of a parallel execution model as multiple chefs individually each preparing a meal. These individual chefs may be preparing their dishes in a concurrent manner (like the above) or a sequential one; either way, the result is that rather than producing a single meal, the kitchen has prepared multiple meals over a unit of time.
\nModern browsers allow you to program parallelly by using Web Workers. These spawn separate threads to execute JavaScript independently from the main thread.
\nSo we've established that multiple chefs can get a kitchen to produce multiple dishes in the same amount of time as a single dish from a kitchen with a single chef. Modern hardware almost always has multiple threads, so why isn't all code run in parallel? If it takes one chef 10 minutes to prepare one stir-fry and five chefs 10 minutes to prepare five stir-fries, can five chefs produce one stir-fry in 2 minutes? This is where parallel computation can get difficult.
\nTasks can speed up by distributing the workload onto multiple threads. However, this requires splitting up the workload in a way that can work independently and effectively. Think of how five chefs would prepare a single stir fry together:
\nSimilarly, on the computing side, parallel programming solutions are generally harder to implement and debug. Depending on the task, they can sometimes even perform worse than serially run counterparts due to the various costs of overhead (transferring data between threads, creating and destroying threads, synchronization of work, etc.).
\nTo conclude this post, neither are inherently superior to the other. Both execution models are useful tools for producing efficient and reliable solutions and are used together in many cases. I hope this helps to clear up the differences between the two, or if not, at least provided a mildly entertaining analogy to illustrate each.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 19, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"Concurrence and parallelism in relation to multithreaded applications are two concepts sometimes used. The distinction between concurrency and parallelism is clarified in this tutorial.","title":"Concurrency vs Parallelism: What's the Difference?","tags":["Concurrency","Parallelism","Multithreading","JavaScript"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/c1592330a691b94decfefeb2601f55b9/58556/unsplash.webp","srcSet":"/static/c1592330a691b94decfefeb2601f55b9/61e93/unsplash.webp 200w,\n/static/c1592330a691b94decfefeb2601f55b9/1f5c5/unsplash.webp 400w,\n/static/c1592330a691b94decfefeb2601f55b9/58556/unsplash.webp 800w,\n/static/c1592330a691b94decfefeb2601f55b9/99238/unsplash.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Nick Chim","github":"nickc95","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Git is an important part of daily programming and is commonly used in the software industry. Since you can use a lot of different commands…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/git-commands/"},"html":"Git is an important part of daily programming and is commonly used in the software industry. Since you can use a lot of different commands, mastering Git needs time. But some commands are more commonly used. So I'm going to share the most useful Git commands in this post that every developer should know.
\nBut first you need to know the fundamentals of Git to understand this article.
\n| Command | \nDescription | \n
|---|---|
git init | \nInitialize a local Git repository | \n
git clone repo_url | \nClone public repository | \n
git clone ssh://git@github.com/[username]/[repository-name].git | \nClone private repository | \n
git status | \nCheck status | \n
git add [file-name] | \nAdd a file to the staging area | \n
git add -A | \nAdd all new and changed files to the staging area | \n
git commit -m \"[commit message]\" | \nCommit changes | \n
git rm -r [file-name.txt] | \nRemove a file (or folder) | \n
git branch | \nList of branches (the asterisk denotes the current branch) | \n
git branch -a | \nList all branches (local and remote) | \n
git branch [branch name] | \nCreate a new branch | \n
git branch -d [branch name] | \nDelete a branch | \n
git branch -D [branch name] | \nDelete a branch forcefully | \n
git push origin --delete [branch name] | \nDelete a remote branch | \n
git checkout -b [branch name] | \nCreate a new branch and switch to it | \n
git checkout -b [branch name] origin/[branch name] | \nClone a remote branch and switch to it | \n
git branch -m [old branch name] [new branch name] | \nRename a local branch | \n
git checkout [branch name] | \nSwitch to a branch | \n
git checkout - | \nSwitch to the branch last checked out | \n
git checkout -- [file-name.txt] | \nDiscard changes to a file | \n
git merge [branch name] | \nMerge a branch into the active branch | \n
git merge [source branch] [target branch] | \nMerge a branch into a target branch | \n
git stash | \nStash changes in a dirty working directory | \n
git stash clear | \nRemove all stashed entries | \n
git push origin [branch name] | \nPush a branch to your remote repository | \n
git push -u origin [branch name] | \nPush changes to remote repository (and remember the branch) | \n
git push | \nPush changes to remote repository (remembered branch) | \n
git push origin --delete [branch name] | \nDelete a remote branch | \n
git pull | \nUpdate local repository to the newest commit | \n
git pull origin [branch name] | \nPull changes from remote repository | \n
git remote add origin ssh://git@github.com/[username]/[repository-name].git | \nAdd a remote repository | \n
git remote set-url origin ssh://git@github.com/[username]/[repository-name].git | \nSet a repository's origin branch to SSH | \n
git log | \nView changes | \n
git log --summary | \nView changes (detailed) | \n
git log --oneline | \nView changes (briefly) | \n
git diff [source branch] [target branch] | \nPreview changes before merging | \n
git revert commitid | \nRevert commit changes | \n
git config --global user.name \"your_username\" | \nSet globally Username | \n
git config --global user.email \"your_email_address@example.com\" | \nSet globally Email id | \n
git config --global --list | \nGet global config | \n
So these are the most helpful git commands I find in my everyday programming. There are several more things to learn about Git, I will explain them in a separate post.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 17, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"In this article, I will talk about the Git Commands that you will be using often when you are working with Git.","title":"35+ Git Commands List Every Programmer Should Know","tags":["GIT"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/809159647d5b83fd76f6bc5ef35bab91/58556/git.webp","srcSet":"/static/809159647d5b83fd76f6bc5ef35bab91/61e93/git.webp 200w,\n/static/809159647d5b83fd76f6bc5ef35bab91/1f5c5/git.webp 400w,\n/static/809159647d5b83fd76f6bc5ef35bab91/58556/git.webp 800w,\n/static/809159647d5b83fd76f6bc5ef35bab91/99238/git.webp 1200w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Abhimanyu Singh Rathore","github":"abhir9","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"One of the leading NoSQL databases, MongoDB is well known for its fast performance, versatile schema, scalability and great capabilities for…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/full-text-search-in-mongodb/"},"html":"One of the leading NoSQL databases, MongoDB is well known for its fast performance, versatile schema, scalability and great capabilities for indexing. Let us look at some context before we get into some details. Full-text search is an essential feature when we talk about finding content on the internet. A google search is the best example for this when we see the content using the phrases or keywords. In this article, we will learn about full-text search capabilities in MongoDB based on text index.
\nBefore we begin, we will create a sample database that will be used during the tutorial.
\nWe will create a database with the name myDB and create a collection with the name books. For this, the statement would be as follows.
\n> use myDB\n> db.createCollection("books")\n>Let's insert some documents by using the following statement.
\n> db.books.insert([\n\t{\n "title": "Eloquent JavaScript, Second Edition",\n "subtitle": "A Modern Introduction to Programming",\n "author": "Marijn Haverbeke",\n "publisher": "No Starch Press",\n "description": "JavaScript lies at the heart of almost every modern web application, from social apps to the newest browser-based games. Though simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is a flexible, complex language that you can use to build full-scale applications."\n },\n {\n "title": "Learning JavaScript Design Patterns",\n "subtitle": "A JavaScript and jQuery Developer's Guide",\n "author": "Addy Osmani",\n "publisher": "O'Reilly Media",\n "description": "With Learning JavaScript Design Patterns, you'll learn how to write beautiful, structured, and maintainable JavaScript by applying classical and modern design patterns to the language. If you want to keep your code efficient, more manageable, and up-to-date with the latest best practices, this book is for you."\n },\n {\n "title": "Speaking JavaScript",\n "subtitle": "An In-Depth Guide for Programmers",\n "author": "Axel Rauschmayer",\n "publisher": "O'Reilly Media",\n "description": "Like it or not, JavaScript is everywhere these days, from browser to server to mobile and now you, too, need to learn the language or dive deeper than you have. This concise book guides you into and through JavaScript, written by a veteran programmer who once found himself in the same position."\n },\n {\n "title": "Programming JavaScript Applications",\n "subtitle": "Robust Web Architecture with Node, HTML5, and Modern JS Libraries",\n "author": "Eric Elliott",\n "publisher": "O'Reilly Media",\n "description": "Take advantage of JavaScript's power to build robust web-scale or enterprise applications that are easy to extend and maintain. By applying the design patterns outlined in this practical book, experienced JavaScript developers will learn how to write flexible and resilient code that's easier-yes, easier-to work with as your codebase grows."\n },\n {\n "title": "Understanding ECMAScript 6",\n "subtitle": "The Definitive Guide for JavaScript Developers",\n "author": "Nicholas C. Zakas",\n "publisher": "No Starch Press",\n "description": "ECMAScript 6 represents the biggest update to the core of JavaScript in the history of the language. In Understanding ECMAScript 6, expert developer Nicholas C. Zakas provides a complete guide to the object types, syntax, and other exciting changes that ECMAScript 6 brings to JavaScript."\n }\n])We need to create a text index on the fields to perform the text search. We can create this on single or multiple fields. The following statement will create a text index on a single field.
\n>db.books.createIndex({"description":"text"})We will create a text index on the description and subtitle fields for this tutorial. We can create only one text index per collection in MongoDB. So We will create a compound text index using the following statement.
\n>db.books.createIndex({"subtitle":"text","description":"text"})Now we will try to search documents that have the keywords 'ECMAScript' in the description and subtitle fields. For this, we can use the below statement.
\ndb.books.find({$text: {$search: "ECMAScript"}})Example
\n>db.books.find({$text: {$search: "ECMAScript"}},{ subtitle: 1, description: 1 })\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09cb3cb6144ada1c62fe"),\n "subtitle" : "The Definitive Guide for JavaScript Developers",\n "description" : "ECMAScript 6 represents the biggest update to the core of JavaScript in the history of the language. In Understanding ECMAScript 6, expert developer Nicholas C. Zakas provides a complete guide to the object types, syntax, and other exciting changes that ECMAScript 6 brings to JavaScript."\n\t}\n>You can search for phrases using the text index. By default, text search performs an OR search for all words in the phrase. If you want to search 'modern design patterns', it will search for documents with the keywords either modern, design, or patterns.
\nExample
\n>db.books.find({$text: {$search: "modern design patterns"}},{ subtitle: 1, description: 1 })\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b098f3cb6144ada1c2ea1"),\n "subtitle" : "A JavaScript and jQuery Developer's Guide",\n "description" : "With Learning JavaScript Design Patterns, you'll learn how to write beautiful, structured, and maintainable JavaScript by applying classical and modern design patterns to the language. If you want to keep your code efficient, more manageable, and up-to-date with the latest best practices, this book is for you."\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09b93cb6144ada1c4bca"),\n "subtitle" : "Robust Web Architecture with Node, HTML5, and Modern JS Libraries",\n "description" : "Take advantage of JavaScript's power to build robust web-scale or enterprise applications that are easy to extend and maintain. By applying the design patterns outlined in this practical book, experienced JavaScript developers will learn how to write flexible and resilient code that's easier-yes, easier-to work with as your code base grows.",\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b095c3cb6144ada1c1028"),\n "subtitle" : "A Modern Introduction to Programming",\n "description" : "JavaScript lies at the heart of almost every modern web application, from social apps to the newest browser-based games. Though simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is a flexible, complex language that you can use to build full-scale applications."\n\t}\n>If you want to search for exact phrases like documents with 'modern design patterns' together, you can do so by specifying double quotes in the search text.
\nExample
\n>db.books.find({$text: {$search: "\\"modern design patterns\\""}},{ subtitle: 1, description: 1 })\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b098f3cb6144ada1c2ea1"),\n "subtitle" : "A JavaScript and jQuery Developer's Guide",\n "description" : "With Learning JavaScript Design Patterns, you'll learn how to write beautiful, structured, and maintainable JavaScript by applying classical and modern design patterns to the language. If you want to keep your code efficient, more manageable, and up-to-date with the latest best practices, this book is for you."\n}If you want to exclude the documents containing a particular word, you can use a negation search. For example if you're going to search all documents with the 'JavaScript' but not 'HTML5' or 'ECMAScript', you can search as the below example.
\nExample
\n>db.books.find({$text: {$search: "JavaScript -HTML5 -ECMAScript"}},{ subtitle: 1, description: 1 })\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b098f3cb6144ada1c2ea1"),\n "subtitle" : "A JavaScript and jQuery Developer's Guide",\n "description" : "With Learning JavaScript Design Patterns, you'll learn how to write beautiful, structured, and maintainable JavaScript by applying classical and modern design patterns to the language. If you want to keep your code efficient, more manageable, and up-to-date with the latest best practices, this book is for you."\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09a83cb6144ada1c4973"),\n "subtitle" : "An In-Depth Guide for Programmers",\n "description" : "Like it or not, JavaScript is everywhere these days, from browser to server to mobile and now you, too, need to learn the language or dive deeper than you have. This concise book guides you into and through JavaScript, written by a veteran programmer who once found himself in the same position."\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b095c3cb6144ada1c1028"),\n "subtitle" : "A Modern Introduction to Programming",\n "description" : "JavaScript lies at the heart of almost every modern web application, from social apps to the newest browser-based games. Though simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is a flexible, complex language that you can use to build full-scale applications."\n\t}The text search provides a score to each document representing the relevancy of the document with the search query. This score can be used to sort all the records returned in the search result. A higher score will indicate a most relevant match.
\nExample
\n>db.books.find({$text: {$search: "JavaScript "}},{score: {$meta: "textScore"}, subtitle: 1, description: 1 }).sort({score:{$meta:"textScore"}})\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b098f3cb6144ada1c2ea1"),\n "subtitle" : "A JavaScript and jQuery Developer's Guide",\n "description" : "With Learning JavaScript Design Patterns, you'll learn how to write beautiful, structured, and maintainable JavaScript by applying classical and modern design patterns to the language. If you want to keep your code efficient, more manageable, and up-to-date with the latest best practices, this book is for you.",\n "score" : 1.43269230769231\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09cb3cb6144ada1c62fe"),\n "subtitle" : "The Definitive Guide for JavaScript Developers",\n "description" : "ECMAScript 6 represents the biggest update to the core of JavaScript in the history of the language. In Understanding ECMAScript 6, expert developer Nicholas C. Zakas provides a complete guide to the object types, syntax, and other exciting changes that ECMAScript 6 brings to JavaScript.",\n "score" : 1.42672413793103\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09a83cb6144ada1c4973"),\n "subtitle" : "An In-Depth Guide for Programmers",\n "description" : "Like it or not, JavaScript is everywhere these days, from browser to server to mobile and now you, too, need to learn the language or dive deeper than you have. This concise book guides you into and through JavaScript, written by a veteran programmer who once found himself in the same position.",\n "score" : 0.818181818181818\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b095c3cb6144ada1c1028"),\n "subtitle" : "A Modern Introduction to Programming",\n "description" : "JavaScript lies at the heart of almost every modern web application, from social apps to the newest browser-based games. Though simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is a flexible, complex language that you can use to build full-scale applications.",\n "score" : 0.801724137931034\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09b93cb6144ada1c4bca"),\n "subtitle" : "Robust Web Architecture with Node, HTML5, and Modern JS Libraries",\n "description" : "Take advantage of JavaScript's power to build robust web-scale or enterprise applications that are easy to extend and maintain. By applying the design patterns outlined in this practical book, experienced JavaScript developers will learn how to write flexible and resilient code that's easier-yes, easier-to work with as your codebase grows.",\n "score" : 0.792857142857143\n\t}The $text operator filters out the language-specific stop words, such as a, an, the and in English. The below search will not return any document in the result.
\nExample
\n>db.books.find({$text: {$search: "is"}},{subtitle: 1, description: 1 })\n\tFetched 0 record(s)The $text operator matches on the complete stemmed word. So if some document field contains the word learning or learn, a search on the term learning or learn would result in the same.
\nExample
\n>db.books.find({$text: {$search: " learn"}},{subtitle: 1, description: 1 }) or >db.books.find({$text: {$search: " learning"}},{subtitle: 1, description: 1 })\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b098f3cb6144ada1c2ea1"),\n "subtitle" : "A JavaScript and jQuery Developer's Guide",\n "description" : "With Learning JavaScript Design Patterns, you'll learn how to write beautiful, structured, and maintainable JavaScript by applying classical and modern design patterns to the language. If you want to keep your code efficient, more manageable, and up-to-date with the latest best practices, this book is for you."\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09a83cb6144ada1c4973"),\n "subtitle" : "An In-Depth Guide for Programmers",\n "description" : "Like it or not, JavaScript is everywhere these days, from browser to server to mobile and now you, too, need to learn the language or dive deeper than you have. This concise book guides you into and through JavaScript, written by a veteran programmer who once found himself in the same position."\n\t},\n\t{\n "_id" : ObjectId("602b09b93cb6144ada1c4bca"),\n "subtitle" : "Robust Web Architecture with Node, HTML5, and Modern JS Libraries",\n "description" : "Take advantage of JavaScript's power to build robust web-scale or enterprise applications that are easy to extend and maintain. By applying the design patterns outlined in this practical book, experienced JavaScript developers will learn how to write flexible and resilient code that's easier-yes, easier-to work with as your codebase grows."\n\t}I hope you learned something new today. Here is an interesting article on Self-Hosted MongoDB. I also invite you to try stuff on your own and share your experience in the comment section. Furthermore, if you face any problems with any of the above definitions, please feel free to ask me in the comments section below.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 16, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"MongoDB full text search tutorial. In this blog, we will learn how to perform a full-text search in MongoDB using text index.","title":"How to do Full-Text Search in MongoDB","tags":["MongoDB"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/f4c86ce656fbbcd1cebd60b0c6606d53/58556/coverImage.webp","srcSet":"/static/f4c86ce656fbbcd1cebd60b0c6606d53/61e93/coverImage.webp 200w,\n/static/f4c86ce656fbbcd1cebd60b0c6606d53/1f5c5/coverImage.webp 400w,\n/static/f4c86ce656fbbcd1cebd60b0c6606d53/58556/coverImage.webp 800w,\n/static/f4c86ce656fbbcd1cebd60b0c6606d53/99238/coverImage.webp 1200w,\n/static/f4c86ce656fbbcd1cebd60b0c6606d53/7c22d/coverImage.webp 1600w,\n/static/f4c86ce656fbbcd1cebd60b0c6606d53/25f09/coverImage.webp 1920w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Anil Gupta","github":"anilswm","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"Until the modifications are introduced to production, smart companies take advantage of API testing and so do you. In both staging and…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/api-testing-and-benefits/"},"html":"Until the modifications are introduced to production, smart companies take advantage of API testing and so do you. In both staging and production environments, API's must be checked to ensure that the software framework meets the specifications.
\nLet's discuss how, through how your team approaches your research plan, your team can get the benefits of API testing.
\nWhat is API Testing?\nApplication Programming Interface is often called as API. An API is a set of methods and procedures that developers \"open up\" to other programmers to have their applications communicate and interact with other applications. Once an API is built, it is necessary to test the interface to provide truly secure, reliable and scalable connections between platforms.
\nAPI testing helps identify early issues and is different from UI testing. An API receives requests and sends back responses through internet protocols including, HTTP and SMTP. API tests investigate applications that have varying API functionalities and vary the API call's parameters in different ways that verify functionality and expose failures.
\nAPI testing can be done on the below aspects:
\nFunctional Testing checks API's functionality, Takes payload in the form of JSON or XML and provides the response code and response body.\nLoad Testing checks the performance under the specific load and determines how much traffic the API can handle before being overloaded.\nSecurity Testing checks vulnerabilities like authentication and sensitive data is encrypted over HTTP and includes penetration testing validating authentication.
\nAdvantages of API testing during Software development
\n1. Time efficiency
\nAPI Testing doesn't require GUI to be ready and it can be performed way early in the development cycle. The Automated API tests provide much quicker test results and significantly accelerate development workflows; thus, it helps you speed up the feedback loop and catch issues faster.
\nIn addition to that, API tests are significantly less time-consuming when compared to UI Tests. UI Tests spend much time rendering and loading the web pages and interface elements, whereas can execute API tests in seconds. Let's take an example where a user needs to register and login from UI takes at least 3 to 5 minutes, whereas API testing takes less than 30 seconds.
\n2. Reduced costs
\nIt is very closely connected with time efficiency.
\nThe cost efficiency benefit is closely connected with the previous one. Automated API tests' increased execution speed leads to more effective/efficient resource consumption and lower overall testing costs.
\nAPI tests can be executed as early as the business logic is defined and before any GUI testing. So it will help you to identify the issue at the early stage. Early identification means the less expensive it is to fix it and Reduces the cost of Application changes. API testing enables the QA team to detect and resolve issues before they become a production problem, keeping project costs at bay.
\n3. Technology Independent
\nAPI tests are Language Independent, Since the data is interchanged using JSON or XML and compromised HTTP requests and HTTP responses. So the QA team is free to choose the language of their choice that supports these technologies((JavaScript, Java, Ruby, Python, PHP, etc.).
\n4. Greater tests stability
\nWhile GUI's are dynamic and may change to accommodate new requests from stakeholders and users, API interfaces are very much stable. APIs typically come with detailed documentation, and any changes are reflected there so that QA engineers can adjust their test suites timely. And due to this inherent stability, API tests are also much easier to maintain.
\n5. Improved test coverage
\nUnlike unit tests, automated API tests are generally broader in scope and detail. While unit tests are focused on the limited functionality of components within a single application, problems often arise at the intersection where one layer's scope ends and the other begins.
\nYou won't find these issues with unit tests, but API-level tests are specifically designed to verify that all system components function as intended. API testing helps uncover potential defects in the interfaces, servers, and databases, improving the overall software quality and contributing to better user experiences.
\nEfficiency gains associated with an API testing tool can include:
\nConclusion:\nAPI testing is recognized as a better fit for Continuous Testing in Agile methodologies. Not adequately tested APIs may cause issues at the API application and the calling application. It is a necessary test in software engineering.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 12, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"Communication between software components is handled by an API (Application Programming Interface). Discover the advantages of automated API testing.","title":"What is API Testing? - Discover the Benefits","tags":["Automation","API Testing","Agile","Benefits"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.680672268907563,"src":"/static/80a2124798188a2366a8093c6f4d4afc/71802/api-testing.webp","srcSet":"/static/80a2124798188a2366a8093c6f4d4afc/61e93/api-testing.webp 200w,\n/static/80a2124798188a2366a8093c6f4d4afc/1f5c5/api-testing.webp 400w,\n/static/80a2124798188a2366a8093c6f4d4afc/71802/api-testing.webp 770w","sizes":"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px"}}},"author":{"id":"Surendranath Reddy Birudala","github":"reddysuren","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"excerpt":"In reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, as offices closed, few of us knew that we would be working from home for months or forever, Many of us…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/why-mfa-important/"},"html":"In reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic, as offices closed, few of us knew that we would be working from home for months or forever, Many of us set to continue the trend of working from home for the foreseeable future. With remote working set to become the “new normal” for many, it's important to make sure our systems are safe and secure.
\nIn today's digital world, consumers are using more and more web and mobile apps to access various services. These apps require the consumer to create accounts with usernames and passwords. This poses the threats for password breaches due to lack of strong passwords, common passwords, or re-used passwords for multiple sites.
\nBusinesses are looking for ways to protect their digital assets while validating their consumer's identities and at the same time providing a smooth user experience. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is the simplest and the most effective tool to provide another layer on top of the login credentials. After the consumer enters their login credentials, whether via email, phone number, username, or social profile, the consumer verifies the system with some other independent factor. Hence, it restricts any malicious attempt to access the system or service even if someone gets access to the consumer's password.
\nMulti-factor or Two-factor Authentication verifies the consumer's identity using one of the following factors:
\nThere are several MFA authentication methods available leveraging the above authentication factors to protect the consumer account. Businesses can use one or all of the following MFA authentication methods as per their business requirements.
\nThe PIN Authentication feature allows the consumer to set a PIN in addition to the password during registration. After the consumer enters their login credentials, the consumer will be asked to enter the PIN set at the time of registration. This is generally used in devices with physical interfaces like smartphones or PIN pad on the doors. Check our LoginRadius PIN Authentication method to know more.
\nPros: It is easy for consumers to remember and enter the four-digit PIN into the application, eliminating the need to have a device to complete the MFA.
\nCons: Brute forcing the PIN is easier than a password as the PIN is generally a combination of 4 digit numbers.
\nThe consumers are asked to answer some security questions at the time of registration. The security questions should be such that the answers are easy to remember for the consumers, hard to guess for someone else, and be consistent over time. The same security question(s) can be asked as a second factor of authentication to verify the consumer identity. This is used in web applications as you can type security answers quickly on the computer. LoginRadius allows its customers to configure security questions for authentication. Please see the LoginRadius Security Question Overview document for more details.
\nPros: You can easily set up the security questions as most of the services allow you to select the questions from a series of predefined questions. It does not require any additional hardware device.
\nCons: Other people can find out the answers from your social profiles or use social engineering, like phishing emails or phone calls. If they know you, they can also guess the answers to the security questions, e.g., your favorite color, etc. You need to memorize responses for the security questions if you have set the fictitious responses so that nobody can guess or find out.
\nAfter the consumers enter their login credentials, they receive an instant text message with a unique authentication code. The consumers are required to enter the code into the application to get access to their accounts. Visit LoginRadius SMS authentication to know more.
\nPros: MFA via SMS code is the most popular method due to its low cost and easy setup. It is also fast as the text arrives almost instantly.
\nCons: The code is sent over the telecom network, hence, poses the risk of SMS messages being intercepted or redirected. In this case, the consumer will still get the code and report it to the business if it is not he who tried to login into the application. If you have misplaced or don't have the device nearby, Or the device has run out of battery, you can't log in to the application. Some disreputable services can use your phone number for marketing and sales purposes.
\nConsumers receive the code over a phone call instead of receiving the text message.
\nPros: You can receive the call on your cell phones as well as on your landline phones.
\nCons: It requires phone network connectivity to receive the call.
\nLike SMS Authentication, once the consumer enters their login credentials, they receive a unique code in the email. Enter the code to complete the authentication process.
\nPros: You can access the code on any device, hence, removing the need to have a mobile phone nearby.
\nCons: You should avoid logging into your email account on public computers or while you're connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot.
\nInstead of sending a code, a push notification is sent directly to a secure application on the user's device, e.g., a mobile phone asking them to confirm an authentication attempt is made from another device. The consumer can approve or deny access by pressing a button on the device.
\nPros: It provides a better user experience as the consumer does not need to type the code.
\nCons: The push notifications can be compromised if the device is lost, stolen, or someone gets access to the device. Your phone should have access to the internet to complete the push notification. If you are logging from multiple devices or multiple times, you will get many notifications. Hence, you might ignore the authentication information like IP address, location, etc. In the push and approve it without thinking, can grant access to the malicious person.
\nThis requires the consumer to install an authenticator app, e.g., Google Authenticator, to their mobile devices. During registration, the consumers will scan a QR code from the website with the app. The app will auto-generate a Time-Based One Time Password (TOTP) that the consumer will have to enter after they've provided their login credentials. LoginRadius supports MFA via an authenticator app, e.g., Google authenticator.
\nPros: It gives an advantage over SMS Authentication as the code is not sent over the telecom network, but the device is required to be connected to the internet. You can scan the QR code by multiple devices to avoid getting locked out.
\nCons: The authenticator app generates the code with a very short validity, which results in entering invalid codes into your service. Some malware can steal MFA code directly from the authenticator app.
\nU2F is an open authentication standard that leverages encrypted security keys to verify the identity. The consumer needs to plug in a physical security device carrying encrypted security keys into a USB port after submitting their login credentials.
\nPros: This is one of the most secure MFA authentication methods as the device works with the registered site only and can't be digitally intercepted or redirected. Also, the devices don't store any personal information. The consumers can't be authenticated without the physical device.
\nCons: U2F keys require a USB port to plug in the device, making this an untenable solution for mobile devices or devices without USB ports. There is also a cost involved in purchasing these physical devices. Employees mostly use this within an enterprise as they are required to carry the physical device for login.
\nNote: The consumers are mostly provided a set of backup codes to complete the second factor in the event of the device being lost, stolen, or not being accessible. It is recommended to keep these backup codes securely.
\nThe consumer verifies the device's identity using Biometric factors like a Fingerprint, Eye scan, Facial recognition, or Voice recognition on the device. This is mostly used in mobile applications for authenticating the consumers on smartphones with biometric verification capability.
\nLoginRadius supports various forms of biometric authentication e.g. TouchID. You can leverage Any third-party biometric services to provide secondary forms of authentication to consumers.
\nPros: It is complicated to hack biometrics.
\nCons: You can only login into the devices with biometric verification capabilities. The registered services can misuse your biometrics. Once your biometrics are hacked, you can not use them for any applications in the future.
\nWhen the consumer tries to log in to a device, the device location is derived from its IP address or GPS. If the device's location is listed as allowable in the system, access to the system is granted. LoginRadius supports triggering actions based on the stored city, browser, or device. Please see the LoginRadius Risk Based Authentication document for more information.
\nPros: This provides the best user experience as it does not require additional devices or steps to complete MFA.
\nCons: You can only access the device in specific locations or devices.
\nYou can leverage any Multi-factor Authentication method to improve security over the traditional username and password authentication. But none of the MFA methods is 100% foolproof and should not be used as a single factor of account protection. Also, MFA causes the login process longer for the consumer. Hence, the choice of any or combination of MFA methods depends on your business requirements around security and user experience. Here are some recommendations:
\nLosing users on the signup page is wasting your marketing and growth budget because the signup page has a strong password requirement for ensuring security. If you remove complex password requirements, the user will use simple passwords that can be hacked easily. Balancing security and experience is the biggest challenge these days as People have a lot of options to try, and Hackers are ready if anything goes wrong.
\nPasswordless is a way to solve this dilemma, remove passwords means remove complex password requirement and security concerns both. To learn more about how and Why of passwordless authentication, read this - \"Passwordless Authentication: Securing Digital Identity\".
\nLet's talk about How passwordless can reduce the signup friction and how to make it more user friendly.
\nIn this tech era, we have a lot of online accounts on several apps, and the following password requirements are few examples to create a secure password:
\nSeriously, this all need to do by users to keep their account safe on your app! Password Managers are a solution, but they have their issues, installing their extensions and software, Device sync available with paid plans only, and so on.
\nBut Passwordless is the answer to it. It removes all password frictions and allows users to signup with a single click.
\nThe passwordless interface must be designed as a unified interface for authentication. Either use is new or existing, just let them use a single interface. If the user is new, internally create an account and log in and for registered users, start the user's session.
\nIt allows users not to remember if they are already registered or not. It reduces the number of clicks too.
\nIt can be implemented in mobile devices as one-tap authentication, which means the user needs to tap once and sign up the user and start the session.
\nIt's impossible to ask for any other information with a unified interface because we don't know the user is new or existing. So we have to use Progressive Disclosure UX principle to ask for more details based on the user's existence in the system.
\nProgressive disclosure always reduces the complexity. User's love to enter without providing huge details.
\nPasswordless can be an excellent approach to reduce user drops on the signup page with better UX practices. The most significant friction on the signup page is too many details and Complex Passwords. Remove them. Users will love it.
\nOn the signup page, you should include better messaging to motivate the user to sign up.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 10, 2021","updated_date":null,"description":"How passwordless can be an excellent approach to reduce user drops on the signup page with better UX practices.","title":"Optimize Your Sign Up Page By Going Passwordless","tags":["Passwordless"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/6828833d7eb0dad6d57075a8365adb95/58556/open-source.webp","srcSet":"/static/6828833d7eb0dad6d57075a8365adb95/61e93/open-source.webp 200w,\n/static/6828833d7eb0dad6d57075a8365adb95/1f5c5/open-source.webp 400w,\n/static/6828833d7eb0dad6d57075a8365adb95/58556/open-source.webp 800w,\n/static/6828833d7eb0dad6d57075a8365adb95/dd926/open-source.webp 1127w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Ravi Teja Ganta","github":"ravitejag","avatar":null}}}}]},"markdownRemark":{"excerpt":"Introduction Ever wondered how apps like Spotify, Netflix, or Slack manage seamless login experiences across devices? Many of them use JWT…","fields":{"slug":"/engineering/how-to-integrate-jwt/"},"html":"Ever wondered how apps like Spotify, Netflix, or Slack manage seamless login experiences across devices? Many of them use JWT, or JSON Web Tokens, a compact, stateless method for securely transmitting user identity and session data across services.
\nWith JWT token authentication, identity information is embedded in a signed token, allowing you to maintain user sessions without server-side storage. This approach is highly scalable and ideal for modern architectures like SPAs, mobile apps, and microservices.
\nIn this blog, we’ll walk you through what is JWT, why use it, and how to implement JWT authentication using LoginRadius.
\nYou’ll learn what JWT is, why it’s effective, and how it works in real-world applications. We'll cover both integration methods (IDX and Direct API), generating your signing key, managing sessions, storing the JWT token securely, and applying best practices throughout.
\nWhether you're a developer, product manager, or IAM architect, this guide offers a complete foundation for implementing JWT token authentication into your application stack.
\nJSON Web Token (JWT) is an open standard (RFC 7519) used to transmit information securely between parties as a JSON object. It’s compact, self-contained, and digitally signed, making it a reliable format for authentication and authorization across modern applications.
\nA JWT consists of three parts:
\nExample of a token structure:
\n<base64Header>.<base64Payload>.<signature>
\n![\"Flowchart](\"/f29edbf2978577390c7ffa02e9bc4dda/lr-JWT-authentication.webp\")
JWT simplifies identity verification, especially when you're building apps that talk to APIs or need to scale without centralized session storage.
\nLoginRadius provides robust support for JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication, which allows for flexible and secure access control across different digital platforms. Whether you're building a fully custom identity flow or using a pre-built interface, the platform supports various integration approaches depending on your architecture.
\nIf you're looking to understand how to implement JWT token authentication effectively, LoginRadius offers two primary implementation models that cater to different levels of customization and control:
\nThe IDX-hosted login approach enables secure, standards-compliant, JWT-based authentication without requiring you to build a custom login interface. This is a strategic option for fast, compliant, and user-friendly deployments.
\n![\"Screenshot](\"/9fb19dd9c88c7916aeebd03ab6e661b7/lr-admin-console.webp\")
{
\n\"access_token\": \"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR...\",
\n\"expires_in\": 1800
\n}
\nThis integration approach works best for all teams that want effective identity workflows without the complexity of building proprietary login screens, something that is crucial for customer portals, onboarding of mobile applications, and even managing access for business partners.
\nIf you’re building a custom login UI or working in a headless environment, LoginRadius lets you generate and handle JWTs directly through its Authentication APIs. Here’s how you can programmatically perform token authentication using the classic method:
\nSend a POST login request to the LR Authentication URL:
\nPOST /identity/v2/auth/login
\nInclude the user’s credentials (email + password) in the request body.
\n{
\n\"access_token\": \"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...\",
\n\"expires_in\": 3600
\n}
\nWith LoginRadius, it is possible to customize the payload to include user roles and/or any additional metadata. You can set custom JWT claims on the Admin Console.
\nWith this method, you have complete customization over login flows while using LoginRadius to issue signed JWTs for user session management.
\nNOTE- With either method, LoginRadius ensures that JWTs are securely signed, optionally short-lived, and compatible with standard token validation libraries, making integration seamless for everyone.
\nTo get started with JWT implementation, you can read our complete developer documentation.
\n![\"Illustration](\"/15ec02ac98d24a9f1f28e5d0f06b9174/IDX-vs-Direct-API-JWT.webp\")
Session management is how your app keeps track of a user after they log in so they don’t have to prove who they are with every request.
\nIn traditional apps, sessions are stored on the server using session IDs. Every time a request comes in, the server checks that session ID to verify the user.
\nIn modern apps, especially SPAs and APIs, JWTs are used to manage sessions without needing server-side storage; this is called stateless session management. The token itself carries the user’s identity, roles, and expiration details. As long as the token is valid, the user stays logged in.
\nGood session management ensures:
\nUser Logs In
\nClient Stores the Token
\nAccess Token Expiry
\nToken Renewal
\nWhen the user logs out, both the access token and refresh token should be cleared from client storage.
\nHowever, access tokens are stateless and cannot be revoked mid-lifecycle unless:
\nCombining these strategies gives you greater control over token misuse and enables a robust, enterprise-grade logout flow.
\n![\"illustration](\"/e55ae4bbc8ce62e13f03e46e29ebe7cc/api-economy.webp\")
When you implement JWT-based authentication, the client (browser or mobile app) needs a way to store the access token and, optionally, the refresh token after they are issued by the authentication server. This stored token is then attached to every subsequent request to prove the user's identity.
\nChoosing where to store the JWT is a crucial security decision. The most common storage options are:
\nEach option has trade-offs between security, accessibility, and persistence, and the right choice depends on your application's architecture and threat model.
\nAccess Tokens
\nRefresh Tokens
\nJWT authentication with LoginRadius offers a modern, stateless approach to managing sessions across distributed systems. The IDX integration is ideal for rapid deployment, while the Direct API model is best for organizations needing deep customization and integration flexibility.
\nWith robust token signing, refresh capabilities, and centralized control, LoginRadius provides a future-ready foundation for secure, scalable identity architecture. Contact us to know more about JWT authentication and implementation guide.
\nA: JWT authentication securely verifies user identities, enabling stateless session management across web, mobile apps, and microservices without server-side session storage.
\nA: LoginRadius simplifies JWT integration by offering hosted IDX login pages and direct API-based authentication methods, enabling rapid deployment and deep customization.
\nA: Yes, JWT authentication is secure when implemented with best practices like short-lived tokens, secure storage methods, signature validation, and refresh token rotation.
\nA: Yes, LoginRadius allows revocation of JWT refresh tokens explicitly, and supports strategies like short-lived tokens and key rotation to manage token lifecycles securely.
\n","frontmatter":{"date":"April 15, 2025","updated_date":null,"description":"Discover JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication, its advantages, and how to integrate it seamlessly using LoginRadius' hosted IDX and Direct API methods for secure, scalable identity management.","title":"JWT Authentication with LoginRadius: Quick Integration Guide","tags":["JWT","JSON Web Token","Authentication","Authorization"],"pinned":null,"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":0.7782101167315175,"src":"/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/58556/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp","srcSet":"/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/61e93/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 200w,\n/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/1f5c5/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 400w,\n/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/58556/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 800w,\n/static/4cedb7829f98208cbc6d5a9aea4e983d/1cc9f/how-to-integrate-jwt.webp 896w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Kundan Singh","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},"pageContext":{"limit":6,"skip":84,"currentPage":15,"type":"//engineering//","numPages":53,"pinned":"5c425581-f474-5ae9-abe7-cf5342db2aaa"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1171199041","1384082988","2100481360","23180105","528864852"]}