Writing back a collection to json after modification does not save collection in correct format

[aksbenz]

I load a collection into collection object using:

myCollection = new Collection(JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('sample-collection.json').toString()));

// Do some manipulations and export

fs.writeFileSync('myCollection.postman_collection', JSON.stringify(myCollection, null, 2));

The original request has some disabled parameters, but in the exported collection, the URL has all the parameters. Even without exporting when using this Collection object as a parameter to newman api (options.collection), all the requests made by newman include disabled parameters. Due to this I am unable to use newman api with Collection object, since I need to modify collections before running them.

If I do this with newman, it executes the request with disabled parameters:

newman.run({
    collection: myCollection,
    reporters: 'cli'
}, (err, summary) => {
    console.log('DONE');
});

Original Collection:

{
    "info": {
        "name": "Temp",
        "_postman_id": "734b99af-72b1-a510-dc4c-10214c91aeee",
        "description": "",
        "schema": "https://schema.getpostman.com/json/collection/v2.0.0/collection.json"
    },
    "item": [
        {
            "name": "GET Request",
            "event": [
                {
                    "listen": "test",
                    "script": {
                        "type": "text/javascript",
                        "exec": [
                            "var responseJSON;",
                            "",
                            "try { ",
                            "    responseJSON = JSON.parse(responseBody); ",
                            "    tests['response is valid JSON'] = true;",
                            "}",
                            "catch (e) { ",
                            "    responseJSON = {}; ",
                            "    tests['response is valid JSON'] = false;",
                            "}",
                            "",
                            "tests['response json contains headers'] = _.has(responseJSON, 'headers');",
                            "tests['response json contains args'] = _.has(responseJSON, 'args');",
                            "tests['response json contains url'] = _.has(responseJSON, 'url');",
                            "",
                            "tests['args key contains argument passed as url parameter'] = ('test' in responseJSON.args);",
                            "tests['args passed via request url params has value \"123\"'] = (_.get(responseJSON, 'args.test') === \"123\");"
                        ]
                    }
                }
            ],
            "request": {
                "method": "GET",
                "header": [],
                "body": {},
                "url": {
                    "raw": "https://postman-echo.com/get?test=123&value1=test1",
                    "protocol": "https",
                    "host": [
                        "postman-echo",
                        "com"
                    ],
                    "path": [
                        "get"
                    ],
                    "query": [
                        {
                            "key": "test",
                            "value": "123",
                            "equals": true
                        },
                        {
                            "key": "value1",
                            "value": "test1",
                            "equals": true
                        },
                        {
                            "key": "value2",
                            "value": "test2",
                            "equals": true,
                            "disabled": true
                        },
                        {
                            "key": "value3",
                            "value": "test3",
                            "equals": true,
                            "disabled": true
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "description": "The HTTP `GET` request method is meant to retrieve data from a server. The data\nis identified by a unique URI (Uniform Resource Identifier). \n\nA `GET` request can pass parameters to the server using \"Query String \nParameters\". For example, in the following request,\n\n> http://example.com/hi/there?hand=wave\n\nThe parameter \"hand\" has the value \"wave\".\n\nThis endpoint echoes the HTTP headers, request parameters and the complete\nURI requested."
            },
            "response": []
        }
    ]
}

Exported Collection:

{
  "info": {
    "id": "734b99af-72b1-a510-dc4c-10214c91aeee",
    "name": "Temp",
    "schema": "https://schema.getpostman.com/json/collection/v2.0.0/collection.json"
  },
  "event": [],
  "variable": [],
  "item": [
    {
      "id": "6a4bba75-d29c-4505-91b2-7fca425cb853",
      "name": "GET Request",
      "request": {
        "url": "https://postman-echo.com/get?test=123&value1=test1&value2=test2&value3=test3",
        "method": "GET",
        "body": {},
        "description": {
          "content": "The HTTP `GET` request method is meant to retrieve data from a server. The data\nis identified by a unique URI (Uniform Resource Identifier). \n\nA `GET` request can pass parameters to the server using \"Query String \nParameters\". For example, in the following request,\n\n> http://example.com/hi/there?hand=wave\n\nThe parameter \"hand\" has the value \"wave\".\n\nThis endpoint echoes the HTTP headers, request parameters and the complete\nURI requested.",
          "type": "text/plain"
        }
      },
      "response": [],
      "event": [
        {
          "listen": "test",
          "script": {
            "type": "text/javascript",
            "exec": [
              "var responseJSON;",
              "",
              "try { ",
              "    responseJSON = JSON.parse(responseBody); ",
              "    tests['response is valid JSON'] = true;",
              "}",
              "catch (e) { ",
              "    responseJSON = {}; ",
              "    tests['response is valid JSON'] = false;",
              "}",
              "",
              "tests['response json contains headers'] = _.has(responseJSON, 'headers');",
              "tests['response json contains args'] = _.has(responseJSON, 'args');",
              "tests['response json contains url'] = _.has(responseJSON, 'url');",
              "",
              "tests['args key contains argument passed as url parameter'] = ('test' in responseJSON.args);",
              "tests['args passed via request url params has value \"123\"'] = (_.get(responseJSON, 'args.test') === \"123\");"
            ]
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

[kbuzby]

I'm not exactly sure, but my guess is that you'd want to use the toJSON() method on the collection object and then call JSON.stringify on the result of that.

[shamasis]

@kamalaknn runtime should now do disabled support check within itself and property list could help in filtering that out. Maybe schedule in next release.

[shamasis]

This is planned for runtime v8.

[shamasis]

@codenirvana - is the initiative around handling disabled properties taking care of this?

[codenirvana]

@aksbenz can you confirm if this still persists with the latest version of the postman-collection? Also, try using JSON.stringify(myCollection.toJSON(), null, 2);

[codenirvana]

Closing because of inactivity.