integration testing
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integration testing



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DEFINITION -

Integration testing, also known as integration and testing (I&T), is a software development process which program units are combined and tested as groups in multiple ways. In this context, a unit is defined as the smallest testable part of an application. Integration testing can expose problems with the interfaces among program components before trouble occurs in real-world program execution. Integration testing is a component of Extreme Programming (XP), a pragmatic method of software development that takes a meticulous approach to building a product by means of continual testing and revision.

There are two major ways of carrying out an integration test, called the bottom-up method and the top-down method. Bottom-up integration testing begins with unit testing, followed by tests of of progressively higher-level combinations of units called modules or builds. In top-down integration testing, the highest-level modules are tested first and progressively lower-level modules are tested after that. In a comprehensive software development environment, bottom-up testing is usually done first, followed by top-down testing. The process concludes with multiple tests of the complete application, preferably in scenarios designed to mimic those it will encounter in customers' computers, systems and networks.

LAST UPDATED: 17 Mar 2008

Read more about integration testing:
- The Open Process Framework Repository Organization (OPFRO) outlines the integration testing process.
- Jeffrey Palermo provides a simple demonstration of integration testing.
- Mark Seemann discusses some principles of integration testing.
- Emerson Process Management offers an integration testing service.


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