Integration testing is a level of
software
testing process where individual units are combined and tested as a
group. Integrating testing is performed to find out defects in the interface
and between integrated components. Integration testing is performed by
independent testers or it can be performed by developers of software testing companies. Integration
testing is very important for software
testing and consists of four steps.
·
Acceptance testing
·
System testing
·
Integration testing
·
Unit testing
Classification of Unit
Interfaces:
The developer of each program unit ascertains and documents
the unit’s interfaces for the following unit operations: Here is a list of test
cases for integration testing.
·
External inquiry
·
External input
·
External filing
·
External display
·
External output
In external inquiry
it has to be observed whether the queries from terminals for information are
getting right response.
External Input:
In this step all the entered data is tested whether the data
entered for processing is managed properly or not.
External Filing:
At this level it is tested that all files are updated and
all transactions are creating files properly on computer.
Internal Filing:
At this level it is to be checked that all receiving and
passing information from other logical processing units are correct or not.
External Display:
It is to observe that the system is correctly processing
sending message to terminals.
External output:
It is to check that the result of processing is being
received by some output device or unit.
Reconcile Interfaces:
This information is required for the integration test
template. That is collected from all program units for software testing.
Creating Integration Test Conditions:
Test condition are created, after the creation of these test
condition, test condition is documented on test template for software testing.
Evaluation of Test Conditions:
A list of question is created that will help in the
evaluation of test conditions on the integration testing template. This list
indicates that test conditions created for the integration process are
complete.
·
Record test?
·
File test?
·
Search test?
·
-Match/merge test?
·
Attributes test?
·
Stress test?
·
Control test?
So integration testing is performed after unit testing and
before system testing. Here are four approaches used for integration testing.
·
Big bang
·
Top down
·
Bottom up
·
Sandwich/ hybrid
Big bang approach is one where all units are combined
together at tested at once. In top down approach all top level units are
tested. In bottom up approach of integration testing, bottom level units are
tested before and top level units are tested after that. Sandwich approach is a
mix approach of top down and bottom approaches for software testing.
This is how integration testing takes place all of the test
cases and approaches plays a very critical role in integration testing. In
integrating testing main objective is to define test cases and to apply them
using various approaches. In software testing company
integration testing is considered an integral part of software testing.
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