Differences Between Unit Testing And Integration Testing Explained

  Before the software codes are merged or deployed to the UAT environment, unit and integration testing are the two most popular testing phases. Although both sounds almost similar, there are significant differences between them. That's why knowing them beforehand will be much more beneficial for you.

In the following section, we have pointed out the differences between these two testing phases for your better understanding.

What is unit testing? What is integration testing?

The first thing that we need to learn is what exactly integration and unit testing is. Usually, most software development life cycles are now based on the agile technique. The software is divided into multiple modules; each developed at a time.

In unit testing, the developers test the module or functionality they developed. It is performed on the local host server, and any change done in the code post the test results does not directly impact the integration or system environment.

Once the unit testing is done, and developers are satisfied with the results, they release the codes to the main offshore testing environment. Multiple modules are integrated and tested here, hence the name integration testing. SIT or software integration testing covers multiple modules that are interconnected simultaneously.

Differences Between The Unit And Integration Testing

Unit Testing	Integration Testing
The software modules are tested individually without considering the integrations in unit testing.	Integration testing is done to check how different modules perform and the impact of one module on another once they are integrated.
Every tester concerned with unit testing knows the ins and outs of the software codes.	The integration tester needs to gain knowledge about the code and process services.
Usually, unit testing is done during the development phase.	Once the codes are deployed to the offshore testing environment, integration testing is done.
Unit testing is often considered white box testing, where the internal components of the software are tested.	Integration testing is about black box testing, where the front-end functionalities are tested.
Defects and bugs can be easily detected during unit testing because singular modules are tested.	It is hard to detect the defects and bugs in the integration testing phase because multiple interconnected modules are involved.
Unit testing methodologies don’t require intensive maintenance, which is one of the primary advantages for IT companies.	Integration testing involves extensive maintenance.

 

Conclusion

With the differences between unit and integration testing now explained in this article, you can easily orchestrate the workflow and ensure maximum bugs and defects can be detected. For further information, you can connect with the experts at QA Genesis.