Software Engineering-Integration Testing

A neophyte in the software world might ask a seemingly legitimate question once all modules have been unit tested: "If they all work i...


A neophyte in the software world might ask a seemingly legitimate question once all modules have been unit tested: "If they all work individually, why do you doubt that they'll work when we put them together?" The problem, of course, is "putting them together"—interfacing. Data can be lost across an interface; one module can have an inadvertent, adverse affect on another; subfunctions, when combined, may not produce the desired major function; individually acceptable imprecision may be magnified to unacceptable levels; global data structures can present problems. Sadly, the list goes on and on.

Integration testing is a systematic technique for constructing the program structure while at the same time conducting tests to uncover errors associated with interfacing. The objective is to take unit tested components and build a program structure that has been dictated by design.

There is often a tendency to attempt nonincremental integration; that is, to construct the program using a "big bang" approach. All components are combined in advance. The entire program is tested as a whole. And chaos usually results! A set of errors is encountered. Correction is difficult because isolation of causes is complicated by the vast expanse of the entire program. Once these errors are corrected, new ones appear and the process continues in a seemingly endless loop.

Incremental integration is the antithesis of the big bang approach. The program
is constructed and tested in small increments, where errors are easier to isolate and
correct; interfaces are more likely to be tested completely; and a systematic test
approach may be applied.

Top-down Integration

Top-down integration testing is an incremental approach to construction of program structure. Modules are integrated by moving downward through the control hierarchy, beginning with the main control module (main program). Modules subordinate (and ultimately subordinate) to the main control module are incorporated into the structure in either a depth-first or breadth-first manner.
Referring to figure, depth-first integration would integrate all components on a major control path of the structure. Selection of a major path is somewhat arbitrary and depends on application-specific characteristics. For example, selecting the lefthand path, components M1, M2 , M5 would be integrated first. Next, M8 or (if necessary for proper functioning of M2) M6 would be integrated. Then, the central and righthand control paths are built. Breadth-first integration incorporates all components directly subordinate at each level, moving across the structure horizontally. From the figure, components M2, M3, and M4 (a replacement for stub S4) would be integrated first. The next control level, M5, M6, and so on, follows.

The integration process is performed in a series of five steps:
1. The main control module is used as a test driver and stubs are substituted for all components directly subordinate to the main control module.
2. Depending on the integration approach selected (i.e., depth or breadth first), subordinate stubs are replaced one at a time with actual components.
3. Tests are conducted as each component is integrated.
4. On completion of each set of tests, another stub is replaced with the real component.
5. Regression testing may be conducted to ensure that new errors have not been introduced.
The process continues from step 2 until the entire program structure is built.
 The top-down integration strategy verifies major control or decision points early in the test process. In a well-factored program structure, decision making occurs at upper levels in the hierarchy and is therefore encountered first. If major control problems do exist, early recognition is essential. If depth-first integration is selected, a complete function of the software may be implemented and demonstrated. For example, consider a classic transaction structure  in which a complex series of interactive inputs is requested, acquired, and validated via an incoming path. The incoming path may be integrated in a top-down manner. All input processing (for subsequent transaction dispatching) may be demonstrated before other elements of the structure have been integrated. Early demonstration of functional capability is a confidence builder for both the developer and the customer.

Top-down strategy sounds relatively uncomplicated, but in practice, logistical problems can arise. The most common of these problems occurs when processing at low levels in the hierarchy is required to adequately test upper levels. Stubs replace lowlevel modules at the beginning of top-down testing; therefore, no significant data can flow upward in the program structure. The tester is left with three choices: (1) delay many tests until stubs are replaced with actual modules, (2) develop stubs that perform limited functions that simulate the actual module, or (3) integrate the software from the bottom of the hierarchy upward.

The first approach (delay tests until stubs are replaced by actual modules) causes us to loose some control over correspondence between specific tests and incorporation of specific modules. This can lead to difficulty in determining the cause of errors and tends to violate the highly constrained nature of the top-down approach. The second approach is workable but can lead to significant overhead, as stubs become more and more complex.

Bottom-up Integration

Bottom-up integration testing, as its name implies, begins construction and testing with atomic modules (i.e., components at the lowest levels in the program structure). Because components are integrated from the bottom up, processing required for components subordinate to a given level is always available and the need for stubs is eliminated.

A bottom-up integration strategy may be implemented with the following steps:
1. Low-level components are combined into clusters (sometimes called builds) that perform a specific software subfunction.
2. A driver (a control program for testing) is written to coordinate test case input and output.
3. The cluster is tested.
4. Drivers are removed and clusters are combined moving upward in the program structure.

Integration follows the pattern illustrated in figure. Components are combined to form clusters 1, 2, and 3. Each of the clusters is tested using a driver (shown as a dashed block). Components in clusters 1 and 2 are subordinate to Ma. Drivers D1 and D2 are removed and the clusters are interfaced directly to Ma. Similarly, driver D3 for cluster 3 is removed prior to integration with module Mb. Both Ma and Mb will ultimately be integrated with component Mc, and so forth.
As integration moves upward, the need for separate test drivers lessens. In fact, if the top two levels of program structure are integrated top down, the number of drivers can be reduced substantially and integration of clusters is greatly simplified.
Name

ADO,131,ASP,3,C++,61,CORE JAVA,1,CSS,115,HTML,297,index,5,JAVASCRIPT,210,OS,47,PHP,65,SAD,53,SERVLETS,23,SOFTWARE ENGINEERING,245,SQL,71,TCP/IP,1,XHTML,9,XML,18,
ltr
item
Best Online Tutorials | Source codes | Programming Languages: Software Engineering-Integration Testing
Software Engineering-Integration Testing
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjljGuROBJKK4oV5TOJPL5smgC3bHVj7Y_V61N0jnyLHgA-rCGTcWAyx7PPA5eV0eaykg8IojXVP2JSRRU6eEXWulboX9Vrok-btCpoQLiXT26CWBvXQOTV99GbFBYgNPES4j27rVtR5Q/s320/Capture.PNG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjljGuROBJKK4oV5TOJPL5smgC3bHVj7Y_V61N0jnyLHgA-rCGTcWAyx7PPA5eV0eaykg8IojXVP2JSRRU6eEXWulboX9Vrok-btCpoQLiXT26CWBvXQOTV99GbFBYgNPES4j27rVtR5Q/s72-c/Capture.PNG
Best Online Tutorials | Source codes | Programming Languages
https://www.1000sourcecodes.com/2012/05/software-engineering-integration.html
https://www.1000sourcecodes.com/
https://www.1000sourcecodes.com/
https://www.1000sourcecodes.com/2012/05/software-engineering-integration.html
true
357226456970214079
UTF-8
Loaded All Posts Not found any posts VIEW ALL Readmore Reply Cancel reply Delete By Home PAGES POSTS View All RECOMMENDED FOR YOU LABEL ARCHIVE SEARCH ALL POSTS Not found any post match with your request Back Home Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec just now 1 minute ago $$1$$ minutes ago 1 hour ago $$1$$ hours ago Yesterday $$1$$ days ago $$1$$ weeks ago more than 5 weeks ago Followers Follow THIS PREMIUM CONTENT IS LOCKED STEP 1: Share to a social network STEP 2: Click the link on your social network Copy All Code Select All Code All codes were copied to your clipboard Can not copy the codes / texts, please press [CTRL]+[C] (or CMD+C with Mac) to copy Table of Content