CSC/ECE 517 Fall 2009/wiki1b 4 mv

Topic: Functional and integration testing and beyond

Problem Statement: We have focused mainly on unit tests in this course. But functional and integration testing are also important. How does one write good functional and integration tests? Are there any kinds of tests beyond unit, functional, and integration that one should implement to gain confidence that one's code is correct?

Before diving into the aspects of Integration and Functional testing we need to understand we need to give some basic understanding of testing. Below is a broad overview of some of the aspects that need needs to be brushed up on to get a better understanding of the wiki page.

What is Sofware Testing Software testing is a very important phase of any product development. It is essential for a system to be tested thoroughly so that it could be released to the outside world. It does not show good of a vendor if they deploy a code which has not been tested and result in a great deal of emabarassment if the errors are discovered after it has been deployed in production. It is of utmost (empirical) for a company to understand the various risks of the product that is being implemented, both the technical as well as the functional aspects. We need to first A clear definition for Software Testing is "FIND A DEFINITION"

Software Test Plan http://www.readysetpro.com/whitepapers/testplans.html

Different stages of Software Testing http://www.aptest.com/testtypes.html (eiher use reference to this place or type in our own words)

We are basically going to stress on integration and functional testing.

Functional Testing:

Integration Testing: Integration Testing is a process of testing the application on the whole. After going through the unit testing of the modules, these modules need to be integrated, and during this process things may go wrong, Integration process is the phase wherein these errors are captured and rectified.

(http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa292128%28VS.71%29.aspx) Integration testing can be done in a variety of ways

1. The top-down approach to integration testing requires the highest-level modules be test and integrated first. This allows high-level logic and data flow to be tested early in the process and it tends to minimize the need for drivers. However, the need for stubs complicates test management and low-level utilities are tested relatively late in the development cycle. Another disadvantage of top-down integration testing is its poor support for early release of limited functionality.
2. The bottom-up approach requires the lowest-level units be tested and integrated first. These units are frequently referred to as utility modules. By using this approach, utility modules are tested early in the development process and the need for stubs is minimized. The downside, however, is that the need for drivers complicates test management and high-level logic and data flow are tested late. Like the top-down approach, the bottom-up approach also provides poor support for early release of limited functionality.
3. The third approach, sometimes referred to as the umbrella approach, requires testing along functional data and control-flow paths. First, the inputs for functions are integrated in the bottom-up pattern discussed above. The outputs for each function are then integrated in the top-down manner. The primary advantage of this approach is the degree of support for early release of limited functionality. It also helps minimize the need for stubs and drivers. The potential weaknesses of this approach are significant, however, in that it can be less systematic than the other two approaches, leading to the need for more regression testing.

How To write Good Integration Test Cases http://www.exforsys.com/tutorials/testing/integration-testing-whywhathow.html ... Link is very elaborate.

Functional Tests: Functioanl Test usually check whether the code is running according to what the user/client needs.

http://www.davenicolette.net/articles/ftdd.pdf