Note that there are additional, nonfunctional unit tests which will be discussed later. Every module described in the detailed design document has to be implemented . This includes the small act of coding or programming that is the heart and soul of the software engineering process. Integration When all modules are nominally complete, system-level integration can be done. This is where all of the modules move into a single source pool and are compiled and linked and packaged as a system.
Integration includes the development of a system-level test.
Sometimes, in the middleware arena, the package is just a built source pool, in which case no installation tools will exist and system testing will be done on the as-built pool. It's possible that the unit tests will serve some of these needs, and all unit tests should be run in sequence during the integration, build, and packaging process. Field Testing Field testing usually begins internally. That means employees of the organization that produced the software package will run it on their own computers. The software developers should be available for direct technical support during internal field testing.