Ensure Successful Integration Test with These Best Practices
Tags: integration, testing
Published: 2024-01-10 11:49:36

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One of the critical phases of the software testing process is integration testing. Effective integration testing is increasingly important to find flaws before they become serious concerns as software systems get more sophisticated. It might be difficult to know where to start when it comes to integration testing best practices because there are many recommended practices. Therefore, we have this post to let you know some of the best integration test practices to start with.

**Launch early integration testing**

Several advantages come from beginning integration tests at the beginning of the software development process. You can find errors and fix them sooner in the development cycle, saving a lot of time and work. 

Both performance and quality can be assessed through early integration testing, which can help making development decisions. Before it’s too late in the production cycle, you can gather input on the system’s performance by commencing integration testing early.

**Go for small-batch testing**

In contrast, it is simpler to locate the issue and determine which component is to blame when testing smaller batches of code. In the long run, this reduces time and effort and may lower the price of problem-solving. 

Debugging is facilitated as errors are more easily isolated by testing small batches of code concurrently. To get the most out of this practice cycle, integration test strategies and test cases must be meticulously documented in addition to being tested in small batches.

**Allow negative testing**

During the integration testing process, multiple structures and continuous integration are used. For this reason, you should test for both unexpected and expected behaviors, such as edge cases or incorrect inputs. This will make it easier to spot any potential security holes or less evident problems.

**Automate testing**

Integration tests can be conducted more quickly and with less effort if they are automated, and this increases their consistency and dependability. The time and effort needed for manual testing are decreased by using automated integration testing to perform integration tests fast and effectively. 

You can find and address problems in your system earlier in the development process by using automated tests, which can be run more quickly and often. This lessens the possibility of issues being found at an expensive point in the development cycle.

**Don’t limit yourself to integration testing**

The testing process will continue with how your software components interact with one another or even with other modules from third parties. Your program will be put into use in a full production ecosystem. The user experience that your clients have with your application depends on how your application behaves in your production environment as well as how it interacts with all of those other auxiliary components. Run system tests that precisely replicate your production environment after you verified your high-level design with integration testing.

**Final words**

Integral testing of components or modules is the key. To get good results from integration testing, you must adhere to best practices. You can select Opkey for the integration testing methods since it is one of the best platforms for automated testing. Opkey automates ERP testing for hundreds of international organizations using a variety of packaged programs and settings. With 250+ global organizations, 30,000+ pre-built test cases encompassing more than 15 different ERPs, and more than 150 different technologies, the platform is already assisting its customers in lowering maintenance costs!