Integration test
A check that selected software parts work together as intended through their interfaces.
Check collaboration at a boundary
An integration test checks selected software parts working together. Its scope can be narrow or broad. Record which components really run, which dependencies are replaced and which interface is thereby tested.
In a fictional example, an API passes a change request to the designated test database and reads the same record back. This checks that collaboration, not automatically the complete user journey. If a dependency is simulated, the simulation must represent needed behaviour accurately; its agreement with the real interface needs additional assurance. The label integration test alone does not establish whether an external system actually participated.
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Related terms
- Unit testA focused check of a small, defined part of software, such as a rule or function.
- End-to-end testA check of an agreed workflow across the system parts essential to it.
- Contract testA test of agreed messages between a consumer and a provider at an application interface.
- Legacy systemAn existing system still in use, with technical and business dependencies accumulated over time.
- Multi-tenancyMulti-tenancy supports separate customer or group scopes in one solution. A tenant is not automatically one person or one database.
- Browser cacheThe browser cache stores suitable HTTP responses for later use. Reuse and revalidation follow the applicable rules.
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