Explaining the Difference Between Unit Testing and Integration Testing

Unit testing and integration testing are both essential components of software testing, each serving a distinct purpose in the development process:

Unit Testing:

Unit testing involves isolating and testing individual components or modules of a software application. It focuses on verifying the correctness of the smallest unit of code, typically a function or method, in isolation from the rest of the system. Unit tests are often automated and help ensure that each unit behaves as expected.

Integration Testing:

Integration testing, on the other hand, involves testing the interactions between different components or modules to ensure that they work together as intended. It validates the communication and data flow between these units and uncovers any potential integration issues. Integration tests are performed after unit testing and before system testing in the software testing lifecycle.

In summary, while unit testing focuses on testing individual units of code in isolation, integration testing concentrates on testing the interactions and interfaces between these units to detect any integration issues early in the development process.