Integration Testing
Integration testing is a software testing methodology that focuses on verifying the interactions and data flow between different modules, components, or services of an application. It ensures that combined parts of the system work together as expected, detecting issues like interface mismatches, data corruption, or communication failures. This type of testing typically occurs after unit testing and before system testing in the software development lifecycle.
Developers should learn and use integration testing when building complex applications with multiple interconnected components, such as microservices architectures, APIs, or distributed systems, to catch defects early that unit tests might miss. It is crucial for ensuring reliability in scenarios like database interactions, third-party service integrations, or multi-module applications, helping prevent costly bugs in production and improving overall system stability.