Which type of testing is performed after unit testing to ensure that all components work together?

Integration testing is a crucial phase in the software development lifecycle that follows unit testing. While unit testing focuses on verifying the functionality of individual components or modules in isolation, integration testing assesses how these separate modules work together as a collective system.

The main goal of integration testing is to identify any issues that arise when components are combined. It helps to ensure that the interfaces between modules function correctly and that data is passed smoothly between them. This type of testing checks for defects related to interactions and can reveal problems that might not be apparent when testing modules independently.

In addition, integration testing may also involve testing different layers of the application, such as connecting the user interface to the business logic and database to ensure that the entire application operates as intended. This step is essential for delivering a reliable and functional software product, as it validates that the integrated system meets the specified requirements.

Furthermore, although system testing, acceptance testing, and unit testing are important aspects of the overall testing strategy, they serve different purposes. System testing evaluates the overall behavior of the fully integrated system against the requirements, acceptance testing verifies if the system meets the end-user needs and is ready for deployment, while unit testing is concerned with the individual components. Hence, integration testing plays a pivotal role in bridging the