Incremental Testing

Incremental testing is a disciplined method of testing the interfaces between unit-tested programs and between system components. It involves adding unit-tested programs to a given module or component one by one, and testing each resultant combination. There are two types of incremental testing:

Top-down – which begins testing from the top of the module hierarchy and works down to the bottom using interim stubs to simulate lower interfacing modules or programs. Modules are added in descending hierarchical order.

Bottom-up – which begins testing from the bottom of the hierarchy and works up to the top. Modules are added in ascending hierarchical order. Bottom-up testing requires the development of driver modules, which provide the test input, call the module or program being tested, and display test output.

There are pros and cons associated with each of these methods, although bottom-up testing is generally considered easier to use. Drivers tend to be less difficult to create than stubs, and can serve multiple purposes. Output from bottom-up testing is also often easier to examine, as it always comes from the module directly above the module under test.