[TIP] Difference between functional test and integration test

[Michael Williamson]

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:47:18 +0000
Michael Foord <michael at voidspace.org.uk> wrote:

> On 10 Feb 2013, at 12:53, Ned Batchelder <ned at nedbatchelder.com>
> wrote:  
> > This is a great example: "functional" usually means smaller than
> > "integration", and therefore, more tightly focused and runs
> > quicker.  
> 
> I've "normally" seen those terms used the opposite way round. Do you
> have any references?  

This is true of my experience as well. Whenever I've heard "functional
tests", they've meant exercising the entire system at once, such as
using Selenium to drive a web application or firing HTTP requests at
an HTTP endpoint. I've always found the term a bit vague though, so I
tend to prefer the term "end-to-end tests", or perhaps "system tests".
Although, depending on who you talk to, end-to-end tests are distinct
from system tests.

Michael