Finding and fixing flaws in software is what testing is all about. However, it is common for new bugs to appear after developers fix an existing one. Automation of regression testing helps in this situation. It ensures that no further issues develop after developers fix a bug or modify some code.
After developers implement a software fix, they run regression testing tools to ensure that the fix hasn’t broken anything else in the product. They can do this automatically or manually by running a predetermined suite of tests. It doesn’t matter what method they use to conduct a regression test; this testing is essential for releasing high-quality apps.
Why Use Regression Tests
It is essential to understand why we need to use regression tests.
Developers must adjust the code whenever they address a defect, implement a new feature, or alter the behavior of an existing one. It’s likely that any modification, no matter how minor, will introduce a whole slew of new bugs. Through regression testing, a Test Engineer can identify and isolate such unintended consequences.
When To Perform Regression Tests
When you intend to change the code of an application, regression testing is necessary. Any added features or updates to a current program are guaranteed to run smoothly and error-free. It might be difficult for developers and testers to follow every line of code, which increases the likelihood of incompatibilities. Therefore, by running regression tests on their codebase (or application), they can find issues sooner and reduce the risks associated with releasing new versions of their software.
Testers can run this test when the app takes longer to deploy. In this instance, the tester needs to perform Regression tests daily. Furthermore, testers must run regression tests for weekly functional tests.
The need for the Regression test increases when refactoring existing functionality, as this can compromise the current state of the codebase. In addition, correcting one flaw may result in the emergence of another. Combining debugging with regression testing can guarantee that your app performs well.
Regression Testing Techniques
Professional quality assurance testers use various regression testing methods, each tailored to the specific needs of the test. In this article, we will cover the four most common types of regression tests:
Comprehensive Regression Testing
During regression testing, developers ensure they do not miss essential test cases. Although this method is time-consuming and resource-intensive, it is the most reliable way to ensure that modifications do not disrupt the current system’s functionality. When developers update an application for a language or new platform or when there is a significant upgrade to the underlying operating system, rigorous regression testing is the preferred approach.
Regression Test Selection
You can limit regression testing to the codes potentially affected by updates or changes. Spend less time and effort on regression testing by executing only the most relevant test cases by zeroing in on the interconnected parts of the system.
Test Case Prioritization
Testers look at metrics like the rate of failure, the impact on the company, the significance of any recent upgrades or modifications, and the frequency with which the users access the relevant functionality to determine which test cases to execute first. Developers run the highest-priority test cases before the midrange and low-priority ones.
Hybrid Regression Testing
The hybrid method incorporates the prioritization of test cases and the selection of regression tests. Instead of picking from the entire test suite, pick only the cases that repeat themselves, ranking them in order of importance.
Regression Testing Benefits
Regression testing is crucial to the expansion of the software industry. Regression tests, in addition to functional tests, should be run at each milestone to guarantee the reliability of the program. DevOps teams can use Regression tests as part of their software development lifecycle to guarantee that their existing code is unaffected by the new updates and features.
Benefits Of Regression Testing
When developers add new features without disrupting the existing codebase, business activities run more smoothly, and the quality of the product is greatly enhanced.
It is possible to run regression tests during the integration testing process. In this situation, they will aid in detecting system-wide defects while integrating two separate systems.
As with other types of manual testing, you can automate regression tests using the same general approach. The time it takes to run tests can be decreased dramatically by automating regression testing.
A high Customer Satisfaction Index can be attained by early bug detection and rapid fixes thanks to a well-executed Regression test suite (CSI).
It verifies extensively that the modified code does not affect the correct functionality of previously tested code — it finds every side effect of each code change.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, any code change, no matter how minor, requires the running of regression tests. Platforms like HeadSpin that provide Ai-based testing insights can help you with your regression testing requirements.
There are several approaches to this, such as the Retest-All Strategy, the Selective Strategy, the Progressive regression testing, and the Corrective regression testing. Strategies for regression tests can include doing exploratory testing, running the most critical tests first, and more.
Regression tests use many resources yet save you time and energy. Developers and testers will find it much simpler to use, and the results of their agile software development efforts will improve.
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