Every software company performs regression testing, and it is essential. Regression testing means re-testing the problems that might be generated due to identifying and removing fresh bugs in mobile or web-based applications. Software testing's primary objective is to identify bugs and fix them to ensure that any web- or mobile-based applications operate without interruption. However, after the bug gets fixed, several other bugs often originate. It is this when the concept of Regression testing comes into action. The idea of regression testing is to run a series of tests every time a new code is submitted.
It is called regression testing. The verb "regress" means to go back to a previous state or condition, which is not regarded favorably in software. But overall, regression testing is good for ensuring the original functionality of the software.
The types of regression testing include corrective (now new changes are introduced), progressive (modifications are added to change the overall function of the app), selective (selective change in the app), re-test (test all the previous tests) all, and complete (multiple changes in the existing code).
The following blog will act as an ultimate guide to regression testing and the best practices associated with it.
Understanding Regression Testing
Regression testing is mainly executed after making code changes to fix the bug. Fixing the bugs leads to a change in the software algorithm and retests the product areas that might have been impacted during the correction process.
This entire process can be automated or conducted manually by executing any particular set of test cases (test scripts in case of the Automation testing). Regardless of the execution method, conducting regression testing is essential for ensuring the delivery of top-notch software products with exceptional quality.
When new features are deployed to an existing application, Regression testing becomes essential. Regression testing ensures that any new features or any form of update over an existing application work properly without any bugs or defects.
Software developers and testers sometimes struggle to trace every code thread with significant chances of generating incompatibility issues in the codes. Due to this, Regression testing of the code base or application enables them to identify the defects a step ahead or earlier and then ship the applications with comparatively few numbers of associated risks.
When to Use Regression Testing
Regression testing can be used when the deployment process takes a little longer than expected. In this case, the software tester must run the regression tests daily. It is better to run the regression test after the functional testing process for weekly releases.
When undergoing significant functionality changes, regression testing gains the utmost importance as it poses potential risks to the existing codebase and its functionalities. Moreover, repairing one bug sometimes leads to the generation of another bug; thus, one can use a blend of debugging and regression testing approaches to ensure that everything is working as per the required intention.
Best Practices of Regression Testing
1. Regression testing based on Application Features
For the conduction of the best practice regression testing, it is important to understand how much regression is required. The amount of regression needed mainly depends on the extent to which the application’s new features are updated. If the upgrade of the fix is major, extensive regression testing is recommended for all the application test cases.
2. Automated Series of Testing
For longer updates, the test cases will also be huge, and one can conduct automated testing of all the repetitive test cases. For the newly added functionality, the test suites require a constant up-gradation done by regression testing.
3. To Check all the Functionality of the App
Regression testing is essential to cover all the application's functionality when only one feature of the app has been updated. This is done by automated regression testing at a much lower price, time, and effort.
4. To Test Old Features
With the introduction of the new updates, it is recommended to keep your Regression testing setup updated. Include tests to witness whether the older feature is still functional or not.
5. To Test Bugs in Newly Updated Feature
Always check for the new features and other capabilities of the applications used by the users and then include the test to check whether that specific functionality is working as per the expectations.
6. When There Is a Limited Time
Using the regression testing framework in the desired project for the identification and testing of the bugs helps save a significant amount of time wasted on the maintenance process. Automated regression testing speeds up the delivery of the application's finished product while saving a significant amount of time and money.
7. Selection of Test Cases That Have Critical Features
To ensure that the applications can execute seamlessly on different platforms, the tester must focus on selecting the test cases that cover the essential key functionalities of an application. For example, an eCommerce application must contain more than one payment method, website navigation, and exhaustive search functionality.
8. Selection of Test Cases With Recent Updates of the Codes
The software tester is required to select test cases based on their areas of visible users. This helps in the process of conducting the best practice regression testing. The visible elements of the user interface include the brand's logo, images, and the next button and call button.
Though these issues have less importance, for best practice regression testing, these features are essential as it helps to grab the attention of prospective customers.
9. Selection of the Integration-Based Test Cases
Best practice regression testing also helps with the selection of the end-to-end testing process for the smooth running of the application. Under these circumstances, the usage of regression testing under the best practices comes into action.
10. Risk-Based Testing
Best practice regression testing also involves risk-based testing. Here the tester prioritizes the test cases based on the recent codes that have been changed, thus demanding regression time and effort. It is under these circumstances that the high priority regression testing is used.
There are also medium and low-priority regression testing. However, one needs to select high-priority regression testing to do justice to the best practice of regression testing.
11. Use of Selenium While Testing Web-Based Applications
Selenium is an open-source web automation testing tool. It is used for the process of regression testing for testing the web-based application. It is considered one of the web application's most automated regression testing tools. Thus for the conduction of the best practices of regression testing, while testing web-based applications, the Selenium testing tool is needed. One can easily perform visual regression tests with the help of Selenium.
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12. Use of Watir While Working Over Ruby
Like Selenium, Watir is another regression testing tool for best-practice software testing. It is used for testing web-based applications. It works on the testing platform known as Ruby, and it is considered an open-source ruby library for automating web browser tests.
Watir regression testing tool is automated and thus helps in the conduction of the best practice regression testing.
13. Use of Silk Test While Testing Enterprise Software
It is also automated, like Selenium and Waitr. It is used for testing enterprise software. For the conduction of the best practice regression testing, while testing for the bugs in the case of enterprise software-based applications, Silk Test needs to be used.
It also helps in the localization testing of mobile-based applications like native and hybrid apps. This testing tool needs to be constantly updated for the best practice standards.
14. Use of QA Wizard Pro for Windows and Java
QA Wizard Pro is an automated regression testing tool for web, windows, and Java-based applications. It also helps to perform load testing of the web application. Thus, for the best practice regression testing, QA Wizard must be used for load testing web-based applications.
Conclusion
Thus, from the above discussion about regression testing and the best practice regression testing, regression testing is an extremely useful setup conducted after the debugging of the system. It helps in the smooth running of any application without any errors.
Several automated tools are available in the software market that helps in the process of conducting best-practice regression testing. However, depending on the need and the priority, the tool needs to be selected, which helps in the generation of the best practice regression testing.
Furthermore, for conducting the best practice regression testing, the software needs to be kept updated based on the prevailing standards.