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Introduction to Regression Testing
What is regression testing?
Software applications might go through changes after their release. This can be due to many reasons, such as mitigating security risks, introducing new software features, or fixing bugs to enhance functionality. Any changes to the existing software must not negatively impact its current functionalities. This is where regression testing steps in. What is a regression test? Regression testing ensures any change such as an upgrade or update, does not impact its existing functions. Test cases must be made to run again to ensure that there is no adverse impact of the changes. Be it changes to code, environment, or configuration, regression testing is the best way to fix any issue caused due to these changes, and it also ensures the quality and stability of the software are maintained.
Why is regression testing important?
Software applications get upgraded and updated with new features or bug fixes. Unfortunately, such changes might bring in new defects or hinder current functionalities. This can go unnoticed with testing. Hence regression testing is essential, as it prevents the risk of inserting new defects.
Difference between development testing and regression testing
Development testing must be done to find any defects or issues in code when the code is written. The code must be tested using test cases to check whether the code is meeting the design specifications. It must be done often since the code is continuously written and modified. New test cases must be written while the code is being developed. This type of testing is meant to find issues early in the development cycle. Regression testing is done after a software upgrade or update. This testing de-risks any possibility of the changes bringing in new defects. It tests the entire application and checks whether it can be integrated with other applications. Here test cases can be reused. Regression testing helps ensure the software is fit for use after the changes are made to it. The differences between development testing vs regression testing are that development testing is meant to fix defects in code during development process, whereas regression testing is meant to ensure software remains stable after any changes are done to the code.
What is Regression Testing in Agile Development
Regression testing in Agile process
Regression testing should be one of the main components of your testing strategy. As agile is sprint oriented, this form of testing will ensure any changes to the software in the current sprint is not adversely impacting the functionalities tested earlier and they are working fine.
Regression testing in Agile has these steps.
Identification of test cases: Any test case which are impacted by the changes in the current sprint should be identified. This case can be the one associated with the code or the functionality which has been modified.
Prioritization of test cases: Prioritize the test cases so that your team can focus on the most critical ones first.
Execution of test cases: After prioritizing them, execute the test cases to check if the software is functioning in the right manner and there are no new bugs due to the changes.
Reporting of defects: If any new defect is found, the development team must be informed to fix it, only after fixing the bugs the software should be released.
Agile regression testing
It is an integral part of Agile methodology. Agile regression testing places lot of importance on delivering a functional version of the software on an iterative basis. It stresses better collaboration between testers, developers, and product owners and faster responses to any changes by finding and fixing issues quickly.
The idea is to ensure any feature or change that is added to the software is not affecting its current functioning. There are a series of tests that ensure the software function at optimum levels after any change.
Automation is the key highlight of Agile regression testing. It ensures faster execution of test cases, minimizing manual effort and time. Automation drives regular test to ensure all issues are fixed early and continuously. This also helps developers to meet their project timelines faster. There is also continuous testing in agile which is about testing the software while the development is in progress.
Continuous integration regression testing
CI regression testing is a reliable approach to ensure the changes to the code are tested soon. This is how it is done.
Integration: Once the code has undergone the changes, the next step is to add or integrate it to shared repository. This will trigger an automated build process. This process will compile the code, and the code will then be deployed into a test environment.
Regression testing: In the test environment, automated regression tests are executed to find out whether any existing functionalities are not working due to the changes made to the code.
Reporting: Document the test results and send them to the development team for fixing the defects.
Continuous regression testing
Continuous regression testing is about conducting automated tests continuously. It helps to find and fix issues early. This helps in faster, continuous feedbacks and ensures the developers are fixing these issues quickly. There are more tests happening frequently which ensure the software undergoes thorough testing to fix defects. The tests are conducted many times across the development cycle to catch any issues. Due to increased dependence on automation, there is faster execution of test cases, which reduces human error to improve software quality for faster rollouts.
What is Regression Testing in Software Testing
Regression testing in software testing
What is a regression test? Software regression testing is about retesting the existing features of any software to maintain its current functionality. The scope of software regression testing might differ based on the changes made. If there are more changes, every bit of the application has to get tested. But if changes are small, only those parts need to be tested. Software regression testing can be done manually or through automated testing. Software regression testing depends on Test Suites. These suites contain test case sets to be executed whenever the software undergoes a change. It also ensures the software is comprehensively tested. Regression testing in software testing is CI integrable, and this helps in the execution of automated testing whenever a change is made. One best practice which must followed is documentation. By documenting, testers can find the software’s expected behavior after changes. It can help testers to compare actual and expected behavior to find any issues. There is also reduced risks since regression testing in software testing ensures the key features of the software are thoroughly tested to ensure end users do face any challenges while using it.
Regression testing cycle
The first step is planning the testing cycle. Testers develop a plan by finding the scope of testing, and deciding what types of tests should be performed. The plan gives clarity on the testing objectives, the type of resources needed, and the time required to finish the testing. After developing the plan, a test suite must be created. This suite has the test cases which must be executed while testing. These cases must be developed based on the software functionalities. The developed test cases are executed to find any defects. Test results must be documented. The documentation should have the testing results, and the defects which are found, and it should be sent to the development team to fix it. After fixing, testers do a retest to check whether the defects are fixed, and the functionalities are running as expected. Some parts of the testing can be automated, which will speed up testing accuracy.
Salesforce regression testing
Salesforce is the world’s number one customer relationship platform. Any changes to its functionality must be rigorously tested to ensure the applications are functioning as needed, after the changes have been implemented. Salesforce regression testing includes a thorough retesting of Salesforce applications to check whether new features have been added and existing features are functioning as expected. The testing scope also covers the integration and customizations made to the Salesforce applications. There are more ways in which regression testing can be performed in Salesforce applications. Manual testing can be done, which is a bit labor intensive, but it is a good way to find any issues that might have been missed through automated testing. Automated testing is, of course, faster than manual testing; it is useful for regression testing of repetitive tasks or for testing large data volumes. Unit testing can help in testing individual components, Record and playback testing can be done to test user interactions work the same after the change are made to user interfaces or workflows, Data-driven testing can help to find issues in data validation and processing, Boundary value testing can help in detecting issues with validating or processing inputs. Exploratory testing through ad-hoc test cases can check whether the applications work in different conditions. As we have seen, Regression testing in Salesforce applications needs different testing types alongside a good understanding of application architecture and functionalities.
Application regression testing
Application regression testing involves a series of steps. A different and separate test environment must be set up to do regression testing. It should resemble the production environment. The test case must be finalized which will be used, this can be either from existing test cases or ones which are developed especially for a type of regression testing. Real world scenarios can be simulated using test data. This data must be prepared to ensure the application in being tested through a wide range of inputs. Data can be masked for security reasons. The entire process of regression testing can be sped up through automation. After the tests are executed, the issues should be reported to the development team. One important factor to be considered during testing is that the tests should be devised based on the complexity or criticality of the changes to the application. It is also recommended to do regression testing continuously across the development cycle to find any issues early. Here are a few more best practices that testers should consider. Manage changes to the application through a version control system to track all the changes. Ensure traceability by linking test cases to requirements and user stories. Prioritize test cases and always conduct performance testing, security testing, load testing, compatibility testing and usability testing before rolling out the application. Performance testing ensures the application handles the required load and response times after the changes are made, security testing ensures the application is secure to mitigate attacks, load testing makes sure the application can handle the expected loads, compatibility testing is to check whether the application work well in different browsers and devices and finally usability testing ensures the application is user friendly and intuitive.
Regression Testing in Software Engineering
What is regression testing in software engineering?
Regression testers need a good understanding of software system, technical skills and tools to manage an evolving test suite. With the effective management of the test suite and knowing the test case that should be included, a tester can ensure the reliability of the software across the development cycle. Maintaining a test suite can be expensive and time consuming, the suite must remain updated to reflect all changes to the software. A reliable test suite is vital as regression testing is done whenever the software is modified. Again, regression testing is not a one-time activity, it is continuous across the development cycle. Test cases must be re-run to verify the changes are not disrupting the functionalities. There is also extensive use of automated testing tools to execute test cases, these tools are also capable of generating reports on the success and failure of the tests. Regression testing is not a replacement for other forms of testing, such as unit or integration testing. All types of testing have equal importance and should be alongside regression testing.
What is Regression testing in software development
One key aspect is regression testing is the right management of test data and the test environment. Selection of test data must be a careful process to ensure every possible scenario is covered. And most importantly, the test environment must be a replica of the production environment. The test suite must be well organized and comprehensive, with all the updates reflected in the software. A challenge testers face is managing huge volume of test cases, which is quite common in large software applications with multiple dependencies. To manage this, a version control system should be used to manage modifications and CI/CD pipelines must be leveraged to automate the testing process. So, a fresh perspective on what is regression testing in software development is that it not only find defects due to new changes, but it is also a quality control method. Another answer to what is regression testing in software development is that it ensures the software maintains its reliability and consistency over time.
What is Regression testing in sprint
In a sprint, regression testing is effective only through effective communication and collaboration between teams. This involves test scope definition, modifications to be made, and the test cases that should be executed during the sprint. It also allows for the use of automated testing tools and a risk based approach to arranging the test cases. While regression testing in sprint, the tester must have a strong grasp of engineering and technical concepts. Another aspect to keep in mind, is that regression testing in sprint must be performed efficiently within the limited time frame. Isolate the changes made in the sprint session so that only those parts need to be tested, this saves time. To ensure all the key areas are tested, it is advisable to monitor and track the tests conducted during the sprint session. Update the test suite regularly on the changes made to the software during the sprint.
Regression testing strategy in Agile
While developing a regression testing strategy in agile, it is good to know how to apply agile software development principles to regression testing. Now, this requires a deep-dive understanding of the concepts of regression testing. The strategy must emphasize a risk-based approach in prioritizing test cases, the importance of a best-in-class test suite, integrating regression testing to development, clear KPIs and goals, communication guidelines between teams, and methods of monitoring and evaluating the testing process. The strategy should include the types of automation testing tools that can seamlessly integrate with the development environment. Exploratory testing can also be added to the testing strategy, as it helps find defects that might not have been detected by automated or manual testing. These points can be considered while designing the regression testing strategy in sprints to ensure the delivery of high-quality software.
Importance of Regression Testing
Meaning of regression testing
The meaning of regression testing is that to test the software code so that any changes to it is not impacting the overall functionalities of the application. Regression testing is an indispensable part of regression testing. The reason is that this form of testing will ensure that any change made to the codebase is not having an adverse impact on the software functioning. To ensure success of a regression testing process, there is increased used of automation testing and frameworks to improve accuracy and reliability of the process. Cloud based testing platforms are also used to increase scalability and ensure real time feedbacks of the process. The practice of Shift-left testing is in vogue to fix defects early in the development cycle. Another approach followed is the test-driven development approach to reduce the occurrences of defects in the codebase. DevOps is used in regression testing to integrate testing into the development process, and AI-ML is increasingly being used to automate testing and generate insights into the quality of the software. To make things a bit informal, the answer to the question, what is a regression test? It is ensuring your old shoes is good fit after you have worn your new socks! This test will help you know that everything still works the old way without any surprises.
Why regression testing is important?
Regression testing is important for the following reasons. Complex software systems which have large degree of interdependence with various application components need regression testing. Even a small change to one component can have a ripple effect across the application. Moreover, such applications have a large user base, any defect can potentially impact the business reputation, revenue, and customer trust. From an engineering standpoint, regression testing can make the software maintainable and extensible. For software stability, regression testing is a must and should be an integral part of software development. These are some of the key answers to the question, why is regression testing important.
Smart regression testing in agile world
The advantage of smart regression testing in the agile world is that it ensures the organization can respond to changing market needs very quickly. The use of intelligent automation and analytics in smart regression testing can help in identifying the tests that can help and are important to run. This helps in releasing the software with new features and updates faster to sustain the competitive edge. This form of testing makes the software more robust and reliable. Techniques such as predictive analytics can help in finding the defects and risks before they become serious issues, it also reduces the technical debt, making it easier to add new features to the software. Regression in agile also helps to involve every team member in the development process and work towards the shared goals and objectives.
Conclusion
Summary of the importance of regression testing
From a context of agile development, continuous regression testing is very important due to its iterative nature, as this helps with any type of changes or releases to the software codebase. The technical debt can rise due to the dynamic nature of software development, continuous regression in software testing can address such issues before they become difficult to address. Through the synergy of automated and manual testing, regression in software testing ensures the software meet the desired quality standards. A high-test coverage helps in covering every part of the codebase has been tested and there is very less likelihood of any bugs. To achieve this, ensure the test suite is designed and updated with code changes. Therefore, every organization must commit to including regression in software development to drive software quality and sustainability.
Best practices for regression testing in Agile world
Testing should be automated wherever possible to improve efficiency and speed and reduce human errors. Run regression tests on a regular basis to check all the changes to the codebase are addressed immediately. Prioritize the tests based on the criticality of the functionality that has to be tested, this helps to focus on areas of the codebase that matter the most. The test environment must be like that of the production environment. The code coverage of the test suite must be complete to fix any issues that might arise and to support risk-based testing. The test data must be accurate and relevant and test results must be continuously monitored to improve test suite standards. Parallel testing tools can also be used to run tests on multiple devices simultaneously. Drive testing in the same sprint, where the changes were made, this helps in faster resolution of bugs. Design performance tests through right planning. Finally, integrate the testing process into the DevOps pipelines to be a part of the continuous delivery process.
