What Is Regression Test? Why is the Regression Test Important?

What Is Regression Testing? Explained With Test Cases, Tools, And Methods

So, you must have some ideas about what this testing is, it will become clear from this blog article. Regression testing is a method of software testing that makes sure that the software application is fully able to function as planned after changing the coding, implementing updates, improving, and making any frameworks. Regression tests are carried out to check and remove any sort of regression in the software. A regression test is a process that checks the all-over stabilization and functionality of existing features. In short, if you ask what a regression test is, then it is the sustainability check of software under continuous development. It guarantees the well-working of software when new code modifications are added.

A lot of changes in coding happen depending on requirements, this might give rise to malfunction and defects. That is why it is necessary to identify regression in testing. It is focused on omitting the risk factors to secure the usability of a priorly developed framework and the tested code remains operational even after the newly added implements. When someone talks about a regression test, it is a process where usually, the software application runs through multiple regression tests before new integrations of changes are being deployed into the main developmental branch. A regression test works as a final step to verify the working behavior of the software product.

Example

This process is a very crucial part of maintaining the software so that it runs very smoothly. The basic motive is to find bugs throughout the whole system which might be overlooked after any addition of new features. Below here is an example of such testing within the software:

Suppose that a software application tool named A is used for database management. There are mainly three major functions. They are Add, Save, and Delete. This allows its users to enter any relevant data or delete a row. In the new build, a feature named update is given so that its users can edit the changes and save the altered inputs. At the time of this test, the QA team will figure out whether the change in the framework is impacting the Add, Save and Delete buttons’ function.

Scope Of Regression Tests

• At the time of maintaining any website or software application, developers are bound to alter the code and add new features. After modifying the codes, the software does not work like before. As a result, the system collapses and crashes. Also, when one code changes, it slows down the functionality and performance of the whole project considerably.

• It reduces the page loading time and increases the usage of system resources to prevent negative outcomes after implementing any software change, this testing is run by the development team. In this blog article, you will learn what regression testing is, why regression testing is important, and finding out regression in testing.

• So, what is a regression test according to IT professionals? Those experts define this testing as a part of the software testing process, which is designed to find out whether a system software is crash resistant and functional after the code is changed. During this stage, a tester redoes a set of different cases. It is run in the first developmental phase. It is very important that testing the part of coding is modified or a new feature is integrated within the entire system.

• For saving costs and time required in the full regression tests, many businesses run sessions that are fully or partly automated. In this way, those companies can keep higher performance and precision. It reduces the chances of human error along with running uninterrupted testing 24/7.

1.      Pros 

• It plays an important role in the agile environment. There with every sprint, the implementation of prior and the latest releases must be ensured. This guarantees the continuous running of commercial operations.

• It helps identify the bugs within the software application, catching the integrations that are undefined in between the modules within a software application. With regression tests, the software is developed to make resistance against discrepancies. This method provides support to the team involved in the testing process, to release the product faster and with assured quality.  

• It ensures that the application strives to be intact and integrated, even after constant additions. The regression tests which are automated can generate faster results and enable repeated testing for similar releases. Constantly, it helps to track any kind of error within the software application.

• This testing increases substantially the process of testing and shortens the life cycle of testing. The scripting of automation runs overnight and across different machines at the same period. When the automated regression test suite is ready to use and can be executed, the resources of the test can be focused on the areas of other needs of the application that require expertise.

2.      Cons 

• One of the major disadvantages of a regression test is that it has stringent timelines. After every change in the software, the team involved in testing must ensure the functionalities that are existing are not affected adversely in any sense. Such test cases must be executed within reduced regression cycles repeatedly in the sprint.

• To optimize the test cases in regression tests is very difficult sometimes very often. When the scale of the regression test grows with each sprint, a greater amount of automated test cases is very problematic to maintain. That is why it is necessary to accommodate such changes while looking for regression during test cases.

• With the help of an automated regression test, running the already existing test cases multiple times is necessary. It is a bit frustrating at times and takes a lot of time and effort to complete the cycle. With every additional feature, the requirement for testing increases accordingly.

• It is very difficult for the team members to intervene halfway to understanding what is affected following what changes have been made.

3.      When To Execute

The right time to apply this test is whenever any new feature is implemented, new improvements are added to prior features, or if there are any UI updates. At that time regression analysis is done to identify and rectify the errors that occur due to adjustments in the code or programming of the software. As this test is performed to find and fix glitches caused by updates within existing functions, this step also makes sure that the unification of the software is being taken care of. Within a typical pipeline of software development, software retesting is done before starting the testing process.

4.      Types Of Regression Test

• Corrective 

Corrective regression testing is one of the simplest forms of regression testing. It requires minimal effort. Corrective regression testing does not involve any changes to the codebase that is already existing and implementing the new function in the software. You just need to test the existing feature and test cases that go with it instead of creating new ones.

• Unit 

This is an integral part of the testing process. Here the code is being tested in isolation. All the other integration, dependencies, and interactions are disabled during the execution of unit regression testing. In this process, the focus is on single unit code. Usually, this test is carried out during off-peak hours and low traffic.  

• Selective

The selective regression test analyses the effects of codes that are already existing and the codes that are newly added. Common elements like variables and functions are integrated into the application to identify results quickly without affecting the process.

• Progressive 

The test case is created based on the needs of a progressive regression test. If there are only minor changes within the product, the latest cases are designed without impacting the prior codes of the product.

• Complete

Some small and big changes may have a higher effect on the software product. Complete regression testing is applied in such situations where there are larger alterations to the existing code. It results in the repairing of any sort of changes done during testing.

• Partial 

Whenever any new code is added up to the current codebase, this test is executed. It helps to find out critical bugs within the existing codes and allows them to be tested without having any kind of impact on the system.

• Retest-All

In this type of software testing re-executing, all the test cases are executed to ensure there are no more bugs to the changes in codes within a software application. Such testing needs a lot of effort from the quality team.

5.      Tools To Find Regression In Testing

There are a lot of tools for testing, some of the best ones are as follows:

• Selenium

Selenium is one of the best and most powerful and widely known regression testing tools and it is browser-based. It perfectly fits for frequent testing. It is highly flexible and supports a lot of programming languages, testing frameworks, and third-party libraries. It is compatible with a lot of browsers and operating systems. A lot of large browser vendors even consider keeping selenium as the native part of the browser.

• IBM Rational Functional Tester

The IBM rational functional tester is a commercial tool that is often regarded as the best tool for the automation of testing. Therefore, it is worth the money spent. It can support a variety of apps including web-based and terminal emulator-based apps. Along with that, it supports Java, NET, SAP, Ajax, Adobe PDF documents, etc. The users can easily create various types of scenarios in less time. The storyboard testing feature in it facilitates the visualization and testing edits with recorded screenshots.

• Micro Focus Unified Functional Testing (UFT)

UFT is formerly known as QTP or Quick Test Professional. It is hugely popular due to its activity recorder feature. This feature facilitates recording the activities of the user and converting them into scripts. This is a data-driven tool based on keywords that use VBScript language created with Microsoft for automation. You can run it on all the major browsers, and it is suitable for testing a variety of software and environments.

• SAHI PRO

Users prefer this tool to test larger web applications. Especially during faster deadline projects when quick testing and less maintenance are important. It has cross-browser and OS support, data-driven suits, easy integration with build systems, in-built logging and reporting, and the program framework of excel. One of the best features of SAHI pro is that it is very flexible. That is why a smart assessor prevents the script from failing after little changes in GUI.  

6. Test Cases To Select

• Test cases with frequent problems

• More visible functions on the user interface

• Test cases that verify product core

• Test cases of functions that have gone through more and the latest alterations

• All test cases with integrations

• All complex test cases

• Test cases with boundary value

• Sample of Successful test cases

• A sample of failed test cases

Conclusion

Now you can give an idea if someone asks you the question: what is a regression test? Regression testing is the key process to enhancing the quality of software products along with both user and server experience. The right tools if used in regression tests, all the regression in testing can be easily identified. To know “what is regression testing,” the significance of those tools must be understood. Because they can detect all the surface defects and eliminate them before it's late. In agile, this testing offers a lot of technical and business-related arrangements. So, in this perspective, if you know “what is regression test” therefore your organization will be able to invest more time, effort, and resources in planning and performing.

Through regression tests, you will have good control over your budget processing and mitigation of errors within your software application product. It is defined as the method of software testing type which can confirm any recent coding or programming framework to ensure that they are not affecting the features and behaviors which are already existing. Regression tests are crucial in software development. A regression test is a full or partial selection, where the cases that are already executed, are re-executed to stabilize the entire functionality of the software. This is the simplest answer to the question ‘what is regression testing.’ In other words, to answer ‘what is a regression test’ it is a process to omit the side effects after new implementations.