What Is Regression Analysis
Regression testing is done to make sure that, following improvements or bug fixes, a system or “Application Under Test” (AUT) behaves as intended. Generally speaking, regression testing describes testing tasks finished in the software maintenance stage. Regression testing’s primary goals are to retest the modified component or parts and then examine the impacted component or parts. Unit, integration, functional, and system testing are the various levels at which regression testing is carried out.
Regression testing is necessary for a number of reasons, including:
Little modifications to a project’s or release’s code.
Major releases or the launch of new initiatives; urgent production fixes.
Changes in environment and configuration.
The Regression Testing Suite Must Be Automated
Regression testing is done, as we’ve discussed, to make sure that modifications to the application don’t interfere with its ability to function in its current state. In addition to constantly trying to optimize the regression suite, efforts are also made to supply the necessary coverage to guarantee that the application won’t malfunction in production.
A characteristic of distributed agile teams is usually an ever-growing regression test suite.
These regression test cases must be automated since certain tests (such as those for essential features and functionality) must be run repeatedly during each regression run.
Risk-based testing with automated regression testing for high-risk areas should be the main focus. Using automation as much as possible is a good idea. Any test that will be used more than five times in the future should, as a general rule, be automated to provide ROI.
Numerous automated regression testing products are available, including regression, Smartbear, Tosca, and HPE Microfocus UFT, to mention a few. Cucumber, Gherkin, and other newer automation tools are utilized in Agile development environments.
The Process of Software Regression
The steps in the software regression process are as follows:
Examining the software modifications
Analyzing the effects of these modifications
Developing a plan for regression testing to reduce the impact
Constructing a Regression Test Suite
Running regression tests at the functional, system, integration, and unit levels
How Do Test Cases for Regression Get Selected?
Selecting test cases for regression packs is a difficult task. Every software application release includes three different types of test suites: regression tests, release-specific tests, and defect fix verification tests. The regression pack test sets must be chosen with great consideration and care. The following are some recommendations for choosing test cases for a regression suite:
(i) Add the test cases that have consistently produced errors.
(ii) Incorporate the test cases that utilize the requirement traceability matrix to validate the application’s essential functions.
(iii) Provide test cases for any functionalities that have recently undergone modifications.
(iv) Assemble every integration test case. The regression test suite ought to contain the test cases for integration testing, even if it is a distinct phase of the software testing process.
(v) Compile every complicated test case. There are some system functions that can only be completed by adhering to an intricate series of GUI (graphical user interface) events.
(vi) To cut down on regression testing efforts, rank the test cases according to their business impact.
- Sanity test cases that yield a high project value are prioritized as zero.
- Priority 1: Features that are necessary to deliver a high project value.
- System test cycle cases with moderate project value are the second priority.
(vii) Sort the chosen test cases into two categories: obsolete and repeatable.
(vii) Select the test cases based on a “case-by-case” evaluation
(ix) Group according to the degree of risk exposure.
Dashboard and Metrics for Monitoring Regression Tests
Tracking functional and code coverage in regression is crucial because of the financial outlay required to conduct tests and control risks in the software development process.
Test pass/fail status—which is really test execution status—is typically used to gauge QA functional coverage. Measuring the proportion of feature sets that are tested is another technique.
The ability to publish test status reports and dashboards is a basic feature included in many test automation tools; however, most tools are not capable of providing true coverage. Code coverage is the only way to determine actual coverage, and unit tests are the only way to accomplish this. Functional tests, such as regression, API, and end-to-end tests, cannot be replaced by unit tests since they are more detailed. Functional test code coverage is critical due to incremental code changes in functional, API, and regression testing in continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
Although functional code coverage is widely acknowledged as a crucial quality indicator, it is impossible to derive a finite coverage metric for every test (unit, API, security, etc.) that is run for a build.
The precise test coverage computed across all test environments and tools is measured by SeaLights’ test metrics dashboard.
Final Thoughts
Efficient regression testing relies on insightful case identification rooted in a comprehensive grasp of applications. The collaboration between business owners and testers accelerates the early detection of regression cases. Enrolling in an Automation Testing with Selenium course and Selenium Automation course enhances testing prowess. Real-time dashboards featuring metrics and test status updates per build ensure a vigilant approach to comprehensive regression coverage.
