What is regression testing?
Regression testing refers to the process of checking if the addition of a new functionality or bug fix has affected the existing functionality of a product. This testing is done multiple times in succession. Regression testing follows Agile methodology and is imperative in ensuring that the quality of software isn't affected by code changes.
Benefits of regression testing
Faster time to market
Reduced costs
Scalability
Quicker testing
Reusability
Improved test coverage
What are the types of regression testing?
Unit regression testing
Unit regression acts as a precursor to other regression tests. Individual components of the codebase are tested without their dependencies and integrations.
Corrective regression testing
The focus here is on testing functionalities using existing test cases—even when there are no changes to the current codebase—to check if everything functions perfectly.
Progressive regression testing
When modifications are made to the product specification, it's imperative to check whether existing features remain unaffected in the new version.
Partial regression testing
In spite of the extensive testing of individual modules, their addition to the codebase needs to be checked for any new bugs or errors. This is also referred to as selective regression testing.
Complete regression testing
With complete regression testing, or retest all regression testing, the entire application is tested as a whole after major changes are made to the codebase. A combination of reusing old test cases and running new ones is essential for identifying any major bugs that might have been missed by the previous regression tests.
When should you perform automated regression testing?
Regression tests can be carried out during any stage of the testing phase after addressing the basic set of tests. These tests check if the updated or newly added functionality corresponding to the changes works as intended, along with its integration. Automated regression testing after addressing prerequisites can verify that everything as a whole performs without hiccups.
How to prepare a regression test suite
For optimum coverage of bugs and errors, the regression test suite should have a mix of the essential test cases used for testing existing functionalities, along with recently created or updated functionalities. But the selection of test cases is just the first step, as they need to be arranged in the order of their execution. Automating these test executions, followed by analyzing the test results, is the most essential part of regression testing.
Creation, management, automation, and analysis of regression test suites require a versatile test automation tool, which is best suited for regression testing.
Automated regression testing with Zoho QEngine
The quick test case creation and ease of automation in Zoho QEngine empowers QA teams to efficiently perform all types of software regression testing.
Test cases
Zoho QEngine's cross-platform test case management is capable of referencing and managing thousands of test cases with ease. Quickly switch between different platforms with a single click to create test cases from scratch using the no-code recorder, low-code builder, and pro-code editor.
Learn MoreTest execution
Choose from local, hybrid, and cloud environments to perform regression testing. Self-healing AI alleviates the issues associated with flaky tests, and parallel testing reduces the time needed for the battery of repetitive tests that are part of regression testing.
Learn MoreTest analysis
Zoho QEngine's results dashboard provides comprehensive analysis for the individual tests that make up regression testing.
Learn MoreRegression test suite
Segregate the test cases that test new functionalities and existing functionalities. You can then select and arrange the order of test execution for all of the test cases, followed by automating and scheduling the execution of the regression suite.
How Zoho QEngine improves manual regression testing
Challenge
- Time consuming
- High complexity
- Manual and repetitive
Solution
- Time-consuming, since the testing often involves multiple functionalities
- Increase in the complexity of test cases as features get added to the software
- Due to dependencies, fixing a bug based on the results can create more bugs
Steps to perform regression testing with Zoho QEngine
Create a test suite(s) to perform various types of regression testing by arranging the test cases according to the priority of the tests to be performed. Select the required test cases from the already-available test case modules or create new test cases easily using the no-code recorder, low-code builder, or manual editor.
Once the test cases are selected and arranged, select the execution type—parallel or sequence—for each regression suite. Choose the pre-condition and post-condition to be executed before and after the test suite.
Create a test plan(s) by selecting multiple regression suites, starting with the preferred agent—local or cloud—for executing the test cases. Follow up by choosing the environment variables for running on specific environments.
The next step is to schedule the automation for the test suites, either weekly or once, at a set time. The test plan can also be programmed to run again, in case of failure.
The final step is to analyze the results of the test case executions and share them with the development team to work on fixes. Zoho QEngine's results dashboard provides a detailed analysis of the individual test case executions within the regression suite.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can regression testing be skipped altogether?
Regression testing is generally considered a requirement for testing projects, owing to the catastrophic nature of the bugs that can be uncovered. Certain types of bugs are revealed only after individual components are integrated into the software.
2. How can a QA team make regression tests faster?
Updating the test cases in the regression suite according to the priority, availability, and impact of the functionalities, followed by automating the testing schedule, can greatly improve the speed at which testing is carried out. Performing complete regression testing only after conducting regression tests for individual functionalities can further contribute to saving time.
3. What are the differences between regression testing and functional testing?
Functional testing ensures that all the functionalities of the software are working as expected when compared to the requirements, whereas regression testing focuses on ensuring that changes and additions to the codebase do not affect the functioning of the software.