The goal of regression testing is to verify that the existing functionality of a software product works as expected after any modifications. Whether it is an update or a bug fix, you need to perform regression testing to ensure that the changes to the code have not affected the behavior of your application. There are several approaches to regression testing that can be used in different situations. This article will describe them to you.
Manual VS Automated Regression Testing
Regardless of the exact type of a regression test you want to run, you must first decide whether you want to perform it manually or automatically. Regression testing is one of the types of testing that can be successfully automated.
Automated regression tests are performed independently, but they can take different forms depending on the tool you choose. There are many testing solutions, both open-source and proprietary, that require programming skills. Some of them, especially free libraries and frameworks like Selenium, also need a dedicated testing infrastructure to be built.
At the same time, there are fully automated tools such as Executive Automats for Microsoft Dynamics 365 that allow their users to create their test cases through a no-code user interface. Such a tool also has built-in functionality for the automated process of report generation.
In manual regression testing, no step is automated. Not only are the tests created manually, but they are also executed by testers. Due to the large volume of work, manual regression testing is used less and less by enterprises. However, it can still be a good choice for testing smaller applications that are not changed frequently.
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Full Regression Testing and Retest-All
If you want to get a comprehensive overview of your application and find any possible vulnerabilities after its modification, you can perform full or complete regression testing. This approach will scrutinize the entire application.
Retest-all is a similar approach, but it also takes into account any previous changes to the software.
These testing strategies are particularly effective when it is difficult to find the root cause of a particular problem in the application. Going back to the very beginning can be helpful, but the process is also rather time-consuming and requires extensive resources. For this reason, neither full regression testing nor retest-all testing is popular.
Companies that want to perform such tests should consider using an automated testing tool. The manual approach will hardly be able to handle this task.
Partial, Selective, Unit and Module Regression Testing
It is common to divide the test scope into parts. There are several common ways to do this.
For example, you can focus only on the parts that might have been affected by the code changes. This approach is called partial testing.
You can also select the parts of your application that are responsible for the most important functionality and test those first. This method is commonly known as selective regression testing.
Furthermore, you can divide your software into the smallest testable components, commonly referred to as units. Typically, a single function can be a unit that you can test.
Some classifications also distinguish between module regression testing. The idea is very similar to that of unit tests, but modules are higher-level components that are self-contained groups of related features and functions.
Both unit and module tests ensure that the individual components of a program do not affect each other after changes have been made to the code.
Incremental and Progressive Regression Testing
Incremental regression testing examines each step of the changes introduced in your application. This is an iterative process that allows you to identify the problems with the software as quickly as possible.
At the same time, progressive testing aims to ensure that the application continues to meet the requirements with periodical testing sessions. This process may involve regular changes to the test cases.
