Regression testing is a type of software testing that checks if recent code changes, such as bug fixes or updates, haven’t broken existing features or functionality. Its main goal is to ensure the software still works as expected after these changes.
Its primary goal is to ensure the software continues to operate as expected after modifications. Since the same test cases need to be run repeatedly, they are often automated to save time and avoid the tedious manual repetition.
When to use a regression test?
Regression testing is done to ensure that features that worked previously continue to function as expected. It is typically performed:
- After New Builds: When a new build is released to QA with bug fixes or updates.
- During Release Cycles: At various stages such as Alpha, Beta, or General Availability (GA) to verify the product’s stability and reliability.
This ensures that changes haven’t introduced new issues and the product remains robust.
What is an example of regression testing?
Imagine you’re developing an online shopping cart. You add a new payment option, such as PayPal. Regression testing ensures that other features, such as adding items to the cart, calculating totals, and checking out, still function correctly after this change.
- Login Functionality: After introducing a new user role, ensure existing users can still log in without issues.
- Shopping Cart Behavior: After updating product prices, check if discounts, taxes, and total calculations remain accurate.
- Website Performance: After deploying a new design, verify that page load times haven’t increased.
Which tools are best for regression testing?
Here are some of the top regression testing tools: Selenium, Katalon Studio, TestComplete, testRigor, Appsurify TestBrain, Tricentis, Ranorex Studio
What is the significance of regression testing?
Regression testing is important because it:
- Improves product quality by ensuring consistent functionality after changes.
- Enables automation, saving time and effort in repeated testing.
- Confirms that previously detected and fixed issues no longer exist.
- Verifies that new modifications don’t negatively impact existing, tested code and helps detect any side effects.
· Proves particularly useful during integration testing to validate the overall system’s stability
