A regression testing approach is needed to evaluate the overall working of the application after it has undergone a recent change. - Examines the functionality of the upgrade - Ensures that the change does not interfere with existing features - Identifies any errors or bugs in the application's existing functionalities - It helps determine bugs in the newly pushed code ## Strategy for regression testing - what to test, how often, and more Regression testing strategy depends on several key factors, like how often developers upgrade the application, how significant the new change is, and what existing sections it could affect. Here are some tried and tested proven strategies that you could follow during regression testing: - Measure or change the scale of the upgrade to determine how likely it would affect the application. - When introducing automation testing, outline the test cases and scenarios to know which should be automated and manually tested. - The regression testing approach must cover all the possible test cases and impacted functionalities. - Focus on the testing process, technology, and roles when automating regression testing - Perform risk analysis based on the size of your business/project and its complexity, along with its importance ## Tips for managing regression risks - Proactively identify and assess regression risks before starting the regression testing process. You can then focus all your efforts on the most critical areas. - Use risk mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of identified risks. For example, if a particular threat could result in data loss, you could create backups to mitigate the risk. - Use a structured approach for managing regression risks, such as a risk registry or risk management plan; this will help ensure that all threats are captured and tracked. - Communicate any potential impacts of regression risks to stakeholders to make informed decisions about the release schedule. ## Steps to perform regression testing: - Prepare for manual and automated tests: This involves getting the required tools and resources ready, such as test data, test cases, test scripts, and more. - Identify which changes or upgrades on existing modules of the application will impact its functionalities: You need to specifically identify which areas of the application will be affected by the changes or upgrades to focus your testing efforts during regression testing on those areas. - Use manual and automated tests accordingly: Once you have identified the impacted functionalities, you can use both manual and automation tests to validate that the changes or upgrades have not adversely affected those functionalities. Some of the most common regressions that need testing include functionalities such as login, search, and checkout. To detect these regressions, you can use different methods such as checking the application's output against expected results, performing functional tests, and using automated tools.

1. Regression Testing: A Complete Guide
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2. Examines the functionality of the upgrade
1
What is regression
testing, and why do we
need it?
Regression testing is a type of software
testing conducted to confirm that a
recent change or upgrade in the
application has not adversely affected
the existing functionalities. A regression
testing approach is needed to evaluate
the overall working of the application
after it has undergone a recent change.
Ensures that the change does not interfere
with existing features
2
Identifies any errors or bugs in the
application's existing functionalities
3
It helps determine bugs in the newly
pushed code
4
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3. 1
Strategy for Regression Testing -What to Test, How Often
Here are some tried and tested proven strategies that you could follow during regression testing:
2
3
4
5
Measure or change the scale of the upgrade to determine how likely it would
affect the application.
When introducing automation testing, outline the test cases and scenarios to
know which should be automated and manually tested.
The regression testing approach must cover all the possible test cases and
impacted functionalities.
Focus on the testing process, technology, and roles when automating
regression testing
Perform risk analysis based on the size of your business/project and its
complexity, along with its importance
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4. Proactively identify and assess regression risks before starting the
regression testing process. You can then focus all your efforts on the
most critical areas.
1
How does one manage
regression risks and
ensure they don't impact
the product release
schedule?
The risks associated with
regression testing can significantly
impact the product release
schedule. The following are some
tips for managing regression risks:
2
3
4
Use risk mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of identified risks.
For example, if a particular threat could result in data loss, you could
create backups to mitigate the risk.
Use a structured approach for managing regression risks, such as a risk
registry or risk management plan; this will help ensure that all threats
are captured and tracked.
Communicate any potential impacts of regression risks to stakeholders
to make informed decisions about the release schedule.
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5. THE TYPE OF APPLICATION
UNDER TEST:
THE FREQUENCY OF
CHANGES:
THE RESOURCES
AVAILABLE:
THE COVERAGE DESIRED:
Automated regression testing
may not be feasible for all
applications. For example, if the
application has a complex user
interface, it may be challenging
to automate UI-based tests
If the application is subject to
frequent changes, automated
regression tests can help save
time in the long run.
Automated regression testing
requires a significant upfront
investment in time and
resources. If the project budget
is limited, automating all
regression tests may not be
possible.
Automated regression tests can
provide high coverage if well-
designed. However, manual
testing may be necessary to
supplement automated tests
and achieve 100% coverage.
When deciding whether to automate regression tests, consider the following:
While regression tests are an essential part of the software development process, they can also be time-consuming and
costly. Automating regression tests can help reduce the cost and time of regression testing while providing high coverage.
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6. PREPARE FOR MANUAL AND AUTOMATED TESTS
This involves getting the required tools and resources ready, such as test data,
test cases, test scripts, and more.
Why Your Team is amazing
Once you have identified the impacted functionalities, you can use both manual
and automation tests to validate that the changes or upgrades have not
adversely affected those functionalities.
IDENTIFY CHANGES OR UPGRADES ON EXISTING MODULES
You need to specifically identify which areas of the application will be affected by
the changes or upgrades to focus your testing efforts during regression testing on
those areas.
How do you
perform regression
testing on your
applications or
software products?
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7. Regression Testing Tools: Which tools to perform your
software regression testing?
These are some of the most famous regression testing tools available today. Each has its
strengths and weaknesses, so choosing the right tool for your specific needs is essential.
HeadSpin
Headspin is a regression
testing tool that uses
intelligent test automation
to test web and mobile
applications. HeadSpin
designed the platform to
help developers quickly
identify and fix any
regressions before
reaching production
Selenium
Selenium is a popular
open-source tool for web
application regression
testing. Testers can use it
to automate tests against
both web and mobile
applications. It supports
various browsers and
operating systems, making
it a versatile option for
regression
JUnit
JUnit is a popular open-
source unit testing
framework for Java
development. Testers can
also use it for regression
testing by creating test
cases that exercise the
functionality of an
application.
Appium
Appium is a tool for mobile
application regression
testing. Testers can use it
to automate tests against
native, web, and hybrid
mobile applications.
Appium supports a wide
variety of mobile
platforms, making it a
versatile tool for
regression testing.
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8. A designated QA professional, along with their preferred choice
of automation testing tool
1
Framework for regression
testing - the different
methods of setting up a
framework
When the testing team opts for
automated regression testing, they
simultaneously must define the test
automation framework for the purpose.
Here is how a defined architecture plays
a vital role in automated testing:
2
3
4
A suitable and relevant structure for regression testing includes
test cases and test suites.
A basic testing script to run the regression testing, which is
also scalable and accommodating to the new test case.
Before developing a test automation framework, QA
professionals complete integration tasks to ensure that they
can focus solely on running the script for regression testing.
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9. 1
Types of tests that you can use in a regression framework
There are several types of tests you can conduct using a regression testing framework:
2
3
4
5
Re-run previous test cases and compare the results with the earlier outputs to check the
application's integrity after code modification
Conduct regression testing by running only a part of the test suite, which might be affected
due to the code change
Take a regression testing approach where you execute test cases priority-wise; you run higher
priority cases before lower priority test cases
The above two techniques can be combined for hybrid test selection, running regression
testing for a part of the test suite based on its priority.
You can prioritize test cases based on checking the upgraded/subsequent version of the
application or the current version.
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10. HeadSpin's intelligent approach toward delivering aggregation and regression
testing insights helps professionals monitor, analyze, and determine the
changes in the application. HeadSpin offers build-over-build regression and
location-to-location comparison with its AI-powered regression intelligence
across new app builds, OS releases, feature additions, locations, and more.
Conclusion
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11. Thank you!
Reference URL: https://www.headspin.io/blog/regression-testing-a-complete-guide