We have spoken earlier about Regression testing in our previous blogs. To define Regression Testing: Regression means retesting the unchanged parts of the application. Test cases are re-executed in order to check whether previous functionality of application is working fine and new changes have not introduced any new bugs. This is the method of verification. Verifying that the bugs are fixed and the newly added feature have not created in problem in previous working version of software.
Software Industries never rests, the work here is never ending, it may be for software or its maintenance etc. Be it web regression testing or app testing or any other king of regression, it does not matter. Such tests are essential hence have to be as effective as they can get. Lots may be changed within both features as well as specifications. This may, indeed, become too stressful for testers and especially to regression the testers were about to use. This is where automation makes an entry. Then, with the automated regression test suites better test coverage is what may be expected. Certainly, automation is a great concept if regression is concerned but automated regression testing has its own sets of challenges and maintaining regression test suits may be quite a challenge too.
Things that may affect effectiveness of regression are:
- Test suit enhancements may be getting out of synchronization with the remaining parts of the product.
- The suite tests have just been added to short-term perspective.
Ways to become more effective
Being effective is a talent, listed below are some tips that may be helpful to you to achieve such a hard goal:
- RTS or Regression Test Selection is quite a popular and commonly used method. It allows you a great potential in test case optimization. You are to divide your test suits into test cases; you will be able to reuse and obsolete test cases as well as retestable cases. You can also create several new test cases that, in turn, will be testing the app for areas not currently covered by prepared test cases. This may sound difficult but definitely this method is widely used and is showing good responses.
- Have a great tracking mechanism in-between the features currently under development. The activity has no choice but being consistent as that is the only way of maintaining test suits in the most effective way. Test manager will be assisted with verification of the feature checklist and validation of the test coverage.
- Metrics are always helpful. Gathering and analyzing appropriate data is just what one might need in order to make a regression test suit more efficient and effective. Knowledge is power and if you can see some dynamics, it is automatically within your power to have influence on them.
- A question – How may one find the root cause of effectiveness reduction in regression test suits? Answer – By measuring the mentioned suits on a release-to-release basis.
- Monitoring the way tests are being added to the test suit is important as well. If they are too long or too big you have to make sure to consider optimizing them from the start.
Regression Testing Tools
Automated Regression testing is the testing area where we can automate most of the testing efforts. If test cases are varying time to time as application scope goes on increasing then automation of regression procedure will be the waste of time. Most of the regression testing tools are record and playback type.
With this blog you must have got a better understanding of optimizing regression. We are sure all your regressions will get better and each day new innovative skills will pop up in your minds.
Happy Testing!
Referral: bughuntress.com
