How To Make Automated Regression Testing

Regression testing is a necessary measure to detect defects in the tested areas of the app. It ensures that previously functioning code continues to work after changes are made. In addition, this is necessary to check for regression bugs detection, which might otherwise go unnoticed without thorough testing.

Regression errors are just like other bugs, but they can appear not during the initial development but when adding a new feature or section to an existing build, or even when fixing other bugs that cause new defects in previously tested functionality. These errors can significantly impact the overall stability and performance of the application.

Don’t try to automate everything at once. Begin by automating the most critical and repetitive test cases, then gradually expand your test coverage.

Mykhailo Poliarush

CEO, ZappleTech Inc.

However, as the application evolves and grows over time, the complexity of regression testing also increases. This leads to a larger set of regression tests that need to be executed, often numbering in the hundreds or even thousands. Manual execution of such a vast number of tests becomes inefficient and time-consuming. This is where automated regression testing becomes essential. Automated regression testing allows for quicker, more reliable checks, ensuring that the core functionality remains intact while new features or bug fixes are integrated.

Regression Testing and Its Essence

Regression testing plays a crucial role in software quality assurance. Its primary purpose is to ensure that recent code changes, such as bug fixes or updates, do not introduce new defects into the existing codebase. By rechecking for bugs, regression testing verifies the stability of previously tested functionalities, confirming that they still work as expected after modifications. In some cases, a build update may inadvertently create new issues in areas that were previously functioning well.

Automated regression testing enhances this process by running predefined test cases automatically, saving time and ensuring consistency in testing efforts. It is especially valuable in large-scale projects where manual testing could become inefficient and error-prone. This automated approach helps identify if the resolution of certain bugs has unintentionally caused other defects, allowing teams to address them swiftly.

We can distinguish several types of software regression testing:

• Corrective. This kind of regression testing where you haven’t changed your source code. You just want to test how your current system’s operation works correctly without writing new functions and test systems.
• Retest-all. It lies in the repeated testing of all test cases, which allows you to make sure that there are no errors associated with changing the application’s source code.
• Selective. This type of testing is useful when testing a specific group of already created test cases.
• Progressive. It checks the fixes of an open or previously discovered bug.
• Complete. This type of testing is necessary to check the entire system at once. It is held immediately before the release of the product.
• Partial. It is needed when you add a new row to the system. Unlike sample testing, new features are tested alongside old ones in this type.
• Unit. It is useful for testing a single code or component and is the opposite of smoke testing.

What You Need to Know About Testing

Some points about how to perform regression testing:

• This type of testing is carried out in each new build.
• You need to start with version verification (build and smoke testing).
• Stage of checking the checked bugs.
• Regression testing, in general, does not cover the entire app but only those areas that, in one way or another, “are in contact” with changes in the build.

Further, bugs already closed earlier are tested.

1. Regression testing is needed for several times of running: (3-5). Therefore, to save precious time (and, perhaps, to get rid of “routine”), the power of test automation is actively used in regression tests.
2. Carrying out the final regression testing, for which tests are selected according to the priority determined by the founded number of errors.

What Can Test Automation Give You?

A large number of required tests is a common reason to implement automation, particularly in regression testing. Of course, manual testing can be incredibly time-consuming, especially when dealing with thousands of test cases. Automating these repetitive processes not only saves time but also ensures consistency and accuracy across test cycles.

Additionally, automated regression testing helps identify bugs earlier in the development process, improving overall software quality. It can also facilitate faster release cycles, providing teams with the agility to adapt quickly to changes. Automated regression testing also enables continuous integration, allowing for frequent, smaller updates without compromising the integrity of the software.

Consistency and infallibility

Consistency and infallibility are key challenges when conducting manual tests. It’s often difficult to ensure the exact same scenario and conditions are repeated during each test cycle. Humans are naturally prone to variability, and even the smallest deviation from the steps followed in previous tests can lead to inconsistencies. This can confuse the tester and result in errors, which may cause significant issues within the testing script.

However, automated regression testing addresses this problem by systematizing the entire process. It ensures that every test is executed exactly the same way each time, removing the risks associated with the human factor and improving the overall reliability of the testing.

Time optimization

Time optimization plays a vital role in modern testing practices, particularly in automated regression testing. By automating test cases, testers can execute scripts quickly and efficiently, without manual intervention. This allows them to not only analyze the selected test but also re-run it as needed and interpret results faster.

With automated regression testing, teams can perform more comprehensive tests in less time, reduce lead time, accelerate time to market, and ultimately enhance the quality of the product. The automated nature of these tests frees up valuable resources, enabling teams to focus on more strategic tasks.

End product high quality

Since manually executing regression tests can be a routine and monotonous job for testers, there is a high possibility of errors in the execution and, accordingly, in the results. Over time, this not only drains resources but also impacts the accuracy of testing. Automated regression testing offers a reliable solution by reducing human intervention, allowing for faster, more consistent test execution. This can significantly improve the efficiency of the testing process while maintaining accuracy and reducing the likelihood of errors. As a result, automated regression testing helps ensure high-quality software products that meet the required standards.

Universal Approach to Regression Automated Testing

To maximize the effectiveness of automated regression testing, it’s crucial to implement a structured and well-thought-out approach. Automated regression testing ensures that new changes in your codebase don’t negatively impact existing functionalities. However, like any testing method, it comes with challenges that need to be managed for optimal results.

To streamline your process and make sure your testing efforts are efficient, consider these essential steps:

1. Define a clear testing strategy: Start by identifying the critical functionalities that need to be included in your automated regression testing suite. Focus on areas most susceptible to issues after updates or modifications.

2. Prioritize test cases: Automating every test case might not be practical or necessary. Prioritize tests based on the most used or business-critical features to ensure the most value from your automated efforts.

3. Continuous integration: Integrating automated regression testing into your continuous integration pipeline ensures that tests run consistently with every new update. This allows for immediate feedback on any issues introduced, promoting faster fixes.

4. Maintenance of test scripts: Regularly review and update your test scripts to adapt to new functionalities or changes in the software. Neglecting this can lead to false positives or negatives, reducing the reliability of your tests.

By following these steps, you can create a universal approach to automated regression testing that helps ensure software quality and maintainability in the long run.

Choosing the Right Performer

Choosing the right performer for automated regression testing is crucial to ensuring the process’s success. While these tools can handle repetitive tasks efficiently, they still require the oversight of a skilled specialist to maximize their effectiveness.

This specialist should have extensive experience in both testing and development, as well as excellent planning and organizational skills. Their focus should be solely on managing the regression testing process, avoiding distractions or multitasking on unrelated tasks. A dedicated professional can ensure that automated regression testing not only runs smoothly but also produces high-quality results.

Select testing tools that integrate well with your existing tech stack and CI/CD pipeline. This will ensure smoother implementation and better long-term results.

Sergey Almyashev

COO, ZappleTech Inc.

Choosing the Effective Tool

Choosing the right automated regression testing tool is critical to ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of your software testing process. There are hundreds of tools designed to automate test execution, ranging from simple free web-based solutions to more complex, multi-platform, and multi-technology tools. These can include record-and-playback tools, scripting tools, and more sophisticated options that integrate with CI/CD pipelines.

Since the choice of tool is one of the key success factors in testing, it’s essential to approach this decision carefully. When selecting automated regression testing tools, start by identifying the main criteria and requirements that align with your testing objectives. Consider factors like ease of use, compatibility with your existing infrastructure, the ability to handle different types of test cases, and support for various platforms and technologies. By focusing on these requirements, you can ensure that the tool you choose will meet the needs of your project and streamline your testing efforts.

Test Case Formatting

If you want to set up test automation in a versatile way, it is essential to focus on both test case design and test case automation. A well-designed test case ensures that it can be reused and scaled efficiently. Automated regression testing, for example, relies heavily on clear and consistent test case formatting to ensure that any future changes to the software don’t reintroduce previously resolved issues.

There must be a generic way to create new test cases so that they serve as standardized input for test automation scripts. This consistency will streamline the automated regression testing process, making it easier to identify bugs and validate functionality across multiple test cycles.

Before Setting up the Automated Regression Testing

Before setting up the automated regression testing, it’s important to understand that regression testing can take various forms. It doesn’t always need to be entirely manual or fully automated. In fact, combining both approaches can sometimes be the most efficient solution. For instance, when the test scripts are repetitive or require frequent execution, partially automated regression testing becomes a smart choice. By automating these repetitive scripts, you can save significant time and resources while maintaining the flexibility to conduct manual checks where necessary. This hybrid approach can enhance both the efficiency and accuracy of the testing process.
One way or another, you must prioritize when setting up automated tests. For example, you can do this by analyzing a few basic questions:

• Which feature is critical to check?
• Will the test case check test critical features?
• Will the test case check example check the function for users?
• How often does a test case check make mistakes?
• Can the test case check test the changes if the function has changed?
• Can the new feature be tested with a test case?
• Can test case check test integration?

Be also prepared that automated regression testing will not always be configured correctly and correctly. Given that your team will always learn and adapt, you will receive new test cases, which will cause the need to change the tools and approach to testing.

In any case, regression testing requires a balanced strategy and approach. If you use test automation as your main focus, you can ensure that your projects run smoothly, save budget, and have the best user experience. The key condition is the correct use of skills, the absence of errors in the software and suitable automated regression testing tools.

Zappletech is a professional team specializing in automated testing, including software regression testing. We apply a full-cycle approach to increase QA efficiency, including implementing best practices and developing customized solutions for your business. Contact us to automate your path to success.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, automated regression testing is a cornerstone of maintaining software quality in today’s fast-paced development environments. By leveraging automation, teams can ensure that previously developed and tested functionalities continue to work as expected, even after code changes. This approach not only reduces the risk of introducing new bugs but also saves significant time and effort compared to manual testing, especially when dealing with large, complex systems.

To successfully implement automated regression testing, it’s essential to start with a well-thought-out strategy. This includes choosing the right tools that align with your technology stack, designing robust and reusable test scripts, and ensuring continuous maintenance of your test cases. Furthermore, integrating automated regression testing into your CI/CD pipeline allows for early detection of issues, enabling quicker feedback and faster delivery cycles.

Regularly review and update your automated tests to ensure they stay relevant as your application evolves. Outdated tests can lead to false positives or missed bugs.

Mikhail Bodnarchuk

CDO, ZappleTech Inc.

Though the initial setup may seem resource-intensive, the long-term returns—such as increased test coverage, faster regression cycles, and reduced human error—are invaluable. Ultimately, automated regression testing empowers teams to focus more on innovation while ensuring the software’s reliability and stability with every new release.