Automated Regression Testing: Why Everyone Need it

Automated regression testing means running a test suite (or groups of test suites) on every build of your application. Regression tests are designed to ensure that new changes have not accidentally broken any existing functionality.

Description: Automated regression testing is used by software developers to automate the process of ensuring that the software they have developed is still functioning as it was when they last checked it by hand.

Automated regression testing is usually implemented using a unit testing framework, though functional and integration tests can be used if desired.

The idea behind automated regression testing is that having humans regularly check for regressions is inefficient and prone to error. If a human tester checks the same thing twice, there will be a high risk of missing differences between the two results. This means that human testers may miss regressions, which can lead to software that does not work as intended. By automating this process using a computer, it becomes possible to run many more tests in less time, with a lower chance of human error.

Automated regression testing tools are typically implemented using scripting languages such as Python or Ruby. They do not usually require programmers to write code in order to use them; instead, they allow simple command-line or GUI interfaces for setting up tests and running them on different versions.

Why Do We Need Regression Testing?

As we've defined in the preceding article, "regression" means an accidental reversion back to a previous state. However, one thing that is crucial was not explicitly stated in"regression": software typically is when the program went back to a bad prior state.

Have you been through the process of making certain features not work when you implemented a new feature? Have you ever experienced that annoying glitch that came back months later than you thought you'd removed? This is an example of regression. The application has regressed back to the previous state.

Regression Testing Is Vital in Software

The software development field is extremely susceptible to issues with regression. Each change or addition that a developer makes can create unexpected issues in areas (supposedly) that are not connected to the area in which it was made. Every software project that isn't trivial and run by a group of more than five members, is susceptible to an astonishingly high amount of regressions that could occur during every release.

Developers must be aware that the changes they make, regardless of how simple, small or unimportant they may appear could produce unexpected adverse consequences. They could cause malfunctions that don't have anything to do with being related to the changes that are being made. Through regression tests, the programmer ensures whether the modification behaves in the way it is supposed to and that it works with all the code written prior to the change.

This is where regression testing is useful. Regression testing is simply an execution (partial or complete) of an application's test suite to ensure that an application isn't returning to an unintentional state previously. If done manually, however, the process of regression testing is extremely laborious and error-prone, which brings us to the next step.

Regression Testing: Why Automate It?

I frequently say that anything that is automatable must be automated. If you're able to automate a process, it's probably best to do it. If you are able to automate a process, but you're still performing the task manually, I'm worried that you're leaving cash on your table. The manual method is slow, time-consuming difficult, and prone to errors. This means your business is losing cash in at minimum three ways.

In the beginning, you're wasting money by hiring well-paid experts working on tasks that can be automated. There's also the risk of incurring a to save money. People who conduct the tests could be working on better tasks. The tasks they perform could be able to create an enormous amount of value. Additionally, as the manual process is prone to errors and prone to error, people are likely to make errors, which can cause losses.

5 Reasons Why You Should Automate Regression Testing?

1. Conserve the resources

In the end, the most significant advantage of automated regression testing, and also automated testing generally, is that it helps free the resources.

You can create automation to examine specific areas of the software with high precision, then use your time on other types of bugs and pests, and also conduct manual investigations to more complex instances that require special attention. This can improve the quality of your software's capabilities and offer your customers a better experience, with a significantly less sloppy experience.

When you choose an automated test tool that doesn't require coding extra time can be saved in the setup and maintenance of automated processes and the dependence on developers is eliminated, allowing QA teams to work through bottlenecks.

2. Instant feedback

If you are a team that follows an approach of the waterfall instead of an agile one Regression testing is usually carried out at the end of software development as the final stage before the release. Since the introduction of automation, however, it's possible to test repeatedly and instantly, resulting in feedback loops, and decreasing the total time for testing, while also improving the quality of the tests.

By using an automated tool that can create visual recording as well as logs, users are able to quickly look into and identify the reasons why tests fail. This will not only speed feedback loops but can speed up the repair of the failures.

3. Testing 24/7

Automated regression tests are conducted 24/7, 365 seven days per week. By scheduling, you can accomplish things like scheduling your tests to run during the evening, so that no one is forced to wait for results to be announced or test results. You can also run your tests in specific intervals, like every day or every week to ensure that there are no bugs not missed. Testers are also able to work on tasks that are more valuable while regression tests are running within the background.

Continuous regression testing makes sure that testers are informed about bugs prior to they are discovered by users. As mentioned earlier using logs and visual recordings to find and fix bugs becomes quick and effective.

4. Allows for scaling

In the capacity to speed up testing can come the possibility of testing more. If tester resources are stretched to their limit through manual tasks and tedious tasks, not only do testers have less time to do more testing and more, but they also have the chance of overlooking items or avoiding tests that are exploratory and design which could affect the quality of tests.

Automating tests allow tests to be conducted continuously with the speed and frequency impossible using manual testing. This allows you to increase the size of testing and QA without the need for additional resources.

5. Lowers maintenance

When the product's features evolve, additional tests are required, causing that the suite of regression tests to expand as time passes. At some point, the regression suite will reach the point that it's impossible for the testers to handle the cases of regression on their own.

It is essential to choose an automation tool that can allow you to maintain a view of your entire testing suite and let you alter or maintain the system without having you write or modify the code. When you use a tool that doesn't require code it is possible to do this and keeps maintenance costs to a minimum.

Continue reading our blog's next article on this subject to know more about the best way to select the most appropriate tool to automate regression testing Testing tools for regression A checklist. Read more practices like test automation best practices at bqurious.