Why Automated Regression Testing Is Essential For Modern Software Development

To deliver seamless customer experiences, software vendors role out updates or bug fixes more frequent than ever. To achieve this, software vendors have embraced Agile and DevOps software development approaches. These approaches ensures that new features are rolled out on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. This practice has also necessitated regression testing.

In this article, we will explore regression testing, its importance, and challenges associated with traditional approach. We’ll also highlight why automated regression testing can play a transformative role in addressing these limitations.

What Is Regression Testing?

To keep pace with changing business requirements or market dynamics, software vendors roll out new features or enhance existing functionalities. Whenever changes are introduced, there is always a possibility that these changes might break existing functionalities. Regression testing is a software testing type that ensures that changes in the code haven’t negatively impact the overall performance or reliability of a software. This testing type checks for “regressions” that can occur by code changes, safeguarding the stability of previously functioning features.

When Should Regression Testing Be Conducted?

Regression testing is essential in scenarios such as:

Adding New Features: When new functionalities are integrated, tests ensure compatibility with existing systems.
Fixing Bugs: Debugging introduces code changes that could inadvertently affect other areas.
Code Optimization: Performance enhancements may unintentionally disrupt current workflows.

Examples of Regression Testing

Oracle Fusion Cloud Quarterly Updates

To add value to its Fusion applications, Oracle rolls out quarterly updates. These needs to be tested for regressions in order to validate whether or not the new features have impacted the existing customizations and integrations.

Workday Releases

Workday rolls out two major releases aimed at enhancing functionality and improving user experience. Since Workday is a mission critical application, regression tests need to be executed to check the reliability of the application.

How to Select Test Cases for Regression Testing

Selecting the right test cases is crucial for effective regression testing. Here are some strategies:

Test All Cases: This comprehensive approach is the safest but can be resource-intensive.
Random Selection: Selecting cases randomly is only effective when all cases are equally capable of detecting faults, which is rare.
Modification-Focused Selection: Choose test cases targeting modified code and areas impacted by those changes.
Priority-Based Selection: Here, test cases are priorities and executed based on the criticality of the business processes.

Challenges of Manual Regression Testing

Test all cases can be time-consuming when it comes to test a complex application like Oracle Fusion or Workday. For instance, Oracle provides two weeks’ time to validate quarterly updates. Doing this manually can require significant efforts from the QA team.
Regression test suites require repetitive actions like entering data or moving from one screen to another. As humans are prone to fatigue, this may lead to inaccuracy due to repetitive testing cycles.
Due to limited time, often regression suites are priorities based on their experience or “guess work”. This can lead to inadequate coverage which exposes your business to unwarranted risks.

These challenges can be addressed by incorporating automation. Automated regression testing not only speeds up the testing process but also ensures adequate risk coverage.