Are you looking for the 411 on QA? Whether you’re a small business owner looking to cut costs, or an entrepreneur hoping to wipe out the competition, Quality Assurance is the foundation of any path-paving software product.
In the software development scene, regression testing, in specific, is a core building block of quality assurance. Why? For one, regression testing informs fellow developers whether or not the minuscule changes you make to your software code will introduce new problems even as they bulldoze other existing complications. Additionally, regression testing does a full sweep for defects or bugs that could interfere with software updates.
Remember, there isn’t any correct way to perform regression testing, but it helps immensely to have a strategy in place.
Enlist regression testing experts
Your best bet is to rope regression testing experts like these into your software development project. At face value, regression testing looks simple, but in reality, it’s complex and challenging and not necessarily a do-it-yourself endeavor.
You know code is finicky and doesn’t always respond well to changes, so you need to test throughout the development cycle. Involving experts can ensure comprehensive testing during the correct phases of development.
Six tips for a no-fail regression testing strategy
When developing a regression testing strategy, remember why you’re performing such testing. Your approach depends on the context of your tests, along with other factors.
With that said, here are six tips for a no-fail regression testing strategy.
Develop entry and exit criteria for regression tests
Entry and exit criteria are integral to successful regression testing. You should create a fixed set of entry conditions you must meet before initiating a regression test. To cover your bases, nail down another set of exit conditions you have to meet before you can conclude the testing phase.
Prepare for the impact of new changes
Regression testing doesn’t introduce bugs but rather reveals existing bugs. You know you’ll have to make changes to your code, but there’s always a degree of uncertainty when entering into the testing phase. Ultimately, software development is a massive exercise of the law of unintended consequences, so some of the new bugs may surprise you.
Prioritize
There are four parts to complete regression tests: smoke tests, sanity tests, integration tests, and your complete set of test cases. Based on your application, determine which of these tests you need to perform during the development at what phases and when you need your existing test cases.
Automate
Since regression testing is such an involved process and you need to do it frequently, automating the process will save you time and money. However, the best regression test strategies involve a combination of manual and automated testing, so don’t rely too heavily on one over the other.
Perform detailed analyses of bug reports
Reviewing bug reports might seem like an obvious step, but with the number of applications that go out still containing bugs, these analyses are necessary. Analyze your bug reports in extreme detail before you make changes and perform a new test.
Ensure random testing
Random testing helps ensure that you’re always performing some type of regression testing on your applications, but don’t limit this to the tests. Also, make sure you set aside some time to brainstorm real-world situations and conduct tests on those at the end of each testing cycle. With these real-life scenarios in the mix, you’ll be able to employ the most comprehensive testing strategy possible.
Final thoughts
You can’t fix all the bugs in your applications when you don’t know what they are. That said, the quality of your software is contingent on QA measures like regression testing. Ensuring you have a solid strategy in place will help you perform your tests how and when you need them, giving your applications their greatest chance of success.