5 Keys to an Effective Regression Testing Suite

The evolution of regression testing can be seen by the way organizations rely on this effective testing method. It is a testing method that is entirely focused on improvising the functionality of a software product or application by testing and retesting till the specific requirements are properly met.

Code quality is of utmost value in the software development domain, and regression testing ensures that the quality of the code is improved throughout the software development process or as and when required. In this article, you will get to know about the five keys to optimize regression testing suite.

Following are the five keys to optimize regression testing suite:

1. Analyze the metrics: Collecting and analyzing metrics is considered to be a useful practice. The quality and usability of the test suites can be identified.

There are many kinds of metrics that can be considered such as the relative significance of the percentage of defects found by the regression test suite and how certain specific regression tests catch some regressions effectively and so on.

The tests that have been added to the test suite need to be monitored. Test size needs to be reduced when the tests get huge or lengthy. Different regression test selection strategies need to be evaluated and significant changes need to be planned in the regression test suite framework. This will in turn help optimize and maintain the effectiveness of the regression test suite.

2. Define ways to test integrations: A specific regression suite can be executed that tests data feeds, back-end messaging engines and API connections. Validate whether the application needs any integrated process.

Developing a regression test suite on a frequent basis would require the support of developers and can be tedious, but, it is considered to be worth the effort.

Everything need not be covered. Those tests need to be developed that can assess each process in a valid way. Back-end processes cannot be directly accessed by QA testers. These features need to be assessed by the tests.

3. A specific mechanism for tracking tests: Another important key to streamline the effectiveness of the regression test suite is to adopt a good tracking mechanism between the tests that are added and the features that are developed so that the future visibility can be validated.

This should be a constant activity so that the feature checklist can be verified by the test manager and the test coverage can be validated for a feature that is being developed in the release.

4. Develop smoke tests: When high-priority and crucial tests are being pulled into a regression suite, label it as “smoke test suite” and thus execute it on a daily, bi-weekly basis or with every build. Before the initiation of any other testing process, smoke testing can be executed in order to avoid loss of work time and unnecessary shutdowns.

The smoke tests need to be automated with scripted tests so that a significant amount of time can be saved. If the tests are kept straightforward say with one or two validation points, then the failure analysis can be simplified.Every function need not be tested with a smoke test. Just the specific parts of the codebase need to be covered at a superficial level.

5. The value of screening regularly: The test suites can be screened regularly so that the efficiency and accuracy of the test suites are maintained. The issues and problems in the existing test suites need to be identified and checked regularly. If these test suites are not checked regularly then the test effectiveness, in the long run, is reduced.

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing regression testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a globally renowned software testing services company that will provide you with a feasible testing strategy that is in line with your project specific requirements.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.