Automating Regression Testing: A Comprehensive Guide – Part 2

Now that we have covered the basics of automating regression testing in the first part, let’s get to the practical side of it in this second part. This part will help you implement

• the best steps to automation
• understand how to select the right testing tools,
• and learn about the best practices for the same

So, let’s check out the rest of the things you need to consider while automating regression testing.

Steps for Automating Regression Testing in Your Project

1. Identify The Software Changes
Define the modifications made to the software, as well as their expected impact and how much they influence the whole application. No change is too tiny to perform automated regression tests, but you must understand the scope of the changes brought about by new code additions to pick the best QA automation technique and tools.

2. Design the Strategy
There are specific techniques to test programs for regressions, but there is no general, one-size-fits-all strategy for automated regression testing. Each instance is unique, necessitating defined tools and approaches to accomplish the intended outcomes. A robust software QA testing plan can help you avoid many potential issues.

3. Ensure You Have Enough Resources
Three types of resources are properly required to begin a software testing automation process. They are:

• Time: While rapid custom software development is essential for gaining a competitive edge or meeting investor commitments, it's vital not to rush QA automation. Skipping thorough testing can lead to missed critical issues, so adequate time for testing and retesting is necessary.
  
  
• Equipment and Tools: Unlike compatibility or mobile testing, regression testing does not require a diverse set of devices to be effective. However, you will need a range of test automation tools, and since there are so many to pick from, you will require the assistance of an experienced software quality assurance service company US.
  
  
• People: Automating regression testing saves time for the QA team, but it cannot be done autonomously. You'll need people to plan the testing strategy, carry it out using best practices, and use the results to improve the quality of your software product.

4. Form Your Team
Starting automated regression testing with just one QA engineer is often insufficient and likely to fail. At a minimum, your testing team should include a QA lead to oversee the process and an engineer to conduct the tests and report results. However, this small team is only suitable for minor projects. As your software product grows and receives updates, your software testing service team should expand accordingly. It's crucial to select relevant test scenarios and create detailed test cases that focus on areas prone to issues, those affected by recent code changes, and all user-facing features. Effective test cases act as a roadmap for identifying regressions and ensuring the quality of your software.

5. Choose the Most Relevant Test Cases
The test cases for any automated regression testing technique will be unique, depending on the project's size, history, and goals. At the bare essentials, the test cases for your regression testing plan should cover places that are often affected by problems, locations that have experienced major changes as a result of new code pieces, and all sections of the product with which the end user would interact.

6. Choose the Framework
The selection of the most appropriate framework is an important component of any automated regression testing plan This encompasses everything from the programming language to the major and secondary test automation tools to assist you along the way. If you already have a well-developed testing framework that has proved useful in prior regression tests, you can utilize it effectively; nevertheless, in most situations, it will require some modification to match the objectives of this particular testing scenario.

7. Create Test Scripts
To gain a thorough knowledge of the changes made to the application, you must not only choose the most relevant test scripts but also update them whenever a new piece of code is added to the product. You may also sort the scripts by significance to ensure that the most vital ones get precedence with the help of a software quality assurance service provider.

8. Run the Tests
At this QA automation stage, you must ensure that the tests cover all levels of the application and provide a comprehensive understanding of how the new capability impacts the product. While running the tests, choose the most precise and effective ones to include in the final edition of your automated regression test suite.

9. Analyze the Results
All automated regression tests are planned, prepared, and executed with one goal: to improve software quality, find defects or other issues caused by a change in the product, and prevent such flaws from reappearing. This is why, after completing a large portion of the software QA testing process, you must go to the analysis step.
A detailed study of the findings obtained from automated regression tests can assist you in determining where your product stands in terms of quality, how prone it is to regressions, and what can be done to improve regression testing in the future. Ensure close attention to failed QA automation tests; they might offer you some beneficial insights, as long as it is not a fake failure.

10. Document Everything
Keeping detailed documentation of automated regression tests allows you to set up future software testing services more quickly, avoid potential errors made during this testing iteration, and quickly introduce new QA engineers to the way automated regression testing is done at your company if the team changes.

How to Select the Right Regression Testing Tools

This has been the accepted practice for running numerous tests, including acceptance and unit tests, on each code submission. Tools that offer pipeline connectors enable automation engineers to work from the same testing platform and find errors faster, resulting in a more unified testing environment.

Simplified Scripting
Regression testing is a multi-layered process that is already difficult. However, it becomes much more complicated as the number of regression tests grows and new features are added to the test suite. As a result, while choosing a regression testing tool, examine whether it simplifies the script-writing process.

Efficient Test Maintenance
Regression testing, like script creation, saves time and money. It also makes maintenance easier. The trick is to employ the correct tools. With that in mind, while choosing regression testing tools, seek features that make it easier to maintain tests. This can include user-friendly interfaces, powerful version control features, and seamless connection with development and testing environments.

Reporting System
The quality of a testing tool's reporting mechanism is equally crucial. Ideally, search for a tool that provides a comprehensive picture of the metrics that are useful to both testers and developers. The tester should be able to track the number of test cases that pass or fail, while the developer should be able to identify the cause of the failure so that it can be addressed swiftly. That is where it is advisable to select among the tools that provide a list of actions done during tests. With this tool, you may redo tests and figure out what went wrong, even if the first test result was a failure.

Parallelization Support
Finally, a decent regression testing tool should allow parallelization. This is significant since regression tests are frequently done in large numbers, and allowing all of your engineers to run them on a single workstation would take longer than most firms can afford.

Best Practices For Automated Regression Testing

You also want to ensure that defects do not return on a platform you skipped when running the tests. To gain the full picture of how new additions affect existing functioning, test every platform and device available. Depending on the product, you may utilize various computer hardware, operating systems, browsers, and mobile devices.

Repeat Test Scenarios
To keep up with a software product's rising demands, the regression test suite must continually extend to cover new scenarios and cases. However, this does not imply that you must dismiss current situations when new ones arrive. If you have one or more tests that have successfully detected problems and malfunctions in the past, you should include them in your revised test suite. This way, you can ensure that no previous bugs have a way into the current release.

Keep Your Regression Pack Updated And Structured
A developing regression testing pack must be comprehensive while being free of instances that are no longer needed. For example, retaining test cases for features no longer present in the application consumes a significant amount of important time and space in your regression test suite. It is critical to examine the regression test pack regularly and remove any tests no longer useful. Furthermore, categorizing the tests in a way that is apparent not just for you, but also for anybody else who may interact with this pack now or in the future, will make it much easier to handle.

The Round-Off
Automating regression testing is essential for maintaining the integrity and performance of your software as it evolves. By strategically approaching it with the help of a reliable software quality assurance service company in the US, you can streamline your testing process and ensure high-quality releases. This will ultimately enhance user satisfaction and support your product's long-term success.