7 Keys to an Effective Regression Testing in Agile Environment

 

Today, companies are looking for solutions to maximize their products time-to-market and to achieve higher ROI. QA specialists are facing the need to develop a continuous testing strategy that could keep up with rapid changes in the product’s functionality and does not affect the existing functionality of the system at the same time. This is where regression testing in an agile environment comes into the picture. Let us now understand what regression testing in agile means and how to perform it effectively.

What is regression testing in agile?

Regression testing is an important software testing method that is performed to check if the recent program or code change in software does not affect the existing features of the software. In an agile environment, regression tests are developed with each sprint and testers ensure that new code does not conflict with old code and the existing code works as expected without getting affected.

How does regression test in agile help?

In an agile environment, the functional aspect of the product is simultaneously developed and tested. This helps in the following ways:

·         Ensures overall stability of the product as product is tested in a sprint cycle

·         Helps in identifying defects and eliminating them thus providing an overall view of the entire system

·         Improves the overall quality of the product and user experience

·     Reduces the chances of programming rework. If any programming error occurs it can be fixed in the same sprint.

7 keys to perform regression testing effectively in an agile environment?

Below mentioned are the seven keys that can be considered to perform regression testing effectively.

1.       Prepare a test strategy: It is extremely essential to have a well-defined regression testing strategy. To prepare an effective regression testing strategy, it must include:

·         Gathering all test cases

·         Identifying the improvements that can be made for the test cases

·         Estimating the time required for the execution of these test cases

·         Outlining of which of them can be automated and which ones to be manually tested

2.   Conduct smoke and sanity tests: It is essential to conduct smoke and sanity tests before regression testing to save time for testing teams. Sanity tests check the basic functionality of an application and smoke testing checks the start or initial workflows such as login and start-up pages. Both these tests help in identifying if the software is too flawed or working fine, and then the actual process of regression testing can be taken up.

3.   Automate regression tests:In an agile environment, every release cycle includes regression testing to ensure new developments do not break existing functionalities. Thus, it is ideal to adopt test automation to save the time and efforts of testers. Effectively, if a parallel run of automated regression testing is performed, then the process can enormously save time and improve the software quality.

4.    Update regression packs regularly: The regression pack contains all test cases that are executed with a new software update for every feature. These test cases are written and drafted using the requirement specifications document. It is necessary to update these test cases with changes in features or with the inclusion of new changes and it is also essential to maintain these test cases to ensure effective test results.

5.  Adopt end-to-end regression testing:A complete regression testing is essential and should be carried out and must cover all the critical conditions. This sort of final regression testing should be taken up to certify that the functionality has not been altered and affected due to new code changes. This testing proves gives a green signal by the testers to move the code to production.

6.    Perform continuous testing: Continuous testing is extremely essential to ensure quality software. With continuous testing, defects are identified and fixed faster with minimum impact on software.

7.    Analyse regression test reports thoroughly: To have full visibility, analyse the regression suite reports to assess the ROI of the executions over time, per platforms, within CI, and more.

Conclusion: Regression testing in agile is extremely important to meet today’s business requirement of quality software in less time. By conducting regression tests in an agile environment, businesses can ensure that their software remains unaffected due to recent code changes. Leverage regression testing from a next-gen QA and software testing services provider for high-quality software. Get in touch with our experts to know more.

About the author: I am a technical content writer and I write articles on various IT-related topics. In this article, I have tried to share my views on the 7 keys to performing effective regression testing in an agile environment.