Modern applications have developed a constantly evolving format. This means with modern apps, the developers can continuously update them to ensure that the apps meet the expectations of not only the consumers but also the changing standards of applications.
To implement these changes, the developers must add critical changes to the existing code framework of the app. While implementing these changes, some of the current features may need to perform appropriately or can crash completely.
To prevent such errors, developers have to verify the functioning of the application after every change. In simple terms, this form of testing is known as regression testing. Regression testing is one of the most essential processes in the modern application development lifecycle.
The developers must have a definite idea about the perfect time frame to execute the regression test cases. This article will discuss some of the most valuable parameters to help developers understand the ideal time.
Finally, we will wrap up our discussion by understanding some of the best platforms and tools that can help developers to utilize the full potential of regression test cases.
Understanding the Process of Regression Testing
As discussed, the developers must verify the application’s stability after every subsequent update. With the help of regression test cases, the developers can verify the proper performance of the new elements and verify that the new elements do not hamper the stability of the existing elements in the application.
This is an essential feature, as regression testing is vital in improving the application’s stability and ensuring end-user satisfaction. An unstable app can often crash and destroy the reputation of the company.
In this competitive app development market, this is one of the most harmful factors that can destroy the target audience for the company. Moreover, modern apps require access to multiple elements at the same time. Regression test cases help verify that all of these applications are responsive and ready to be used.
Regression testing is one of the most effective processes when developers work with certain health, banking, and e-commerce applications. With the help of regression test cases, the developers can also verify the security of the apps and ensure that all the sensitive user data is in control.
Scope of Automation in Regression Testing
Modern applications consist of thousands of elements that work simultaneously and need to be verified. With the help of manual test cases, it will be a hectic process and take several months to complete.
On the other hand, the developers can easily integrate automation testing to improve the efficiency of these test cases. Since regression test cases are repetitive and need to be executed after every app iteration, it can benefit a lot with the help of test automation.
However, app developers need to have a basic idea about automation testing. In simple terms, this process is an effort to remove human involvement in the test case execution process. Instead, the system will use a text file containing all the required parameters and data for testing.
This text file will allow the system to communicate with the application like a normal user and navigate through it. Based on this communication, the system can generate a test report showing the application’s usefulness, stability, and user interactivity.
After this process, the developers and testers can analyze this report and understand whether the application is ready to be released for the common users. It is also possible to make significant changes in the test file to make the report customized according to the app that is undergoing the development project.
Moreover, the app developers and testers also have the option to store and reuse huge segments of the automation test code in future app development projects.
However, the developers must remember that automation testing requires a significant investment at its initial stage. This is because the developers must invest a lot of time and resources in integrating various tools, plugins, and libraries that are important for the stable execution of automation test cases.
We recommend that app developers and testers have a clear idea about their business perspectives and returns on investment to understand whether they are ready for the shift.
When to Perform Regression Testing
As we already mentioned earlier, to use the full potential of automated regression test cases, the developers must have a different idea about the perfect time frame for initiating and executing these test cases. Based on our research and understanding, we have created a list of parameters to help the developers understand the time to initiate regression test cases. They are as follows:
- Application developers and testers need to initiate automated regression testing after any bug fix. This is because removing a bug includes significant changes in the core framework of the application and might give rise to other issues that can go unnoticed. These issues can hamper the stability of the application and, in a worst-case scenario, completely crash the app after its release.
- During the app updating process, the application developers often add new features according to the requirements of their end users. These features aim to improve the usability and simplicity of the application, but they can sometimes hamper the functioning of the existing features in the application. So, whenever the app developers add any new feature to the application, it is one of the best practices to initiate regression testing.
- The developers must consider the execution of regression testing after implementing any significant change in the software environment. These changes could include significant updates to the operating system or the database. With the help of regression testing, the app developers can ensure that the application is stable and works perfectly in the new environment. This is also a critical parameter when the application developers try to release a significant app update to a different operating system.
- Software compatibility is one of the most critical parameters that help developers to govern their prospective audience base. In many cases, app developers often change the compatibility of their applications and make them available on low-end devices. After making such changes, the application developers must run regression testing to ensure that the app is performing as expected on the existing devices. Moreover, the developers must keep the core framework of the application updated as thousands of new devices come on the market every year. This is a very important parameter to keep increasing the audience and improving the test coverage.
Considering all the factors we discussed above, the app developers must conduct regression testing after any significant change in the code framework of the application. This is because efficient regression test cases aim to improve the functionality and stability of the application.
It achieves these goals by ensuring that all the components and changes in the application are working as intended by the development team. Efficient regression test cases are critical for maintaining a positive image of the company in front of the audience.
Integration of Tools and Platforms in Regression Testing
Regression testing can be tiresome and also confusing, especially for new developers. Moreover, it becomes almost impossible to integrate automation testing with regression testing without proper tools or platforms.
These platforms also provide access to multiple additional features that improve the app’s quality during the development project. For example, cloud platforms remove the headache and expense of having a mobile physical lab.
A company typically uses these labs to verify the physical performance of their application on real devices. However, cloud platforms help to achieve similar test results while conducting all the test cases over the Internet.
Moreover, these remote servers provide access to certain devices no longer available on the market. It is an essential feature as it helps to improve the audience base by removing device compatibility issues.
While working with cloud platforms, the developers can run and execute the test cases from anywhere worldwide as it is not dependent on geolocation. We can improve our knowledge about the influence of cloud testing in a modern app development market by bringing in LambdaTest as our discussion point:
For the basic introduction, LambdaTest is a unified intelligent digital experience testing platform for executing cloud-based cross-browser test cases on complex web apps.
LambdaTest also has various innovative features, like the ability to execute parallel test execution to improve test cases’ reliability and efficiency.
While working with this platform, the developers can execute the automation test scripts from well-known frameworks and test suites like Selenium, Playwright, and Appium.
We would like to inform the developers that while working with Selenium test cases, they can execute it on more than 3000+ simultaneous modern browsers with LambdaTest.
Lastly, combining hundreds of real devices with existing emulation and simulation software helps the developers improve the efficiency and accuracy of the test results. LambdaTest is also a great option if the developers want to verify the performance of web pages with local hosts that a company uses for its internal operations.
Conclusion
With this article, we aimed to spread proper awareness about the role of regression testing in the modern application development lifecycle. App developers must have a definite idea about regression testing and its perfect use case to improve the application’s quality while developing.
Moreover, it is high time for the developers and testers to understand that automation testing will continue to improve its grasp over the app development market in the coming years.
So, the developers and testers must perform everything they can to keep their knowledge and information upgraded regarding all the latest automation trends and additions. App development companies can conduct frequent seminars to distribute their expertise regarding healthy automation testing practices.
