According to the 2022 report from software quality management platform Katalon, 37% of more than 3,000 testers surveyed admitted that lack of adequate skills was the greatest challenge they faced in test automation. Adequate skills are critical for testers, but also having the right understanding of the concepts involved is essential for anyone dealing with software testing in an organization.
Below are some important definitions related to automated regression testing, as well as examples of test automation.
Key concepts for automated regression testing
Make sure you understand the basic definitions that describe automated regression testing.
1. Regression testing
Regression testing is one of dozens of testing types and approaches used to validate software quality. This particular technique is used to evaluate the behavior of an application after its code has been modified. It can be considered as a retesting process aimed at identifying unintended side effects caused by the software change.
Regression testing is a necessary part of the testing routine in companies that develop their own software. However, they are also performed in organizations that rely on third-party solutions, especially those that are integrated with critical business processes, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Regression testing can be performed manually, but it can also be automated.
2. Automated testing
Automated testing is a broad term that encompasses different types of tests that can be automated. Its main feature is the use of a digital tool that primarily automates the process of test execution. Some tools can also automate other related tasks, such as report generation.
Typically, automation is used for types of testing that are based on rules, highly repetitive, and prone to human error. Unit testing, functional testing, integration testing, security testing, performance testing, and regression testing are just a few examples of tasks that can be automated.
3. Test scenario
A test scenario is a high-level description of test instructions without specifying detailed steps. Often, test scenarios are aimed at non-technical individuals. An example of a test scenario might be, “Verify that the user can log in to the application with valid credentials.”
4. Test script
A test script is an essential component of automated testing. It can be understood as a code that represents a set of instructions consisting of steps to be executed by a testing software application during a testing process. A test script has a lower level of abstraction and is written in a scripting language or a programming language.
5. Test case
A test case may resemble a test script but has a more abstract form. The instructions they contain are not as detailed as the instructions in test scripts. At the same time, test cases provide more detailed descriptions than test scenarios. For instance, the test scenario mentioned above may have several test cases, including not only the one with the correct credentials but also the one with incorrect information.
6. Test reusability
Test reusability is a desirable feature of test scripts that allows testers to reuse the same scripts for different test cases and test scenarios, which saves a lot of work and reduces redundancy.
7. Test maintenance
Test maintenance is an integral part of software testing, required to ensure that the available test scripts are up-to-date and relevant as the tested software undergoes updates and other changes.
8. Test report
A test report is a document that is created to summarize the results of the executed test cases or test scripts and aims to convey the findings about the quality of the tested software.
9. No-code application
Traditional regression testing and test automation tools generally rely on coding. However, the modern trend of democratizing testing and developing software by making it more accessible has led to the release of solutions such as Executive Automats that can be operated without programming skills. Such applications typically feature a higher level of abstraction, where test script components are represented as building blocks via a graphical user interface.
Examples of automated regression testing
As mentioned earlier, ERP and CRM suites are among the software products that are frequently tested using automated tools.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an outstanding example of such software. It is highly complex and regularly updated, while most of its features focus on critical business processes, which makes testing such an application suite essential. At the same time, many companies decide to implement their own customizations, which makes testing this ERP and CRM system even more challenging.
Regression and performance testing is especially important to assess the reliability of Microsoft Dynamics 365.
To make this task easier, Microsoft has introduced a special tool for automated testing, which is available for free. However, it is focused exclusively on the ERP modules for finance and supply chain management, and only on regression testing definition.
Selenium, a universal open-source automated testing tool, also helps companies with performance testing and can be set up for other Microsoft Dynamics 365 modules. However, the level of technical knowledge and expertise it requires is particularly high, as developers must build and maintain a complete testing infrastructure to use Selenium.
Finally, Executive Automats takes a completely different approach. It supports both performance and regression testing for the entire ERP and CRM suite and is a coding-free application suitable for users with varying levels of technical knowledge.
Bottom line
Anyone running a test automation project in your organization should understand the key definitions listed in this article. While the importance of this knowledge is obvious to testers, anyone involved in test automation planning, resource allocation, or tool selection should know what regression testing, automated testing, test scenarios, test scripts, test cases, and test reusability and maintenance are to make informed decisions.
