How can you automate regression testing?

2 How to choose the right tools for automated regression testing?

When selecting the right automated regression testing tool for your software system, there are a few key factors to consider, such as the type and complexity of your system, the programming language and framework you use, the scope of testing you want to automate, and the budget and time you have for setting up and maintaining the tools. Additionally, you should also check if the tool is compatible and can integrate with your existing workflow and tools. Popular tools for automated regression testing include Selenium (web-based), TestNG (Java-based), JUnit (Java-based), Cucumber (behavior-driven testing), and PyTest (Python-based).

3 How to design and write automated regression tests?

Automated regression tests are usually written as code or scripts that can be executed by the chosen tools. To ensure the best results, it is important to follow some best practices when designing and writing these tests. This includes using a clear and consistent naming convention for test cases, methods, and variables. Additionally, tests should be organized into logical groups or modules and use assertions or checkpoints to verify expected outcomes. Furthermore, comments and documentation should be included to explain the purpose and logic of the test cases, as well as data-driven or parameterized testing to run the same test case with different inputs and outputs. Finally, test hooks or fixtures should be used to set up and tear down the test environment before and after each test case.

4 How to run and monitor automated regression tests?

Automated regression tests can be run manually or automatically, depending on your needs and preferences. Manual execution means that you trigger the test run yourself, while automatic execution means that you schedule the test run to happen at a certain time or event, such as a code commit, a build, or a deployment. You can use tools such as Jenkins, Travis CI, or GitHub Actions to automate and orchestrate your test runs.

Running automated regression tests is not enough; you also need to monitor and analyze the results of your test runs. You can use tools such as TestRail, Allure, or ReportPortal to generate and visualize test reports that show the status, duration, and details of your test cases. You can also use tools such as Slack, Email, or SMS to send notifications and alerts when your test cases fail or encounter errors.

5 How to maintain and improve automated regression tests?

Automated regression tests must be maintained and improved over time to keep up with the changes and evolution of your software system. To do so, review and update your test cases regularly to ensure they are relevant and accurate, remove or refactor redundant, obsolete, or flaky test cases that add no value or cause false positives, and add or modify test cases to cover new or changed features, requirements, or scenarios. Additionally, optimize your test cases to reduce execution time and resource consumption, and use code quality and style tools such as SonarQube, Pylint, or Checkstyle to guarantee your test code is clean and consistent.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?