SAP Regression Testing | What it is & Why it Matters?

How to Build an Effective Regression Test Suite 

Regression testing is a software testing process that involves verifying the functionalities of an application or system after modifications have been made that could impact its performance. Unit testing is a software testing process that involves thoroughly testing individual functions or modules of a program using specialized tools. Unit testing helps testers to catch bugs early in the development process when they can be addressed more efficiently. This blog is about Regression Test vs Unit Test.



We know testing has become a necessary part of the software development life cycle. With the rise of Agile and DevOps methodologies, developers must deliver software faster than ever without sacrificing quality. We must do testing more efficiently and with higher precision. Regression testing and unit testing are 2 types of testing that we talk about, in this blog. We&#8217;ll talk about their benefits, main differences, and other important stuff to help you tell them apart easily.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_1dc38f99c0bac33ec8e6dcf48ef1632a_2000.jpeg" alt="Regression Test vs Unit Test" width="600" height="500" /></figure></div>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Regression_Testing_vs_What_is_Unit_Testing">1 What is Regression Testing vs. What is Unit Testing?</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_Unit_Testing">1.1 What is Unit Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_Regression_Testing">1.2 What is Regression Testing?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#When_and_Why_Do_You_Need_Both_Testing_Types">2 When and Why Do You Need Both Testing Types?</a><ul><li><a href="#Unit_tests_vs_Regression_tests_the_differences">2.1 Unit tests vs. Regression tests – the differences</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Tools_and_Techniques_for_Regression_and_Unit_Testing">3 Tools and Techniques for Regression and Unit Testing</a></li><li><a href="#Summary">4 Summary</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions">5 Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#Are_regression_tests_unit_tests">5.1 Are regression tests unit tests?</a></li><li><a href="#Is_regression_testing_black_box_testing">5.2 Is regression testing black box testing?</a></li><li><a href="#Which_testing_comes_under_unit_testing">5.3 Which testing comes under unit testing?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-is-regression-testing-vs-what-is-unit-testing">What is Regression Testing vs. What is Unit Testing?</h2>



These two types of testing have different objectives. Also, they require different skills, tools, and techniques.



<h3 id="h-what-is-unit-testing">What is Unit Testing?</h3>



Unit testing isn&#8217;t anything new. It&#8217;s been around since the early days of programming, you know. Testers use unit testing to test individual pieces of code or &#8220;units&#8221; and ensure they function as expected. This approach helps catch errors or bugs early in development, making fixing them easier and less costly.One example of unit testing is testing a function that calculates the sum of two numbers. The test would involve providing two numbers as input and verifying that the output is the correct sum of those numbers. For example, if the input numbers are 4 and 6, the output should be 10. This testing approach helps ensure that each unit works as intended and can be integrated into a larger system without issues.



<h3 id="h-what-is-regression-testing">What is Regression Testing?</h3>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/regression-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Regression testing</a> is a software testing process that involves verifying the functionalities of an application or system after modifications have been made that could potentially impact its performance. We do this to ensure that the modifications or updates have not broken any existing functionality and to confirm that there are no unexpected side effects.



You can conduct regression testing manually or through automation tools. Regression testing plays an essential role in the software development life cycle since developers continuously make new modifications to an application&#8217;s codebase.



For example, a web application has significantly updated its user interface. The testing team would need to verify that all previously functional features, like the home page, login page, cart, checkout, payment etc, still perform as expected and that the new user interface does not introduce any defects. By conducting thorough regression testing, software developers can ensure that their products continue to meet the high standards of quality and functionality that users expect.



<h2 id="h-when-and-why-do-you-need-both-testing-types">When and Why Do You Need Both Testing Types?</h2>



Regression Testing and Unit Testing are two important types of software testing. Regression testing is necessary when changes are made in the code base, which might affect other software parts. Unit Tests are essential because they help identify any issues with the functions individually before being integrated into the final product. Below are some reasons why you need regression testing and unit testing:



When do you need regression testing?



<ul><li>Regression testing is testing that makes sure changes or updates to a software system don&#8217;t cause any unintended effects or break anything that used to work.</li><li>You&#8217;ll generally want to do this testing whenever you make any changes, add new features, or bring in new data.</li></ul>



Why do you need unit testing types?



<ul><li>To identify any problems with specific code units at an early stage.</li><li>Help troubleshoot complicated systems by isolating individual components.</li><li>To make it easier to extend, modify, and refactor code over time without breaking anything.</li></ul>



<h3 id="h-unit-tests-vs-regression-tests-the-differences">Unit tests vs. Regression tests – the differences</h3>



Okay, let&#8217;s break it down! The below table gives you the major differences between these tests.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Unit Test</td><td>Regression Test</td></tr><tr><td>Unit tests are designed to test individual code units, typically at the function or method level.</td><td>Regression testing involves running a suite of tests to ensure that new code changes don&#8217;t adversely affect existing functionality in an application. Read here about &#8211;<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/regression-test-suite/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Regression test suite</a></td></tr><tr><td>This is a type of white box testing</td><td>This is a type of black box testing</td></tr><tr><td>Testers usually execute them before integrating new code into the larger application.</td><td>Developers generally perform regression testing after integration or deployment.</td></tr><tr><td>This test targets the methods and functions.</td><td>This test targets the end-to-end workflows.</td></tr><tr><td>Run for every build.</td><td>Run every time changes are made</td></tr><tr><td>It can be fully automated.</td><td>It can be manual or automated.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Both types of testing are important and work together to ensure our software is working properly.



<h2 id="h-tools-and-techniques-for-regression-and-unit-testing">Tools and Techniques for Regression and Unit Testing</h2>



To reduce the risk of introducing bugs and errors in your code, regression, and unit testing are two methods you should employ. After introducing new changes, regression testing ensures that previously working features still function correctly. On the other hand, unit testing focuses on verifying individual components of your code work as intended. Many great options offer robust functionality and capabilities when it comes to tools for these methods. Some of the top picks include:



For Unit Testing:



<ol><li>NUnit: an open-source unit-testing framework for .NET developers with built-in assertions, extensibility support, and parameterized tests.</li><li>JUnit: an open-source unit-testing framework for Java developers</li><li>JMockit-an open-source tool for Unit Testing with the collection of tools and API</li></ol>



For Regression Testing:



<ol><li>Testsigma: an NLP-based <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automation testing</a> platform that lets you automate tests for web, mobile, desktop, and API from the same place. With Testsigma, automating and maintaining tests is as easy as writing sentences in English. Know more about Testsigma here: <a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://testsigma.com/</a> <button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Start automating your regression tests in minutes with Testsigma</a></button>
</li><li>Subject7: a cloud-native, codeless test automation platform that integrates all testing procedures in a unified platform.</li><li>Cerberus Testing: an open-source and low-code test automation platform. It supports Web, Mobile, API, Desktop, and Database testing.</li></ol>



These tools provide developers with powerful capabilities to automate their regression or unit tests more effectively while significantly improving the efficiency of their workflow.



<h2 id="h-summary">Summary</h2>



To summarize, regression and unit tests are essential in software testing to ensure quality and prevent errors. Understanding the differences between regression and unit tests is key to implementing an effective testing strategy that improves the overall quality of the software. Yet, using both types of testing in concurrence with each other will help ensure the code is thoroughly tested. If any issues are found, they will be resolved before they can cause problems for end-users.



<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



<h3 id="h-are-regression-tests-unit-tests">Are regression tests unit tests?</h3>



Regression and unit tests are different. Regression tests ensure that existing functionality works correctly after new changes have been done, whereas unit tests verify that individual units of code work properly in isolation. Unit testing is designed to catch bugs early in development, while regression testing is intended to catch issues introduced during later stages.



<h3 id="h-is-regression-testing-black-box-testing">Is regression testing black box testing?</h3>



Regression testing means re-executing the tests for features that could get impacted due to any new changes in the code. So it&#8217;s a Black-Box testing technique.



<h3 id="h-which-testing-comes-under-unit-testing">Which testing comes under unit testing?</h3>



Unit tests are very low-level and close to an application&#8217;s source. They test individual methods and functions of your software&#8217;s classes, components, or modules.

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As the world moves forward, it wants to progress, more efficiency, more speed, and the same is the case with the software development industry. Every software development organization wants to save time, effort, and money at every step possible. Software Testing being a major part of software development also needs more efficiency. Thus, comes automation.&nbsp; 



As regression testing is one of the most time-taking and repetitive activities where software testing is concerned &#8211; automating regression testing ensures a better-quality software at a lower cost and timely release. 



There are plenty of regression testing automation tools available in the market today. But more choice also means more confusion. Thus, it can become difficult for an organization to choose an ideal automated testing tool for performing regression testing. 



Here, we aim to help you figure out just that. The top 5 top features a regression testing automation tool must have today: 



1. Scriptless




Script-based automation where the tester needs to write long test scripts is slowly becoming the history now, as companies are moving towards scriptless regression automation testing tools. Scriptless automation tools save a lot of time that is usually spent on writing code for your regression testing. There are <a href="https://dzone.com/articles/scriptless-testing-is-not-just-record-and-playback" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="multiple ways of scriptless test automation (opens in a new tab)">multiple ways of scriptless test automation </a>and the one which I found the easiest is <a href="https://testsigma.com/regression-testing/automated-regression-testing-tool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="automating tests in simple English (opens in a new tab)">automating tests in simple English</a>, where it seems as if you were just noting down the tests. I personally have used it and would like to recommend it for its ease of use. Scriptless regression testing tools will not only help you reduce the testing stress, but also improve the work efficiency significantly.



2. Ability to Identify Potential Failures Upfront



A regression testing automation tool should be capable of identifying the affected tests in your automated regression test suite. It helps you create regression test suites with the test cases that have a direct impact on the change in the software. 



3. Self Healing Test AutomationSelf-healing is an important feature that helps ensure that regression testing is being carried out without any friction. In Self-healing test automation, the AI detects abnormalities in the existing code and automatically fixes the changes made in the code to prevent test failures. &nbsp;If you have an agile development team, self-healing is a handy feature for you. This feature alone will help you save a significant amount of time and money.



4. Multiple Test Execution in Parallel



Parallel test executions help in making your testing faster and achieving a quicker turnaround in deployments. Multiple test executions in parallel help in reducing the feedback time significantly. It also helps the testers and developers to dedicate their time and resources on serious problems with cross-platform compatibility. 



5. Simplified Regression Report Generation



A regression testing automation tool must have a reporting functionality to help measure the success or failure of a particular test case and to track the complete details of the test cases including the number of test cases executed, status of each test case, test suite’s visual logs, defect priorities, and screenshot capturing.



An ideal tool not just provides a pass/fail reports, but it provides detailed reports complemented by screenshots, videos, error logs and actionable feedback to help the testers make effective and quick decisions for a quick resolution.



Selecting an appropriate automated testing tool for regression testing is crucial as the functionality and performance of the software are the basic elements for its success. 



There are only a few automation tools which comprise all the listed features above and Testsigma is one of them. It is a scriptless test automation tool for web, mobile, and web services regression testing to help you get started with the automated regression testing instantly. 



It uses AI to identify all the potential failures which help you avoid the manual checking of affected test cases which is both error-prone and time-consuming. 



Testsigma’s Artificial Intelligence is smart enough to locate the elements precisely even with the changes made in the attribute and automatically modify the change made in the source code to prevent the failure of the tests. This helps in reducing your maintenance efforts by 70 percent. 



Testsigma allows you to run thousands of regression tests in parallel on a vast range of cloud and local devices which reduces the feedback time to just a few minutes. 



Testsigma provides you with the comprehensive test reports with a drill-down approach to help you analyse the test results efficiently in quick time. You also get actionable feedback on the failed tests to help take quick action.



All in all, <a href="https://testsigma.com/regression-testing/automated-regression-testing-tool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Testsigma, an ideal for automated regression testing (opens in a new tab)">Testsigma, an ideal for automated regression testing</a>, has all the essential elements required for automation and execution of your regression test cases. You can get started with the automated regression testing instantly with no coding language requirement. 



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