Regression testing means “repeating a test already run successfully, and comparing the new results with the earlier valid results”. This process is useful when you run a test on your project and then correct the project code. Regression testing is based on the idea of reusing a test and acceptance standard, rather than forgetting about them once the test is successful.

On each iteration of true regression testing, all existing, validated tests are run, and the new results are compared to the already-achieved standards. And normally, one or more additional tests are run, debugged and rerun until the project successfully passes the test. Obviously, by this point some degree of automation is essential because it is humanly impossible to reliably check hundreds of test results to see if they match old results.

Regression tests begin as soon as there is anything to test at all. The regression test suite grows as the project moves ahead and acquires new or rewritten code. Soon it may contain thousands of small tests, which can only be run in sequence with the help of an automated test management tool like TestComplete.

The advantage to this procedure is that if there is a malfunction in one of the regression tests, you know it resulted from a code edit made since the last run.

How is a regression test performed in TestComplete? --

This means that a new test or tests are added to your test project or project suite for each new build or for each new feature in a build. Then, these tests are added to the test sequence of the project. For instance:

You can use whatever numbering system you want for the builds. You should edit the builds until both the old and new tests run without errors.

You can use the compare methods of TestComplete objects to verify if the script was run successfully. It is also possible to compare object properties, images and arbitrary files. For instance, if your application outputs a list of customers, you can obtain the list in one of the first builds and compare this file with others generated by subsequent builds. TestComplete includes special means to perform comparison of files, images and object properties.

 
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