Retesting vs. Regression Testing: Understanding the Key Differences

Retesting and regression testing are two important concepts in software testing, and while they may seem similar, they refer to two distinct testing methods.

Let’s take a closer look at what retesting and regression testing are, and when to use them.

Retesting: Verifying Bug Fixes

Retesting is the process of running test cases that failed previously to verify that defects have been fixed. In other words, retesting is performed to ensure that the reported bugs have been resolved and the application is functioning as expected.

For example, let’s say a tester found a bug in the login functionality of a web application, where a user couldn’t log in using their email address. The bug was reported, and the developers fixed it by updating the login code to accept email addresses. The tester would then perform retesting by attempting to log in using an email address to verify that the bug has been fixed.

Retesting is important to ensure that fixes have not introduced new bugs, and that the application is working as expected. It’s typically performed after defects have been fixed, and it’s a crucial part of the software development life cycle.

Regression Testing: Ensuring Existing Functionality

Regression testing, on the other hand, is the process of running test cases that have been previously executed to ensure that existing functionality has not been impacted by changes or updates made to the application. In other words, regression testing is performed to ensure that previously working features are still working as expected after changes have been made.

For example, let’s say a web application has a search functionality that allows users to search for products by name or category. The functionality was working fine, but a new release of the application added new features and changes to the interface. To ensure that the search functionality still works correctly, regression testing would be performed by running the same test cases that were executed previously for the search functionality.

Regression testing is important to ensure that existing functionality is not affected by changes made to the application. It’s typically performed after new features or changes have been made, and it’s an ongoing process throughout the software development life cycle.

Retesting vs. Regression Testing : Key Differences and When to Use Them

The key difference between Retesting vs. Regression Testing is that retesting is performed to verify that bugs have been fixed, while regression testing is performed to ensure that existing functionality has not been impacted by changes or updates made to the application.

Retesting is typically performed after defects have been fixed, while regression testing is performed after new features or changes have been made. Retesting is focused on ensuring that specific issues have been resolved, while regression testing is focused on ensuring that the overall functionality of the application has not been affected by changes.

Both retesting and regression testing are crucial parts of software testing, and they should be used in conjunction with other testing methods such as functional testing, load testing, and security testing.

Conclusion

Retesting and regression testing are two important testing methods in software testing that should not be confused with each other. Retesting is performed to verify that defects have been fixed, while regression testing is performed to ensure that existing functionality has not been impacted by changes or updates made to the application.

By understanding the differences between these two testing methods, testers can design and execute effective test cases that ensure the quality and reliability of software applications.