Has it ever happened to you that you go to see a doctor and you don’t understand a word he says? This is an old sales tactic that is not only limited to sales. You will find technical people all around you who will use terms you don’t understand just to prove that they are right. The case we are discussing today is not an extreme example of it but its knowledge would mean that you’ll know exactly what’s right or wrong and no one can trick you with technical terminologies.
Regression testing and retesting are often confused with one another and some find the difference is unclear. For our readers, we’re going to solve this problem. So, what’s regression testing? It’s a type of software testing done to ensure that the code change has not negatively affected the functionality of an application. Code change shouldn’t resolve an issue at the expense of other functionalities. On the other hand, retesting is a type of testing which is done to ensure that test cases successfully pass after the defects are repaired. This is the basic difference between the two. Following is the detailed comparison that will help you further differentiate the two in different aspects.
1. Purpose
Regression Testing: Any new change in the application should NOT introduce any new bug in existing functionality
Retesting: To ensure that the particular bug or issue is resolved and the functionality is working as expected
2. When?
Regression Testing: Only when any new feature is implemented or any modification or enhancement has been done to a code
Retesting: Same environment, same data, but in new build
3. Defect Verification
Regression Testing
- Not included in regression testing
- Defects are unexpected
Retesting
- Included in retesting
- Defects are known
4. Priority
Regression Testing: Can be carried out parallel with retesting
Retesting: Prioritized higher than regression testing therefore it’s carried out before it
5. Automation
Regression Testing: Automation can be done
Retesting: Test cases can’t be automated for retesting
6. Test Cases
Regression Testing
- Done for passed test cases
- Test cases can be obtained from the specification documents and bug reports
Retesting
- Done for failed test cases
- Test cases can only be obtained when the testing starts
7. Testing Style
Regression Testing: Generic
Retesting: PlannedAbove comparison should give you a brief idea about the differences between regression testing and retesting. Note that this comparison certainly does not mean that you should pick one over the other. Both regression testing and retesting are important and shouldn’t be missed out. With the help of issue tracking tools, both of these testing techniques can be practiced.