In software testing, retesting and regression testing can seem like they are interchangeable. After all, both involve testing the same software again to check if new versions have introduced any bugs or problems.
However, there is a big difference between retesting and regression testing as they are used in different situations. Both types of testing have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to understand the differences between retesting vs regression testing before deciding which one you will use when developing your software.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what these two processes mean for software testers, how they are different from each other and the scenarios in which each of them is most useful.
Retesting
Retesting is a type of testing that is performed when a change has been made to a system that requires the system to be checked again.
In many cases, the purpose of retesting is to see if the change has caused any issues with the system, so retesting is used as a way to check the “health” of the system after changes have been made.
Since it’s being used as a way to check for problems, retesting is often done in a way that is not specific to the way the system was tested before the changes were made. This means that retesting may involve different testers and use different methods than were used for the initial test.
Retesting can be used in a number of different ways, including to check if the following have been affected by the change: The functionality of a system after a change in code. The quality of a system after a change in code. Whether the change has caused any new bugs.
Regression Testing
Regression testing is a type of testing that is performed to make sure that nothing has broken as a result of new code being introduced.
The purpose of regression testing is to check the “health” of the system after changes have been made, so it is often done as a way to make sure that problems that were found before the changes were made are still being found now.
This may seem like the same thing as retesting, but the methods and tools used for regression testing are typically more specific to the original test.
In many cases, regression testing will use the same testers and methods that were used for the initial test. This means that regression testing may be able to find problems that retesting may miss because it is using more specific methods.
Define the Differences Between Retesting and Regression Testing
The major difference between retesting and regression testing is that the specific methods used for regression testing are likely to be very similar to the methods used for the initial test while the specific methods used for retesting are likely to be very different.
Retesting tests the system again to see if problems have been introduced due to a change in code, but it may use different testers and a different method than was used for the initial test.
Regression testing is performed to make sure that problems identified before a change in code are still being identified after the change. It is likely to use the same testers and methods that were used for the initial test.
Retesting is generally performed after changes have been made but before they have been added to the live system, whereas regression testing is typically performed on the live system after code has been added to the system.
When to use retesting vs regression testing
Retesting is often used to check if a change has affected the functionality of a system, whereas regression testing is often used to check if a change has affected the quality of the system.
Retesting is likely to be best used when you aren’t sure whether the change has had an effect on the system, or if it is difficult to see whether the change has led to a functional problem.
This may be because it is hard to identify the root cause of a problem or because you want to verify that the change has had an affect on the system at a basic level.
Regression testing is likely to be best used when you know the specific thing you want to test for, such as an error message or a certain functionality. Retesting may be used after a code change has been added to the system but before it has been added to the live system, while regression testing may be used after code has been added to the live system.
When to use regression testing instead of retesting
Retesting can be used to check if a change has affected a system, but if you know the specific thing you want to test for, regression testing is likely to be a better choice. This is because it uses more specific methods to test for the thing you want to check.
Retesting may be used to check if a change has affected the quality of a system, while regression testing may be used to check if a change has affected the functionality of a system. This is because retesting may be used to check basic functionality, while regression testing is likely to be used to check for specific functionality.
Summary
Retesting and regression testing are both types of testing used to check for bugs or problems after a change has been made.
The major difference between retesting and regression testing is that retesting is likely to use different methods and testers than were used for the initial test, while regression testing is likely to use the same methods and testers as were used for the initial test.
Retesting is likely to be best used when you aren’t sure whether a change has had an effect on a system and want to verify that it has had an effect on a basic level, while regression testing is likely to be best used when you know what you want to test for.
