In the software industry, there’s a well-known problem called regression. In short, it’s when you fix a problem only to discover that there are new problems created by an update. The rise of big data makes regression an even greater problem for organizations.

We all remember the Intel Meltdown and Spectre problem at the beginning of the year, right? Intel and AMD’s attempt to patch away the problems led to some disastrous results.

Regression testing is the answer to this common problem. What is regression testing and how can it help your business? Read on to learn more!

Types of software testing

To understand regression testing, let’s first look at the two categories software testing falls into.

• Whitebox testing. Whitebox focuses on the internal mechanisms of the software. It’s used for verifying different software applications.
• Blackbox testing. Blacbox testing ignores the internal mechanisms and instead focuses on the generated output of the software. You might see blackbox referred to as functional testing, as it focuses on the functions of the software tested.

Regression testing falls under the umbrella of blackbox testing.

What is regression testing?

This type of testing looks for regressions in software. A regression, as stated above, is when a problem arises after an action that involves software. The action could be in the form of an:

• Update
• Code modification
• Patching

Regression testing makes sure that:

1. One of these changes doesn’t impact other areas of the software.
2. There are no bugs in the added code.

It’s not meant to test the action itself. It won’t ensure that the update works as intended, only that it doesn’t have unforeseen consequences.

The testing takes place after the action but before it’s rolled out on an organizational level. The timing of the test depends on the type of test used, which we’ll get into in a moment.