The main difference between sanity and regression testing is that sanity testing helps to test the critical functionalities of the system before performing major testing while regression testing helps to ensure that the modifications made to the code do not cause any unintended effects.
Generally, software development for commercial use is a difficult task. Defects in the code can increase the development time and cost. It can also affect customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to perform software testing from the earlier stages of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Also, there are various levels of testing. Unit testing refers to testing individual modules. Integration testing is to test a set of modules, whereas system testing is to test the software as a whole. Moreover, there are various types of testing. Two of them are sanity and regression testing.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Sanity Testing
-Definition, Functionality
2. What is Regression Testing
-Definition, Functionality
3. Difference Between Sanity and Regression Testing
-Comparison of key differences
Key Terms
Integration Testing, Regression Testing, Sanity Testing, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), System Testing, Unit Testing
What is Sanity Testing
Sanity testing involves testing the crucial functionalities of the system before it is accepted for major testing. The testing is quick and non-exhaustive. However, the main objective of this testing is not to check the defects but to test the overall system health.
For example, in a banking application, money transfer is a crucial functionality. Assume that after performing integration testing, the banking application is given to the testing team to perform system testing. When testing a money transferring module, the system gives a blank page. Sanity testing can avoid these types of issues, and it requires a longer time to fix it. Therefore, the deadline may be missed, and it is impossible to test the other scenarios. Likewise, sanity testing helps to avoid unexpected outcomes and ensure that the software is ready for major testing.
What is Regression Testing
Regression testing is the type of testing that checks the modifications of the code and to ensure that they do not cause any unintended adverse effects. For example, consider the banking application, which has a current balance and transfer modules. For example, assume that the developer modifies the current balance module. The transfer module requires the current balance module. If the modification in the current balance is wrong, it can cause errors in the transfer module as well. Therefore, regression testing helps to make sure that such modification does not affect the other features.
Difference Between Sanity and Regression Testing
Definition
Sanity testing is a type of testing that determines whether it is possible and reasonable to proceed with further testing. In contrast, regression testing is re-running functional and nonfunctional tests to ensure that previously developed, and tested software still performs after a change. Thus, this is the main difference between sanity and regression testing.
Usage
While sanity testing helps to prepare the software for further testing, regression testing helps to ensure that the software still works after making changes to it.
Conclusion
In brief, testing is a major activity in the software development life cycle. Furthermore, sanity and regression are two types of testing. The main difference between Sanity and Regression Testing is that sanity testing helps to test the critical functionalities of the system before performing major testing while regression testing helps to ensure that the modifications made to the code do not cause any unintended effects.
References:
1.“Sanity Check.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 May 2019, Available here.
2.Smoke and Sanity Testing: Software Testing Tutorial, YouTube, 5 Aug. 2011, Available here.
3.What Is Regression Testing? Software Testing Tutorial, YouTube, 5 Aug. 2011, Available here.
4.“Regression Testing.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Mar. 2019, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1.”762486″ via (CC0) Pixabay
Leave a Reply