Smoke Testing vs Regression Testing

Smoke Testing vs Regression Testing: Smoke testing ensures that all the core functions of a newly developed software build are working correctly. In contrast, regression testing ensures that the problems (bugs) found in the old software version have been fixed in the new version and that these fixes haven't caused any new problems in the parts that were already working fine.

In this article, we will explore the difference between Smoke testing vs Regression testing in detail. But before we begin that, it would be better to go through the topics listed under the Table of Contents (TOC) we will cover in this article. 

Table of Content 

• Smoke Testing vs Regression Testing
• What is Smoke Testing?
• What is Regression Testing?
• Smoke Testing vs Regression Testing - Key Differences

Smoke Testing vs Regression Testing

For better clarity, let's go through Smoke testing vs Regression testing in a tabular format:

What is Smoke Testing?

Smoke testing is surface level testing that aims to determine whether all the core functions of the newly developed software build are working fine or not. 

Developers perform smoke testing to quickly confirm whether to accept or reject the build. This type of testing is performed during the initial development stage of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). It can be performed manually and using automated tools like - Jenkins, CircleCl, TeamCity, etc. 

Smoke testing is also known as "Confidence Testing," "Surface Level Testing," or "Build Verification Testing." The main objective of conducting smoke testing is to verify the stability of the newly developed software build. 

To learn more about smoke testing, please refer to our comprehensive guide: What is Smoke Testing?

What is Regression Testing?

Regression testing is a type of software testing that checks if all features of software work correctly after code changes or bug fixes. (especially those which were working fine earlier). 

Professional testers mainly test the software's unchanged parts to ensure they function correctly after the new code changes. The main objective of regression testing is verifying the system's rationality.

Regression testing is carried out throughout the testing phase and is a quality assurance practice. It can also be performed manually or by using automated tools like - Selenium, Appium, TestComplete, etc. 

To learn more about regression testing, please refer to our comprehensive guide: Regression Testing – All That You Need To Know.

Smoke Testing vs Regression Testing - Key Differences

Here are the key differences between Smoke and Regression testing:

• Smoke testing is a preliminary check to ensure a new software build's most critical (core) functions are working. Meanwhile, regression testing is a comprehensive process to ensure all features function correctly after code changes, including bug fixes or new features.
• Regression testing is extensive, verifying that updates or changes haven't adversely affected other software parts. Whereas, smoke testing is a quick, basic check focusing only on core functionalities.
• Smoke testing involves a relatively small set of tests for core functionality, primarily done on new software builds. On the other hand, regression testing is thorough, covering the entire software to ensure no new changes have broken existing functionality.
• Regression testing is often time-consuming, as it thoroughly checks the software and is done before each production release. In contrast, smoke testing is quicker, typically done at the start of the development cycle and sometimes during integration testing.
• Smoke testing uses a limited set of test cases and is focused on major functionalities. Conversely, regression testing employs a more extensive set of test cases, covering changed and unchanged software areas.
• Regression testing is essential for confirming that recent changes have been successfully integrated without causing errors in stable features. Meanwhile, smoke testing is crucial for quickly detecting significant defects at the early stages of development.

Conclusion

Understanding the distinctions between Smoke Testing and Regression Testing is crucial for effective software development and quality assurance. Smoke Testing serves as a rapid, preliminary examination, focusing on the basic functionality of new builds to ensure their stability and readiness for further testing. 

On the other hand, Regression Testing is a more comprehensive approach that safeguards against introducing new errors in previously working functionality, ensuring that software improvements do not come at the cost of existing features.
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