It's an approach of performing regression testing over a software product, using minimal and specific set of test cases available in test suites. As selective re-test, concerns with the regression testing type. so let's have a small overview of regression testing before proceeding further.
It's a testing technique, which evaluates a software product that has undergone through the process of bug removal or fixation. As the process of bug removal or fixation requires addition, deletion or modification of the programming code or features, which may affect the existing functionalities to make a software product behave unexpectedly. Therefore, it becomes necessary to test a software product to verify and validate the correctness of existing functionalities.
Now, coming back to selective re-testing. Since, a software product needs to be examined after implementing the bug-resolving corrective actions, it may take following approaches to examine the integrity of the existing features and functionalities:
Generally, there are three different ways to make a selection of test cases out of the existing test cases for selectively retesting a software product and has been described below.
Based on the test coverage criteria, this technique ensures the coverage of modified components of a software program, which may be covered under the test and accordingly making the selection of test cases, from the existing test suites.
Similar to that of coverage technique, but is carried out using a minimal set of test cases.
It's a technique of selecting every possible test case that may cause a modified or updated software version to generate output, different from that of original version.
Apart from the above mentioned important techniques, selection of test cases may also be carried out using two more methods.
Below given are the certain categories, revealed by the Rothermal[ROTH96a] to compare and assess the effectiveness of selective re-test techniques.
However, it is preferred to carry out the designing process using the mixed combination of both the approaches, which is commonly known by the term of Hybrid Design.
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