Síntese temática sobre a adoção de técnicas de teste de regressão em projetos de software para a plataforma Android

Abstract

The mobile device market has grown exponentially in recent years, as the need for apps that strive for quality and that offer features that increase user retention. In recent years, a growing number of studies have provided solutions to problems inherent to the demand mentioned above. The software testing activity plays an essential role in the software quality assurance process. In particular, regression tests are presented as a viable strategy to deal with the complexity and constant evolution of applications since its main objective is to ensure that changes made between versions of a product do not change the system’s behavior. Although the literature has devoted efforts to developing new regression testing techniques for Android - the most popular operating system for mobile devices - existing studies do not address how professionals use testing techniques. This investigation aims to carry out a thematic synthesis on the adoption of regression testing techniques in software projects for the Android platform. We organized the research in four steps: (i) carrying out a structured review of the technical literature on regression testing of Android applications, (ii) applying a survey, (iii) carrying out an identifier with professionals from the industry, and (iv) the construction of a thematic synthesis. The survey got 100 responses and provided preliminary insight into how the testing process is performed during and after application maintenance, how automated regression testing of Android applications is in practice, and why the professionals do not perform regression testing after updating applications. In the interview study, we inquired 16 industry professionals. This study contributed to the research as it could unveil the level of knowledge of professionals and its relationship with test automation. In addition, we could identify the most used languages in the development of Android applications and the tools used for testing automation. Furthermore, the study provided us with a preliminary understanding of how professionals perform regression testing in practice. Finally, the thematic synthesis presents a model resulting from the comparison of evidence gathered from different data sources - literature, survey and declares about the use of regression test techniques. As future work, we intend to: replicate the interviews, propose a formal model of a regression test tool, validate the proposed thematic model and investigate how academia can contribute to training according to the needs of the labor market.