Definition
Sanity testing in software development is a focused and rapid form of testing conducted to determine if a specific functionality or bug fix is working as expected after a minor change or update to the software. It is a subset of regression testing, but with a narrower scope.
The primary objective of sanity testing is to ensure that the newly implemented changes or fixes have not introduced new defects or negatively impacted existing functionalities in the immediate vicinity of the alteration. It verifies the “sanity” or logical behavior of the modified component.
Reason
Sanity testing is applied for several key reasons:
- It helps in quickly identifying whether recent changes or bug fixes have inadvertently introduced new, critical defects in the core functionalities.
- By ensuring the basic stability of the build, it prevents testers from investing time and resources in more extensive testing on a fundamentally flawed or unstable application.
- It provides a quick assurance that the application is in a “sane” state and ready for further, more comprehensive testing.
- It saves time and resources compared to performing a full regression test after every minor change.
When to apply it
Sanity testing is typically applied in the following scenarios:
- To confirm that the reported bug has been effectively resolved and that the fix has not introduced any new regressions in other parts of the application.
- To ensure that the newly implemented changes integrate smoothly and do not negatively impact existing functionalities.
- As an initial health check to determine if the build is stable enough to proceed with further, more detailed testing like functional or regression testing.
- To verify that the application still functions correctly after deployment and to catch any environment-specific issues early.