What is the primary objective of regression testing in software development?
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What is the primary objective of regression testing in software development?
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Regression testing is specifically designed to ensure that new code modifications or bug fixes don't break existing, previously working functionality. Option A misinterprets the term 'regression' as a directional flow. Option C describes performance/stress testing, which is a different testing type. Option D incorrectly suggests regression testing replaces automation, when it actually relies heavily on automated test suites for efficiency.
Step-by-step Derivation:
By definition, regression testing re-runs previously passing test cases after code changes to detect if new modifications have caused failures in existing features. This is a core SDLC practice, especially critical when deploying hotfixes or feature updates. The term 'regression' refers to the risk of previously fixed bugs re-emerging or new bugs appearing in unchanged code paths—not testing in reverse direction.