Top 10 Code Coverage Tools Every Developer Should Know

As developers, we understand the importance of maintaining clean and bug-free code. However, it can be difficult to achieve complete code coverage in modern, intricate applications. The purpose of code coverage testing is to assess the extent to which our code is executed in tests.

Choosing the correct tool for this task is essential. In this text, we will investigate top code coverage tools, with the goal of enhancing your testing procedure and increasing your project's achievement.

What does Code Coverage mean?

In simple words, code coverage is a white box testing method that shows the percentage of code that gets executed during test runs. It aids us in evaluating the extent to which our tests address the code and identify any potential gaps.

The coverage percentage can be determined by evaluating the test versus a total number of lines, statements, branches, or functions in the code.

If your application contains 100 lines of code and 70 of them are tested, your coverage will be 70%.

Various methods are utilized to effectively gauge this coverage, and we will explore those methods in the upcoming sections.

Code Coverage Tools

We use a code coverage tool to measure how much of your code is tested. These tools help us eliminate critical and hidden bugs early in development—during unit testing. They also clean up dead and repetitive code from your software. Code coverage tools show us which test cases cover specific parts of your code, and which parts are left untested. Their main goal is to help us evaluate the effectiveness of your testing.

By this, developers are able to enhance the quality and standards of your code and boost productivity. That’s why you need these tools. So, now, let us explore the best code coverage testing tools.

Top 10 Code Coverage Tools

HyperTest

HyperTest records actual requests, responses and outbound calls from any environment. It calculates the actual lines of code that these recorded requests correspond and shows it as a number on the dashboard.

Give it a try here: https://www.hypertest.co/get-a-demo

Features:

• Executes unit plus integration tests

• Support for various coverage types

• Integrates smoothly with popular development environments

JaCoCo

JaCoCo (Java Code Coverage) is an open-source code coverage tool for measuring code coverage in Java applications. It offers detailed insights into how much of your code is covered during testing, helping you evaluate the effectiveness of your tests and find any areas for improvement.

Features:

• Executes unit tests

• Provides visual reports

• Integrates with various IDEs

Cobertura

It is one of the best code coverage tools that works great with Maven and Ant. Many Java developers turn to it because it’s easy to use, offers thorough reporting, and integrates smoothly with popular build systems and testing frameworks.

Features:

• Offline instrumentation

• Source code metrics

• Data management

• Report filtering

• Integration with build tools

SonarQube

SonarQube doesn’t measure code coverage directly, but it gives you a powerful centralized dashboard to manage and monitor code quality across different programming languages.

Features:

• Generic test data

• Test coverage formats

• Test execution reports

• Analysis with SonarScanner

Emma 

Emma is a free, open-source code coverage tool that’s perfect for code coverage in Java. It covers different criteria like statement, branch, and method coverage. It works based on its algorithm so that you can analyze your code to find areas that need more testing and improvement so you can direct your efforts where they’re needed most.

Features:

• Offline and on-the-fly instrumentation

• Support for various coverage types

Jenkins

Jenkins is an open-source code coverage tool for continuous integration that helps us deliver software consistently. Written in Java, Jenkins streamlines your development process and keeps things running smoothly.

Features:

• Works across different platforms.

• Simple installation and strong community support.

• Over 1,000 plugins available.

Istanbul 

Istanbul is a free, open-source tool that’s perfect for analyzing code coverage in your JavaScript applications. It gives you a thorough look at how well your JavaScript code is tested by instrumenting it to generate detailed coverage information.

Features:

• Babel plug-in

• NYC command line interface

• HTML output and more

Parasoft JTest

Parasoft JTest is a code coverage tool designed specifically for Java applications, helping us maintain Agile methodologies throughout the development and testing process.

Features:

• Provides real-time feedback through CI/CD pipelines, checking both code coverage and quality.

• Supports the creation of JUnit tests.

• Ensures compliance with standards like CWE and OWASP.

Visual Studio Code

This tool is a free code editor and compiler, developed by Microsoft, that supports a variety of languages like C# and Visual Basic. It is one of the best choice for working with the .NET framework.

While Visual Studio Code doesn't come with a built-in code coverage tool, you can enhance its functionality with extensions like Coverage Gutters.

Features:

• Built-in support for multiple languages

• IntelliSense for smarter code completion

• Integrated repository and hierarchy structure

• Improvement suggestions and more

Testwell CTC++

It is one of the best code coverage tools that ensures the reliability and quality of the software to be tested. It is helpful for developers as it allows them to find the area of their code that requires to be improved, which is very much like other code coverage tools for Java. 

Features:

• Offers dynamic analysis and performance profiling.

• Integrates smoothly with popular development environments.

Once you’ve explored the different types of code coverage tools, consider giving HyperTest a try. It integrates seamlessly with most CI/CD tools, streamlining your development cycle and making it more efficient.

With HyperTest, you can achieve over 90% code coverage. When you run your tests through the HyperTest CLI, it generates a comprehensive code coverage report, clearly highlighting which code paths are covered and which ones need more attention.

Conclusion

Code coverage testing is important in software development to maintain high-quality code and ensure a smooth user experience.

With the top 10 code coverage tools we've covered in this blog, you can easily generate detailed coverage reports, spot potential issues, and monitor progress throughout your development cycle. Keep in mind that the goal isn't necessarily to hit 100% coverage. Instead, use these code coverage tools to guide and enhance your testing process, ultimately boosting the overall quality of your software.

Try out our free ROI calculator and explore the value of HyperTest for your organization:

https://www.hypertest.co/roi-calculator