C++ code coverage tool

Question

I am looking for c++ code coverage tool which fares well in mutli server setup and on both windows and linux without licensing issues(if non free).

I have done some research and found 2 free tools: Covtool and gcov. Any disadvantages on these or any other suggestions?

Answer 1

Although I don't remember all the details of my research for code coverage tools, I seem to remember the following about gcov and covtool:

• They require custom modifications to your build system
• They need custom compiler flags and/or link steps
• They both provide minimal output and formatting

We needed support for Windows/Linux and gcc/MSVC and settled on BullseyeCoverage which is commercial and non-free. We estimated that it would cost us more, in money, to change our build system to use the free products than it would to pay for a BullseyeCoverage license. Their support was great and responsive and I was very pleased with the quality of the tool.

Some benefits:

• Great query support both in command line and GUI form
• Required no changes to our build system
• Had minimal impact on both compile time and run time
• Provides tools to integrate with build bots such as CruiseControl and Hudson
• Nice GUI for visualization and navigation of coverage results

Answer 2

AQTime is popular for Delphi/C++Builder users, but like the other recommendation, it is not free.