Forrest logo
back to the gcov tool

gcov:tldr:0765c

gcov: Write individual execution counts for every basic block.
$ gcov --all-blocks ${filename-cpp}
try on your machine

The command "gcov --all-blocks ${filename-cpp}" is used to generate code coverage reports for a C++ program. Here's what each part of the command does:

  • gcov: This is a code coverage utility that analyzes the execution of a program and provides detailed coverage information. It is typically used alongside the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) in Linux environments.

  • --all-blocks: This is an option for gcov that instructs it to include all basic blocks in the coverage analysis. Basic blocks are sequences of instructions with a single entry point and a single exit point. By including all blocks, gcov provides more fine-grained coverage information.

  • ${filename-cpp}: This is a placeholder that needs to be replaced with the actual filename of the C++ source file you want to analyze. The ".cpp" extension suggests that the file is a C++ source file. For example, if you are analyzing a file named "example.cpp", you would replace ${filename-cpp} with "example".

By running this command, gcov will analyze the specified C++ source file and generate coverage reports that show how many times each block of the code was executed during program execution. The reports can help identify untested or less frequently executed parts of the code, which can be useful for identifying potential bugs or areas that require further testing.

This explanation was created by an AI. In most cases those are correct. But please always be careful and never run a command you are not sure if it is safe.
back to the gcov tool