ExtUtil...Coverage(3)

📦
version 0.05 · 2 versions
, in fedora 43

💅 NAME 💅

okay so bestie, <pink>ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Coverage</pink> is the whole vibe here — it's the module that adds a Makefile target so you can figure out your test coverage using <purple>Devel::Cover</purple>. that's it, that's the girl. 🎀

✨ VERSION ✨

Version <cyan>0.05</cyan> — yes she's an older queen but she's still serving. 👑

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

so here's the tea: this module slides an extra target into the Makefile that <pink>ExtUtils::MakeMaker</pink> generates for you. that target is called <hotpink>testcover</hotpink>, and when you call it, it runs <purple>cover</purple> — the command-line script that generates test coverage statistics — to clean up any data from a previous run. then it runs your tests, literally as if you'd typed <cyan>make test</cyan>, and then it calls <purple>cover</purple> again to actually generate the coverage stats. she does the whole routine, no skips. 💅

# In Makefile.PL
use ExtUtils::MakeMaker;
use ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Coverage;
...
# if you already have a MY::postamble...
sub MY::postamble {
    testcover();
    ...
}

# if you wish to tweak the testcover target that will be written,
# alter it's configuration.
$conf = ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Coverage->config;

and then in your shell, go off:

> perl Makefile.PL
> make
> make testcover

🌸 METHODS 🌸

testcover

this method is <mint>exported</mint> for when you've already got a <cyan>MY::postamble</cyan> chillin' in your <cyan>Makefile.PL</cyan>. in that case, just add a call to the <hotpink>testcover</hotpink> method and boom, the necessary Makefile steps get added. it's giving plug-and-play, honestly. 🫶

config

this method hands you back the internal config object that this package uses to build the <hotpink>testcover</hotpink> target in the Makefile. it's literally the control room. 🎛️

you can change parts of the <hotpink>testcover</hotpink> target by setting accessors on this object. here's every single one, don't skip:

  • binary — the value to use for the <purple>cover</purple> binary. defaults to <cyan>cover</cyan>.
  • format — the output format to use for <cyan>cover -report</cyan>. defaults to none, which means it uses <purple>cover</purple>'s default settings. go consult <cyan>perldoc cover</cyan> for documentation on its <cyan>-report</cyan> switch. ✨
  • ignore — an array ref of patterns to ignore when generating the coverage report. defaults to an empty list. <cyan>perldoc cover</cyan> has the docs on its <cyan>-ignore</cyan> switch, bestie.
  • files — an array ref of test files to run for this coverage reprort. defaults to the <cyan>$(TESTFILES)</cyan> variable as defined in your <cyan>Makefile</cyan>. for details, consult <cyan>perldoc ExtUtils::MakeMaker</cyan>. (yes the original says "reprort", she's quirky like that, we don't fix her 💀)
  • cover_statement — boolean indicating whether to run coverage on statements. defaults to <cyan>true</cyan>. <cyan>perldoc cover</cyan> explains its <cyan>-coverage</cyan> switch.
  • cover_branch — boolean indicating whether to run coverage on branches. defaults to <cyan>true</cyan>. again, <cyan>perldoc cover</cyan> and its <cyan>-coverage</cyan> switch.
  • cover_subroutine — boolean indicating whether to run coverage on subroutines. defaults to <cyan>true</cyan>. <cyan>perldoc cover</cyan>, <cyan>-coverage</cyan> switch, you know the drill.
  • cover_condition — boolean indicating whether to run coverage on conditions. defaults to <cyan>true</cyan>. same energy: <cyan>perldoc cover</cyan>, <cyan>-coverage</cyan> switch.
  • cover_pod — boolean indicating whether to run coverage on POD. defaults to <cyan>true</cyan>. and yep, <cyan>perldoc cover</cyan> documents its <cyan>-coverage</cyan> switch.

Example, because examples slay:

$config = ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Coverage->config;

$config->pod(0);                    # disable pod coverage
$config->files(['t/1.t', 't/2.t']); # use these test files only
$config->ignore(['SCCS']);          # ignore files with these
                                    # patterns in their path

💜 NOTES 💜

lowkey this is alpha quality code in terms of features, bestie. for this module to be usable for as many modules as possible, the following additional features are needed:

  • BSD make — from my testing, if you run the testcover step using a BSD make, you will get coverage statistics for the test scripts. this is not at all useful. <yellow>gmake is suggested until this issue is resolved.</yellow> 🚨
  • nmake — I have not tested this enough with nmake. I have done some initial changes to make it work, but it requires more refactoring to get to where I'd like to see it. expect full support in a release or two. 🙈

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Steve Peters, <cyan>"<steve@fisharerojo.org>"</cyan> — give her her flowers. 💐

😭 BUGS 😭

please report any bugs or feature requests to <cyan>"bug-extutils-makemaker-coverage@rt.cpan.org"</cyan>, or through the web interface at <cyan><http://rt.cpan.org></cyan>. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes. teamwork makes the dream work fr fr. 🤝

🎀 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 🎀

  • Paul Johnson — for developing <purple>Devel::Cover</purple> and enduring my many questions on IRC. absolute legend behavior. 🌈
  • Andy Lester — for helping to make me a test-infected Perl programmer. iconic. ⭐
  • Jos Boumans — for making many of the changes for the 0.05 release, including the testcover script. goat. 🐐

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Copyright 2005 Steve Peters, All Rights Reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

okay bestie that's the whole page, you ate it up. this was the <pink>ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Coverage</pink> manpage, section <cyan>3</cyan>, from <purple>perl v5.42.0</purple>, dated <mint>2025-07-25</mint>. go get that coverage, no cap. 💅✨🦋

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