covdbg for VS Code
Native Windows C++ coverage, directly in VS Code.
Run real executables with coverage, inspect covered and uncovered lines in the editor, open a detailed report, and keep the whole workflow inside the IDE.
Get started with covdbg | Product docs and guides
Why It Exists
Native Windows coverage is often fragmented across runners, reports, and local scripts. covdbg keeps that loop in one place.
- Use existing Windows binaries and debug symbols.
- Avoid compiler-specific instrumentation workflows.
- Review coverage where you edit and debug.
- Move quickly from a run to exact uncovered lines and functions.
- Keep results local to the machine and workspace.
What The Extension Does
Run coverage from VS Code
Choose a discovered executable, start a run, and let covdbg load the latest result back into the workspace automatically.
Show coverage inline in the editor
See covered and uncovered lines with gutter markers, line highlights, or both while you work in source.
Open a full interactive report
Drill into file, folder, and function summaries when you need more than line-level overlays.
Work with discovered test binaries
Find likely test executables in the workspace and rerun them with coverage from the built-in Testing view.
Load existing coverage results
Point covdbg at an existing .covdb file or let it discover results in the workspace automatically.
Get a workspace dashboard
Use the sidebar to see runtime status, discovered tests, loaded coverage, config health, and the next useful action.
Coverage Scope With .covdbg.yaml
Use .covdbg.yaml to decide what counts in the report. This is where you keep SDKs, vendored code, external dependencies, and helper-only test code out of project coverage.
version: 1
source_root: "."
coverage:
default:
files:
include:
- "**/*.cpp"
- "**/*.h"
exclude:
- "tests/helpers/**"
- "third_party/**"
- "external/**"
- "vendor/**"
- "**/Windows Kits/**"
- "**/VC/Tools/MSVC/**"
functions:
include:
- "*"
exclude:
- "__scrt_*"
- "_RTC_*"
- "__security_*"
The extension can generate a starter config, then you can tune it to match your binaries and source layout.
AI Coverage Workflows
covdbg can expose loaded native coverage data to chat-capable tooling in VS Code.
covdbg_run runs one or more real test executables with coverage and reloads the merged workspace result.covdbg_explore reports the active workspace setup, including discovered binaries, config resolution, and runtime paths.covdbg_files lists uncovered files from the currently loaded result.covdbg_code returns grouped uncovered code segments and nearby context for a source file.
This supports a tight loop: inspect uncovered code, make a fix, rebuild, rerun real tests with coverage, and query the updated result again.
Quick Start
- Install the extension on Windows and open your C++ workspace.
- Open the covdbg sidebar to verify runtime, config, and discovered targets.
- Add or generate
.covdbg.yaml so the report matches your project boundaries.
- Run coverage on a discovered executable.
- Review inline highlights or open the report for deeper inspection.
If you already have a .covdb result, load it and start browsing immediately.
Learn More
