A Story of Test Coverage


One day Mickey was going to the Supermarket when he heard Minnie calling him out

Minnie: Hey! Mickey

Mickey: Hi Minnie, How are you

Minnie: I am fine, Have been searching for you

Mickey: What happened, tell me

Minnie: I keep hearing this word Test Coverage but have never understood, what it actually means. Need your help

Mickey: Oh-kay! I know you need a story to understand everything

Minnie: You know me

Mickey: Okay, how about you come along to the Supermarket and I will tell you a story

Minnie: Sure Mickey, let’s go


(Mickey and Minnie at the Supermarket)

Minnie: Ok, Mickey, Tell me now

Mickey: Of course, Minnie! Test Coverage is like making sure we check all the important parts of something we’re testing. Imagine we have a big puzzle to solve, and we want to make sure we don’t miss any pieces. Test Coverage helps us keep track of the puzzle pieces we’ve tested

Minnie: Oh, I get it! So, Test Coverage is about checking everything we need to test?

Mickey: That’s right, Minnie! When we test something, like a computer program or a game, we want to make sure we check all the important parts. It’s like exploring every room in a house to find hidden treasures. Test Coverage helps us know if we’ve looked in all the rooms or tested all the important parts

Minnie: Can you give me an example of how Test Coverage works?

Mickey: Sure! Let’s say we have a game with different levels, and we want to test if all the levels are working correctly. Test Coverage would mean testing each level to see if they have no bugs or problems. We don’t want to miss any levels, just like we don’t want to miss any fun adventures in the game!

Minnie: That sounds important! But how do we know if we’ve tested everything?

Mickey: Good question, Minnie! We use something called Test Coverage metrics. It’s like having a special map that shows us which parts we’ve tested and which parts we haven’t. It helps us see if there are any gaps in our testing, just like a treasure map helps us find all the hidden treasures in a game

Minnie: Oh, I see! So, Test Coverage helps us make sure we’ve tested everything we should, just like exploring every part of a game or puzzle

Mickey: Exactly, Minnie! It’s like a checklist to make sure we don’t miss anything important. Test Coverage helps us find and fix problems early, so the things we test work correctly and make people happy when they use them

Minnie: Mickey, this Test Coverage thing sounds important! Are there any tools that can help us with Test Coverage? And can we use automation for it?

Mickey: Absolutely, Minnie! There are tools that can assist us with Test Coverage analysis. One popular tool is called JaCoCo. It’s like having a special magnifying glass that helps us see which parts of our code have been tested. It gives us a report showing the percentage of code that our tests have covered

Reporting Code Coverage Using Maven and JaCoCo Plugin - DZone

Minnie: Oh, that’s interesting! So, JaCoCo helps us measure Test Coverage?

Mickey: Yes, Minnie! It helps us see if our tests have explored all the nooks and crannies of our code. We can see which lines of code were executed during the tests and identify any areas that are not covered. It’s like a detective tool that helps us find hidden gaps in our testing.

Minnie: Can we use automation to achieve Test Coverage?

Mickey: Absolutely! Automation can be a great way to ensure comprehensive Test Coverage. We can use testing frameworks and tools, like JUnit or Selenium, to write automated tests that simulate how a user interacts with the software. These automated tests can help us cover a lot of code and scenarios quickly and accurately.

Minnie: That sounds really helpful! So, automation can help us test more things in less time?

Mickey: That’s right, Minnie! Automation allows us to run tests repeatedly and consistently, covering a wide range of scenarios. It saves time and helps us find bugs and issues more efficiently. Just like having a robot friend who can quickly test everything for us!

Minnie: Wow, that’s amazing! I can see how Test Coverage and automation work together to make testing better. Thanks for explaining it to me, Mickey!

Mickey: You’re welcome, Minnie! It’s fantastic to see your curiosity about testing and automation. Remember, with good Test Coverage and smart automation, we can make sure the things we test are as reliable and bug-free as possible. Keep exploring and learning!

Minnie: That’s really cool, Mickey! I never knew testing could be so important. Thanks for explaining Test Coverage to me!

Mickey: You’re welcome, Minnie! Testing is a crucial part of making sure things work well, just like checking a puzzle to make sure all the pieces fit perfectly. It’s great to see you learning about these important concepts!

Mickey: So can you now explain Test Coverage in your class

Minnie: Yes, not just in my class, but to anyone in this world

Mickey: I hope now you will never forget what is Test Coverage

Minnie: Never, till the end of my life

Mickey: Wow! That’s deep

Minnie: Thanks Mickey, you are truly my best friend

Mickey: I am always here for you 🙂

about the author  |  more stories

8