[Cobertura-devel] questions on merge fcn and report comparison

[Martha Y. <my...@us...>]

Hello,
I haven't had a chance to play with the merge function that combines .ser 
files but before I start, could someone tell me if these are viable uses 
of the function?
In our usage, we are using different systems to instrument files and run 
tests and are copying the ser file from system to system

Scenario 1:
Assume I have compiled, instrumented 5 class files and created ser file A.
I run tests on ser A (which is updated with the hits on line coverage- 
call this A-mod)
I then create and instrument 2 more class files in same package and ser 
file B is created. 
I will then run tests that involve all 7 class files.

Do I merge ser A-mod and B before running the test? If not, I can't have 2 
different files named obertura.ser on my test machines? How do I setup the 
.ser files?
Or when I intrument the 2 class files must I get A-mod file and use the " 
-Dnet.sourceforge.cobertura.rawcoverage.dir=A-mod"   option?


Scenario 1 
I have compiled, instrumented 5 class files and created ser file A.
I run tests on ser A (which is updated with the hits on line coverage- 
call this A-mod)
I modify the source for class 1  of the 5 original classes that leaves 
preexisting code the same but adds new methods.
I modify the source for class 2  of the 5 original classes that changes 
preexisting code.
I reinstrument the two classes that are changed.
I then run different tests that touch all 5 classes.

Is there any steps that I can do that preserves and merges the output from 
the first run of tests with the second run?
In particular
        - a way to preserve coverage results for classes 3-5 which 
remained the same
        - a way to perserve coverage for class 1
I  would be pleased but amazed that cobertura could merge test output for 
class 2 (I don't see how  correlation be made) and if this is possible 
which level of source would I use for the report function?


On a different subject, once reports are made is there any easy way to 
compare two sets and indicate changes ? For instance right now I'm 
baseline about 900 classes and we would like to improve our regression 
tests on the same code.  After some test changes I will produce another 
report for these 900 classes. 
For a smaller set I could just visually compare the 2 reports, but given 
the size I need a way to compare results. We are planning on repeating the 
regression at several points so this analysis would happen again.  We 
don't have a target in mind yet  so check function is not applicable but 
we would like to know we are improving and not going down in coverage. Any 
thoughts on how to do this would be appreciated.

Keep up the good work on cobertura ... so far I think this tool is really 
useful. Thanks


Martha Yanez
(919) 224-1320 / 8-687-1320
New Notes id: Martha Yanez/Raleigh/IBM
my...@us...