Gnoso, a maker of code coverage tools, last week released version 3.4 of NCover, its code-analysis tool. Highlights of the latest version are added support for .NET 4.0, including an add-on to Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server, better collaboration for the development team, and deeper insight into code health.
In its essence, NCover 3.4 is a tool used to analyze tested code and its complexities to ensure code quality. It also analyzes and monitors testing throughout the entire software development process, “providing a holistic view of the health of the code,” said Daniel Waldschmidt, Gnoso’s technology evangelist for code coverage tools.
Of how it works, he explained, “[NCover] provides a comparable analysis of tested code to cyclomatic complexity at any stage in development, reducing failed customer interactions and dramatically reducing the costs of the entire process.” He also added that this is the first analysis tool to test like this in the .NET framework.
After analysis, NCover produces reports, which include the code’s cyclomatic complexity (a measurement of the number of linearly independent paths through a program’s source code). Based on that information, development managers can then measure the risk in a project based on complexity and coverage. Waldschmidt cited Microsoft research that found deeper insight into complex code is needed because “more complex code needs more testing.”
The reports also show what was and wasn’t tested because “knowing what you’ve tested is just as important as testing,” Waldschmidt said. “You can sometimes test only 10% of an app and not know.”
For better collaboration, NCover also merges testing reports done on the desktop, build server and in QA. This feature will show if something was already tested and where, Waldschmidt said. “Right now, testing is very siloed and [NCover] helps collaboration.”
NCover also covers a larger number of apps and tools with one-click access to HP QuickTest Professional software. Version 3.4 is exclusive to NCover Complete and costs US$658 per user, per year. A 21-day free trial is also available.
