Coverage metrics, meet Goodhart’s Law
Jørgen Kvalsvik’s NDC TechTown talk points out that once coverage becomes a hard target, it stops being a good measure—either ignored, abused with arbitrary thresholds, or left out altogether. Although vital in safety-critical systems (think cars, planes, spacecraft), coverage can still be a powerful programming tool when used right.
Using GCC 15’s coverage features, he shows how to spot holes in your tests, visualize your program’s blind spots, and finally set coverage free from the tyranny of metrics—turning it back into a genuine aid for improving quality.
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