Using PCOV for Code Coverage – A Lightweight Xdebug Alternative

Code coverage is a crucial aspect of modern PHP development, especially when writing tests to ensure software reliability. While Xdebug is a popular choice for code coverage, it can sometimes be complex to set up. In my case, I faced difficulties configuring Xdebug, so I opted for PCOV, a lightweight and efficient alternative. Since I use Pest for testing, integrating PCOV was straightforward and significantly improved my testing workflow.

Why PCOV?

PCOV is a minimalistic code coverage driver designed for simplicity and performance. Unlike Xdebug, which is a full-fledged debugging tool with additional overhead, PCOV is built purely for code coverage, making it faster and more efficient.

Installing PCOV

PCOV can be installed using different methods depending on your system. Below are the installation instructions for various platforms.

Installing PCOV from PECL

The easiest way to install PCOV is through PECL:

pecl install pcov

Installing PCOV from Source

If you prefer to build PCOV from source, follow these steps:

git clone https://github.com/krakjoe/pcov.git
cd pcov
phpize
./configure --enable-pcov
make
make test
make install

For development, use the develop branch, while for stable releases, use the release branch.

Installing PCOV on Windows

For Windows users, download the appropriate ZIP archive from Windows PECL releases and follow the installation instructions.

Installing PCOV on Fedora

dnf install php-pecl-pcov

Installing PCOV on Debian

For Debian systems, use the DPA packages from packages.sury.org:

apt install php-pcov

To verify that PCOV is installed, run:

php -m | grep pcov

If pcov appears in the list, it is successfully installed.

Running Code Coverage with Pest

Since I use Pest for testing, generating a coverage report with PCOV is simple.

vendor/bin/pest --coverage

This will generate a coverage report showing which parts of your code are tested.

Switching from Xdebug to PCOV significantly improved my testing performance. If you are looking for a lightweight and efficient solution for code coverage in PHP, PCOV is an excellent choice, especially when combined with Pest. Setting it up is easy, and it integrates seamlessly with modern PHP testing frameworks.

If you’re struggling with Xdebug or just want a faster alternative, give PCOV a try!