In the early stages of our project, we set a goal for ourselves of 70% code coverage. Besides not being reasonable or attainable given our deadlines, in the end, what did it really do for us?
Is pure code coverage effective at eliminating defects? In my opinion, the clear answer is 'No'. Though admittedly our code coverage in our last release was significantly higher than the release before, and our defect rate was significantly lower, I'd suggest that improved quality was due to other factors including a much cleaner and less-complex design.
In the end, I'd say that code coverage like other metrics are just a glance at the quality of your code. Use it for what it is - a tool and don't lean too heavily on it, otherwise you just might fall :)
Is pure code coverage effective at eliminating defects? In my opinion, the clear answer is 'No'. Though admittedly our code coverage in our last release was significantly higher than the release before, and our defect rate was significantly lower, I'd suggest that improved quality was due to other factors including a much cleaner and less-complex design.
In the end, I'd say that code coverage like other metrics are just a glance at the quality of your code. Use it for what it is - a tool and don't lean too heavily on it, otherwise you just might fall :)
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