gcc: Gcov Data Files

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1 10.4 Brief Description of 'gcov' Data Files
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1 'gcov' uses two files for profiling.  The names of these files are
1 derived from the original _object_ file by substituting the file suffix
1 with either '.gcno', or '.gcda'.  The files contain coverage and profile
1 data stored in a platform-independent format.  The '.gcno' files are
1 placed in the same directory as the object file.  By default, the
1 '.gcda' files are also stored in the same directory as the object file,
1 but the GCC '-fprofile-dir' option may be used to store the '.gcda'
1 files in a separate directory.
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1  The '.gcno' notes file is generated when the source file is compiled
1 with the GCC '-ftest-coverage' option.  It contains information to
1 reconstruct the basic block graphs and assign source line numbers to
1 blocks.
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1  The '.gcda' count data file is generated when a program containing
1 object files built with the GCC '-fprofile-arcs' option is executed.  A
1 separate '.gcda' file is created for each object file compiled with this
1 option.  It contains arc transition counts, value profile counts, and
1 some summary information.
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1  It is not recommended to access the coverage files directly.  Consumers
1 should use the intermediate format that is provided by 'gcov' tool via
1 '--intermediate-format' option.
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