When should you prefer coverage (Devel::Cover), and when should you avoid it?

When working with Perl and utilizing Devel::Cover for code coverage analysis, it is essential to understand the scenarios when it is beneficial to use it and when it might be best to avoid it.

When to Prefer Devel::Cover

• Improving Test Quality: It helps identify untested parts of your code, ensuring a more robust and reliable codebase.
• Debugging: Coverage reports can reveal lines that might be causing errors or failures in other parts of the application.
• Documentation: Keeping track of coverage can help document which features are tested and which are not, useful for teams and future reference.

When to Avoid Devel::Cover

• Performance Issues: In large projects, using Devel::Cover can slow down your test runs significantly, which might not be acceptable in all scenarios.
• False Sense of Security: High coverage metrics do not guarantee quality; focusing too much on coverage can lead to neglecting proper testing practices.
• Overhead: In smaller projects or one-time scripts, the additional setup and analysis overhead may not justify the benefits.