OTTAWA, March 16, 2004 - QNX Software Systems today announced that the QNX Momentics development suite Professional edition v6.3 will include a new, fully integrated code coverage tool. The new addition rounds out a robust suite of analysis and optimization tools already provided by QNX Momentics - including an application profiler, system profiler, and memory analysis tool - and confirms QNX's long-standing commitment to promoting code quality and reliability in embedded systems.
Traditionally, developers who wished to perform code coverage have had to switch out of their IDEs, launch a third-party coverage tool, and then manually integrate the results with data from their IDE tools. As the first code coverage tool to be fully integrated into an embedded IDE, the new addition to QNX Momentics eliminates such overhead, reducing the time required to perform testing, optimization, and quality assurance tasks.
"Thanks to this integration, developers can use the IDE's powerful navigation and referencing tools to analyze code coverage information faster and more effectively," says Thomas Fletcher, tools group manager at QNX. "Morever, the IDE integration allows the code coverage tool to work in concert with other diagnostic tools in QNX Momentics, helping developers identify bottlenecks and determine where optimization efforts will yield the greatest boost in performance."
The code coverage tool graphically highlights which source-code paths are being exercised, allowing developers to target areas of highly used code for debugging, performance analysis, and "fast path" optimization. It's particularly useful for reducing software defects and ensuring that all components in a complex system have been thoroughly tested before delivery to the customer.
"Embedded systems are becoming incredibly sophisticated, with large numbers of software components interacting in often unexpected and hard-to-detect ways," says Fletcher. "The code coverage tool in QNX Momentics offers a proven method to address that complexity, pinpointing areas that need attention and giving developers the assurance that they've left no stoned unturned in their efforts to ship a fully tested product."
Designed for fast, intuitive operation, the code coverage view in QNX Momentics allows the developer to launch a coverage session, view live coverage results, see at a glance which source lines have been covered, and view the progression of code coverage over several application runs - all from a single, convenient display.
To simplify workflow, the code coverage tool supports the GNU profiling and code coverage formats, allowing developers to import data from a variety of tools, including third-party compilers. It also provides analysis and report-generation capabilities designed to facilitate test-plan validation, and can generate code-coverage statistics to provide a lasting record of coverage routines.
More about QNX Momentics
From board bring-up to remote troubleshooting, the QNX Momentics development suite provides time-saving tools for the entire embedded development cycle. Its highly integrated IDE includes C, C++, and Java code editors, a graphical source debugger, and diagnostic tools for application profiling, system profiling, memory analysis, and code coverage. Designed for developers targeting the QNX Neutrino RTOS, QNX Momentics supports multiple development hosts (Windows, Linux, Solaris, QNX Neutrino) and an array of target processors (ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, SH-4, XScale, x86, etc.)
QNX Momentics Demo at ESC
QNX Software Systems will showcase the new code coverage tool at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Franciso, from March 30 to April 1. Visit booth #2542.
Availability
The new code coverage tool will be available in the QNX Momentics development suite v6.3, slated for commercial release in Q2 2004.
About QNX Software Systems
Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems is the industry leader in realtime, microkernel OS technology. The inherent reliability, scalable architecture, and proven performance of the QNX Neutrino RTOS make it the most trusted foundation for future-ready applications in the networking, automotive, medical, and industrial automation markets. Companies worldwide like Cisco, Ford, Siemens, and Texaco depend on the QNX technology for their mission- and life-critical applications. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, QNX Software Systems maintains offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, and distributes its products in more than 100 countries worldwide. Visit http://www.qnx.com.
Editorial Contact
Paul Leroux
QNX Software Systems
+1 613 591-0931
paull@qnx.com