# Hello from covdbg

- Published: 2026-02-01
- Author: Sven Scharmentke
- Canonical: https://covdbg.com/hello-from-covdbg/

---

We're excited to announce the public release of covdbg - a code coverage tool built specifically for native Windows applications.

## What is covdbg?

covdbg is a Windows-based coverage debugger that uses dynamic binary instrumentation to track code coverage of running processes. Unlike traditional coverage tools that require compiler instrumentation or special builds, covdbg works with your existing binaries - just point it at your executable and go.

## Why We Built This

Getting code coverage for native Windows C++ applications has always been painful. Existing solutions often require:

- Specific compiler toolchains
- Recompilation with instrumentation flags
- Complex build system modifications
- Expensive commercial tools

We wanted something simpler. Run your tests, get coverage. That's it.

## How It Works

covdbg uses dynamic binary instrumentation to track which code paths execute during your test runs. It reads debug symbols (PDB files) to map execution back to source files and lines, then outputs industry-standard formats like LCOV and GCOV.

```powershell
# Run tests with coverage
covdbg --config .covdbg.yaml --output coverage.covdb tests.exe

# Export to LCOV for reporting
covdbg convert -i coverage.covdb -f LCOV -o coverage.lcov
```

That's the entire workflow. No build changes, no recompilation.

## Key Features

- **Zero build changes** - Works with existing binaries and PDB files
- **Standard formats** - Export to LCOV, GCOV for integration with existing tools
- **CI/CD ready** - First-class support for GitHub Actions and other CI systems
- **Merge support** - Combine coverage from multiple test runs
- **Flexible filtering** - Include/exclude patterns to focus on what matters

## Free for Open Source

We believe open source projects deserve proper tooling. If your code is public, covdbg is free - no restrictions, no watermarks, no approval process.

Just run it: covdbg names your repository to the license service, which recognizes that it is public:

```powershell
covdbg -o coverage.covdb tests.exe
```

We support GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket out of the box.

## Getting Started

Ready to try it? Here's how to get started:

1. **Download** - Grab the installer from [covdbg.com](/download/latest/installer.msi)
2. **Quick Start** - Clone our [quick-start repository](https://github.com/liasoft/quick-start) for a hands-on tutorial
3. **CI Integration** - Check out our [GitHub Actions guide](/docs/integrations/github-actions/) for automated coverage

## What's Next

This v1.0.0 release focuses on solid Windows x64 support. We're already working on:

- ARM64 support
- Additional export formats
- IDE integrations

## Join the Community

We'd love to hear from you:

- [Support tickets](/company/contact/#email-addresses) - Questions, bug reports, and feature requests

Thanks for checking out covdbg. We can't wait to see what you build with it.

*The covdbg team at Liasoft*