What is Loop coverage?
Loop coverage Definition: This criterion requires sufficient test cases for all program loops to be executed for zero one two and many iterations covering initialization typical running and termination boundary conditions.
Understanding Loop coverage
This criterion requires sufficient test cases for all program loops to be executed for zero one two and many iterations covering initialization typical running and termination boundary conditions. Loop coverage is a software testing metric that evaluates whether test cases adequately exercise program loops under various conditions including never executing the loop executing it exactly once executing it multiple times and testing boundary conditions. This helps identify errors in loop initialization conditional logic and termination. Loop coverage is referenced in testing standards like ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 and secure development practices. Organizations implement loop coverage through test case design methodologies code analysis tools and coverage measurement as part of secure development processes. For example when testing authentication code that processes password attempts developers would create test cases that exercise the lockout logic with zero failed attempts one failed attempt multiple failed attempts below the threshold exactly at the threshold and exceeding the threshold to ensure the security control works correctly under all conditions. Related terms Code coverage White-box testing Boundary testing Test case design Cyclomatic complexity Test adequacy Software quality assurance.