Coverage.py vs. Python vs. pexpect vs. websockets Comparison Chart

Coverage.py is a tool for measuring code coverage of Python programs. It monitors your program, noting which parts of the code have been executed, then analyzes the source to identify code that could have been executed but was not. Coverage measurement is typically used to gauge the effectiveness of tests. It can show which parts of your code are being exercised by tests, and which are not. Use coverage run to run your test suite and gather data. However you normally run your test suite, and you can run your test runner under coverage. If your test runner command starts with “python”, just replace the initial “python” with “coverage run”. To limit coverage measurement to code in the current directory, and also find files that weren’t executed at all, add the source argument to your coverage command line. By default, it will measure line (statement) coverage. It can also measure branch coverage. It can tell you what tests ran which lines.

Pexpect makes Python a better tool for controlling other applications. Pexpect is a pure Python module for spawning child applications; controlling them, and responding to expected patterns in their output. Pexpect works like Don Libes’ Expect. Pexpect allows your script to spawn a child application and control it as if a human were typing commands. Pexpect can be used for automating interactive applications such as ssh, FTP, passwd, telnet, etc. It can be used to automate setup scripts for duplicating software package installations on different servers. It can be used for automated software testing. Pexpect is in the spirit of Don Libes’ Expect, but Pexpect is pure Python. Unlike other Expect-like modules for Python, Pexpect does not require TCL or Expect nor does it require C extensions to be compiled. It should work on any platform that supports the standard Python pty module. The Pexpect interface was designed to be easy to use.