Pest Plugin Type Coverage Laravel Package

Getting Started

This plugin adds type coverage analysis to Pest tests, helping you measure how thoroughly your codebase is type-checked. To get started:

1. Install via Composer: composer require --dev pest/pest-plugin-type-coverage
2. Run pest --type-coverage (or pest --coverage --type-coverage if also collecting runtime coverage)
3. First-time users will see a simple console report showing lines typed vs total lines, optionally with thresholds enforced via config

The plugin is designed for developers already using Pest — it does not replace Pest but enhances test runs with static analysis insights. You’ll want to run it early in CI or locally to enforce typing standards alongside runtime coverage.

Implementation Patterns

• CI Integration: Add pest --type-coverage --fail-threshold=80 to your CI pipeline to fail builds if type coverage drops below a target (e.g., 80%). Use --no-interaction in non-interactive environments.
• Local Development Workflow: Run pest --type-coverage --watch (if supported) during refactoring to catch regressions in typing as you change signatures.
• Threshold Configuration: Create a phpunit.xml or pest.php config entry to set a default failure threshold and ignore paths:

  //pest.php
  ->plugins([
      Pest\TypeCoverage::plugin()
          ->ignorePaths(['tests/', 'vendor/'])
          ->failThreshold(95),
  ])
  

• Gradual Adoption: Run pest --type-coverage on specific files (e.g., pest --type-coverage tests/Feature/AuthTest.php) to verify new or refactored code before broadening scope.

The plugin integrates with phpstan/psalm ecosystem data—no additional setup needed if your project already uses those tools.

Gotchas and Tips

• ❗ Misleading Coverage Report: The plugin only counts lines covered by tests and type-checked. It does not analyze untested code — this is test-driven type coverage, not full static analysis.
• ❗ No Custom Rules: Unlike Psalm/PHPStan, this plugin does not allow defining rule levels or ignoring specific violations — it’s purely about coverage metrics.
• 🚫 Fails Silently on Uncovered Code: Files/tests with no runtime execution won’t influence type coverage. Always pair with --coverage if you want all uncovered types flagged.
• ✅ Tip: Use --formatter=json to export results for dashboards or historical tracking (e.g., via CI artifacts).
• ✅ Tip: Combine with phpstan.neon exclusions to ensure only relevant files are analyzed (e.g., skip migrations, fixtures).
• ⚠️ Low Stars, High Utility?: Though low in stars and maturity (per README-only state), it fills a niche: bridging runtime test coverage with static typing awareness in Pest-based workflows — especially valuable in mixed PHP 7/8 codebases.