Watch Integrating GoogleTest in Safety-Critical Systems With Confidence

GoogleTest is widely recognized as the de facto standard for unit testing in C++, prized for its flexibility, modern syntax, and seamless integration with popular development toolchains. However, GoogleTest alone doesn’t meet the rigorous compliance standards for traceability, code coverage, and certification required in regulated industries, like automotive, aerospace, medical, and rail.

Watch this informative webinar where we’ll explore how to successfully adopt GoogleTest in safety-critical development environments. You’ll learn how Parasoft C/C++test CT enhances GoogleTest with powerful capabilities such as requirements traceability, MC/DC coverage, compliance reporting, and support for CI/CD pipelines.

Using GoogleTest in Safety‑Critical Systems: Compliance, Coverage, and CI That Actually Works

This session walked through how teams can adopt or keep using GoogleTest in safety‑critical projects without tripping over compliance. The speakers showed where GoogleTest shines, where it falls short, and how Parasoft C/C++test CT fills the gaps with code coverage, requirements traceability, and compliance reporting.

Key Takeaways

• GoogleTest is free, lightweight, and has a low barrier to entry, but it needs extras for safety-critical industries.
• Parasoft C/C++test CT adds structural code coverage, compliance reporting, and requirements traceability on top of GoogleTest.
• Solutions presented are built to seamlessly integrate into modern CI pipelines, enforcing quality gates that catch missed defects early in the SDLC.
• TÜV certification matters when audits show up; C/C++test CT is certified, and GoogleTest qualification is in the works.

Why GoogleTest Is Popular

GoogleTest is easy to set up, and fits into popular build systems . The API is clean, assertions are clear, and GoogleMock helps with tricky dependencies. For many teams, that’s enough to get unit tests running fast.

But speed alone doesn’t meet safety standards like ISO 26262, DO-178C, IEC 62304, or EN 50128. Auditors ask for proof: what you tested, how much code you covered, and which requirements those tests verify.

The GoogleTest Gap In Safety-Critical

GoogleTest doesn’t shop with features that functional safety standards require, such as:

• Structural coverage (statement, branch, and MC/DC)
• Requirements-based testing and traceability
• Compliance reports and an audit trail
• Use of qualified tools to ensure trustworthiness

What Parasoft C/C++test CT Adds

C/C++test CT doesn’t replace GoogleTest. It rides alongside it and other frameworks (like CppUnit or Boost.Test) to add the missing verification requirements:

• Coverage: statement, branch, and MC/DC, with helpful gap analysis
• Bidirectional traceability: link tests to requirements and generate reports
• CI workflow: command-line, containers, and integration with vast build systems
• Reports: HTML, JSON, and dashboards via Parasoft DTP
• On-target testing: capture results from real hardware when needed
• Certification: C/C++test CT is TÜV-certified; a TÜV-certified GoogleTest distribution is being prepared

Quick Comparison

Demo Workflow: From Branch To Merge

The demo showed using GoogleTest with C/C++test CT in a containerized CI setup:

• Developer adds a new feature plus GoogleTest cases and tags each test with related requirement IDs.
• C/C++test CT collects coverage during the build. Results land in Text, HTML and JSON, and the VS Code extension highlights covered lines right in the editor.
• A pull request triggers the pipeline. Quality gates check statement and MC/DC on new code.
• First try fails on MC/DC. The coverage report lists missing test vectors and even proposes the smallest set to close the gap. The developer adds one test for the missing condition coverage and pushes again.
• Gates pass, code is merged and the main-branch pipeline sends test results into Parasoft DTP for trends, coverage progress, and compliance status.

Practical Tips For Teams

• Keep GoogleTest, but add C/C++test CT for code coverage, traceability and reports.
• Tag tests with requirement IDs from day one to build traceability. Don’t wait.
• Treat MC/DC like a feature spec. If you can’t hit it, check your conditions or your tests.
• Use CI quality gates to incrementally increase code quality without slowing the whole repo.
• Implement containerized toolchains so dev machines match CI.

Certification And The Road Ahead

Verification authorities care about tool certification. C/C++test CT is already TÜV-certified. Parasoft is working to qualify  GoogleTest so teams use it for verification and validation of safety-critical systems.

Bottom Line

Augment GoogleTest for teams in regulated industries, Parasoft and C/C++test CT provide the certified missing link that bridges the gap between non-negotiable demands of safety standards like ISO 26262 and IEC 62304. It transforms your familiar testing workflow into a compliant, audit-ready power tool.