DotCover no longer works with version 2025.2+ of JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools

[gamingrobot]

Prerequisites

• I have written a descriptive issue title
• I have searched issues to ensure it has not already been reported

Cake runner

Cake .NET Tool

Cake version

5.1.0

Operating system

Windows

Operating system architecture

x64

CI Server

No response

What are you seeing?

When using version 2025.2+ of JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools cake fails due to Error: DotCover: Could not locate executable.

This is due to dotcover removing dotcover.exe in 2025.2 https://www.jetbrains.com/help/dotcover/Whats_New.html#dotcover-2025-2 and the code only looks for that executable https://github.com/cake-build/cake/blob/develop/src/Cake.Common/Tools/DotCover/DotCoverTool.cs#L52

What is expected?

Cake should invoke dotcover for version 2025.2+ of JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create new xunit test project using dotnet new xunit -n TestProject --framework net8.0
2. Run this cake script

#tool "nuget:?package=JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools&version=2025.2.3"

Task("unit-test")
    .Does(() =>
{
    var dotCoverSettings = new DotCoverCoverSettings();
    DotCoverCover(context => context.DotNetTest("TestProject/TestProject.csproj"), "results.dcvr", dotCoverSettings);
});

var target = Argument("target", "unit-test");
RunTarget(target);

Output log

> dotnet-cake .\dotcover_test.cake --verbosity=Verbose
Analyzing build script...
Processing build script...
Installing tools...
Compiling build script...

========================================
unit-test
========================================
Executing task: unit-test
An error occurred when executing task 'unit-test'.
Completed in 00:00:00.0213308

Task                          Duration            Status
----------------------------------------------------------------------
unit-test                     00:00:00.0222373    Failed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total:                        00:00:00.0222373
Error: DotCover: Could not locate executable.

[devlead]

It's a .NET Tool now, if you click the Cake tab at
https://www.nuget.org/packages/JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools/
You'll get an example like #tool dotnet:?package=JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools&version=2025.2.3, so the script should probably be more like

#tool dotnet:?package=JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools&version=2025.2.3
Task("unit-test")
    .Does(() =>
{
    var dotCoverSettings = new DotCoverCoverSettings();
    DotCoverCover(context => context.DotNetTest("TestProject/TestProject.csproj"), "results.dcvr", dotCoverSettings);
});

var target = Argument("target", "unit-test");
RunTarget(target);

[gamingrobot]

I updated the script to use #tool dotnet: instead of #tool nuget: and made sure the dotnet test path was absolute.
Version 2025.1.7 works as expected:

#tool "dotnet:?package=JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools&version=2025.1.7"

var projectRoot = MakeAbsolute(Directory("."));

Task("unit-test")
    .Does(() =>
{
    var dotCoverSettings = new DotCoverCoverSettings();
    DotCoverCover(context => context.DotNetTest($"{projectRoot}/TestProject/TestProject.csproj"), "results.dcvr", dotCoverSettings);
});

var target = Argument("target", "unit-test");
RunTarget(target);

Output:

> dotnet-cake .\dotcover_test.cake --verbosity=Verbose
Analyzing build script...
Processing build script...
Installing tools...
Tool JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools is already installed, with required version.
Compiling build script...

========================================
unit-test
========================================
Executing task: unit-test
JetBrains dotCover Console Runner 2025.1.7. Build 20250902.233119 (windows-x64)
Copyright (c) 2009-2025 JetBrains s.r.o. All rights reserved.
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage session started [10/24/2025 5:27:12 PM]
Restore complete (0.3s)
    info NETSDK1057: You are using a preview version of .NET. See: https://aka.ms/dotnet-support-policy
  TestProject net8.0 succeeded (0.1s) → C:\Development\test\cake\TestProject\bin\Debug\net8.0\TestProject.dll
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.00] xUnit.net VSTest Adapter v2.5.3.1+6b60a9e56a (64-bit .NET 8.0.21)
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.06]   Discovering: TestProject
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.08]   Discovered:  TestProject
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.08]   Starting:    TestProject
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.12]   Finished:    TestProject
  TestProject test net8.0 succeeded (1.4s)

Test summary: total: 1, failed: 0, succeeded: 1, skipped: 0, duration: 1.4s
Build succeeded in 2.2s
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage session finished [10/24/2025 5:27:18 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage results post-processing started [10/24/2025 5:27:18 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Merging snapshots [10/24/2025 5:27:18 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Snapshots merging finished [10/24/2025 5:27:18 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage results post-processing finished [10/24/2025 5:27:18 PM]
Finished executing task: unit-test
Completed in 00:00:06.3499674

Task                          Duration            Status
----------------------------------------------------------------------
unit-test                     00:00:06.3507872    Executed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total:                        00:00:06.3507872

But 2025.2.3 fails with Command not recognized.

#tool "dotnet:?package=JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools&version=2025.2.3"

var projectRoot = MakeAbsolute(Directory("."));

Task("unit-test")
    .Does(() =>
{
    var dotCoverSettings = new DotCoverCoverSettings();
    DotCoverCover(context => context.DotNetTest($"{projectRoot}/TestProject/TestProject.csproj"), "results.dcvr", dotCoverSettings);
});

var target = Argument("target", "unit-test");
RunTarget(target);

Output

> dotnet-cake .\dotcover_test.cake --verbosity=Verbose
Analyzing build script...
Processing build script...
Installing tools...
Tool JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools is already installed, but a different version has been requested.  Uninstall/install will now be performed...
Compiling build script...

========================================
unit-test
========================================
Executing task: unit-test
JetBrains dotCover Console Runner 2025.2.3. Build 20251003.202247 (windows-x64)
Copyright (c) 2009-2025 JetBrains s.r.o. All rights reserved.

Command not recognized.

Usage: dotCover <command> [<parameters>]
Type 'dotCover help <command>' for help on a specific command

Available commands:
  cover         Run coverage analysis on a specified application or test project
  merge         Combine multiple coverage snapshots into one
  report        Generate a coverage report from a snapshot
  version       Write the current dotCover version to a file
  help          Show help for dotCover commands

Additional help topics:
  exit-codes    Meaning of the default exit codes

Finished executing task: unit-test
Completed in 00:00:01.8979610

Task                          Duration            Status
----------------------------------------------------------------------
unit-test                     00:00:01.8988575    Executed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total:                        00:00:01.8988575

[gep13]

Can you run with:

dotnet-cake .\dotcover_test.cake --verbosity=diagnostic

That way, we should see the actual command that is being executed.

[gamingrobot]

> dotnet-cake .\dotcover_test.cake --verbosity=diagnostic
Looking for modules...
No modules found to install.
Module directory does not exist.
Analyzing build script...
Analyzing C:/Development/test/cake/dotcover_test.cake...
Processing build script...
Installing tools...
Configured Tools Folder: C:/Development/test/cake/tools
Specified installation location doesn't currently exist.
Checking for tool: jetbrains.dotcover.commandlinetools
Running dotnet tool with operation Install: JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools...
Executing: "dotnet" tool install "JetBrains.dotCover.CommandLineTools" --tool-path "C:/Development/test/cake/tools" --version 2025.2.3 --verbosity diagnostic
Tool Folder: C:/Development/test/cake/tools/.store/jetbrains.dotcover.commandlinetools
Found 156 files in tool folder
Adding assembly reference to System.Private.CoreLib.dll...
<hidden for brevity>
Adding assembly reference to Microsoft.IdentityModel.JsonWebTokens.dll...
Importing namespace Cake.Common...
<hidden for brevity>
Importing namespace System.Threading.Tasks...
Compiling build script...

========================================
unit-test
========================================
Executing task: unit-test
Resolved tool to path C:/Program Files/dotnet/dotnet.exe
Executing: "C:/Development/test/cake/tools/dotCover.exe" Cover /TargetExecutable="C:/Program Files/dotnet/dotnet.exe" /TargetArguments="test \"C:/Development/test/cake/TestProject/TestProject.csproj\"" /Output="C:/Development/test/cake/results.dcvr"
JetBrains dotCover Console Runner 2025.2.3. Build 20251003.202247 (windows-x64)
Copyright (c) 2009-2025 JetBrains s.r.o. All rights reserved.

Command not recognized.

Usage: dotCover <command> [<parameters>]
Type 'dotCover help <command>' for help on a specific command

Available commands:
  cover         Run coverage analysis on a specified application or test project
  merge         Combine multiple coverage snapshots into one
  report        Generate a coverage report from a snapshot
  version       Write the current dotCover version to a file
  help          Show help for dotCover commands

Additional help topics:
  exit-codes    Meaning of the default exit codes

Finished executing task: unit-test
Completed in 00:00:01.7420880

Task                          Duration            Status
----------------------------------------------------------------------
unit-test                     00:00:01.7428831    Executed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total:                        00:00:01.7428831

[gep13]

@gamingrobot so now that we can see exactly what is being executed, i.e.

dotCover.exe" Cover /TargetExecutable="C:/Program Files/dotnet/dotnet.exe" /TargetArguments="test \"C:/Development/test/cake/TestProject/TestProject.csproj\"" /Output="C:/Development/test/cake/results.dcvr"

How is this different to how you would manually invoke dotcover outside of Cake? Is there no longer a cover command? If so, that is a major breaking change, and I wouldn't have expected that between version 2025.1.7 and 2025.2.3.

[gamingrobot]

I wouldn't have expected that between version 2025.1.7 and 2025.2.3.

JetBrains doesn't use semantic versioning so a breaking change can occur at anytime.

It looks like the argument parsing has changed between 2025.1.7 and 2025.2.3 this is the expected command:

> dotCover.exe cover --target-executable "C:/Program Files/dotnet/dotnet.exe" --target-arguments "test C:/Development/test/cake/TestProject/TestProject.csproj" --output "C:/Development/test/cake/results.dcvr"

JetBrains dotCover Console Runner 2025.2.3. Build 20251003.202247 (windows-x64)
Copyright (c) 2009-2025 JetBrains s.r.o. All rights reserved.
[JetBrains dotCover] Snapshot output not specified. Using autogenerated name: coverage_snapshot_20251112_162611.dcvr [11/12/2025 4:26:11 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage session started [11/12/2025 4:26:11 PM]
Restore complete (0.7s)
  TestProject net8.0 succeeded (0.2s) → C:\Development\test\cake\TestProject\bin\Debug\net8.0\TestProject.dll
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.00] xUnit.net VSTest Adapter v2.5.3.1+6b60a9e56a (64-bit .NET 8.0.22)
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.24]   Discovering: TestProject
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.33]   Discovered:  TestProject
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.33]   Starting:    TestProject
[xUnit.net 00:00:00.42]   Finished:    TestProject
  TestProject test net8.0 succeeded (4.9s)

Test summary: total: 1, failed: 0, succeeded: 1, skipped: 0, duration: 4.8s
Build succeeded in 6.2s
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage session finished [11/12/2025 4:26:22 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage results post-processing started [11/12/2025 4:26:22 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Merging snapshots [11/12/2025 4:26:22 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Snapshots merging finished [11/12/2025 4:26:22 PM]
[JetBrains dotCover] Coverage results post-processing finished [11/12/2025 4:26:22 PM]