### 10.4 Brief Description of `gcov` Data Files

`gcov` uses two files for profiling. The names of these files are derived from the original object file by substituting the file suffix with either `.gcno`, or `.gcda`. The files contain coverage and profile data stored in a platform-independent format. The `.gcno` files are placed in the same directory as the object file. By default, the `.gcda` files are also stored in the same directory as the object file, but the GCC `-fprofile-dir` option may be used to store the `.gcda` files in a separate directory.

The `.gcno` notes file is generated when the source file is compiled with the GCC `-ftest-coverage` option. It contains information to reconstruct the basic block graphs and assign source line numbers to blocks.

The `.gcda` count data file is generated when a program containing object files built with the GCC `-fprofile-arcs` option is executed. A separate `.gcda` file is created for each object file compiled with this option. It contains arc transition counts, value profile counts, and some summary information.

It is not recommended to access the coverage files directly. Consumers should use the intermediate format that is provided by `gcov` tool via `--json-format` option.