What are Agent Usage Modes?
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SeaLights agents operate in two distinct modes that work together to provide comprehensive test intelligence. Each agent can be configured to run in either mode, and most testing environments use both modes to get complete visibility into both test execution and code coverage.
Purpose: Collects code coverage data from the Application Under Test.
What it does:
Monitors which lines of code are executed during testing
Records function entry and exit points
Collects timing data for performance analysis
Reports coverage "footprints" to the SeaLights backend
When to use:
Deploy with applications in test environments
Include in build processes to track coverage across builds
Run alongside your application during testing
Key characteristics:
Focuses on what code was executed
Passive monitoring during application runtime
Works with any type of testing (unit, integration, manual)
Purpose: Collects test execution details from test frameworks and runners.
What it does:
Tracks individual test execution (start/end times)
Records test results (pass/fail/skip)
Captures test names and durations
Links test executions to specific build sessions
When to use:
Deploy with CI/CD pipelines running automated tests
Run alongside test execution environments
Integrate with test frameworks (JUnit, Ginkgo, Godog, etc.)
Key characteristics:
Focuses on which tests were run and their results
Active monitoring during test execution
Framework-specific integration required
The two modes complement each other to provide complete test intelligence:
Test Runner Mode Coverage Listener Mode
(with test framework) → (with application)
"Test X executed" → "Lines 45-67 covered"
"Test Y failed" → "Function foo() hit 3 times"
"Duration: 2.3s" → "Module coverage: 78%"This dual-mode architecture works across all SeaLights agents. For example:
Go application (Coverage Listener) + Java test runner (Test Runner)
JavaScript application (Coverage Listener) + Python test runner (Test Runner)
Multiple applications (Coverage Listener) + Single test suite (Test Runner)
The modes are independent - you can mix and match agents in different languages as long as they're configured to communicate with the same SeaLights backend environment.