I’ve added a new option to the pytest-cov coverage plugin for pytest: --cov-context=test will set the dynamic context based on pytest test phases. Each test has a setup, run, and teardown phase. This gives you the best test information in the coverage database:

• The full test id is used in the context. You have the test file name, and the test class name if you are using class-based tests.
• Parameterized tests start a new context for each new set of parameter values.
• Execution is a little faster because coverage.py doesn’t have to poll for test starts.

For example, here is a repo of simple pytest tests in a number of forms: pytest-gallery. I can run the tests with test contexts being recorded:

$ pytest -v --cov=. --cov-context=test
======================== test session starts =========================
platform darwin -- Python 3.6.9, pytest-5.2.1, py-1.8.0, pluggy-0.12.0 -- /usr/local/virtualenvs/pytest-cov/bin/python3.6
cachedir: .pytest_cache
rootdir: /Users/ned/lab/pytest-gallery
plugins: cov-2.8.1
collected 25 items

test_fixtures.py::test_fixture PASSED                          [  4%]
test_fixtures.py::test_two_fixtures PASSED                     [  8%]
test_fixtures.py::test_with_expensive_data PASSED              [ 12%]
test_fixtures.py::test_with_expensive_data2 PASSED             [ 16%]
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[1] PASSED          [ 20%]
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[2] PASSED          [ 24%]
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[3] PASSED          [ 28%]
test_function.py::test_function1 PASSED                        [ 32%]
test_function.py::test_function2 PASSED                        [ 36%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized[1-101] PASSED           [ 40%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized[2-202] PASSED           [ 44%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_with_id[one] PASSED     [ 48%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_with_id[two] PASSED     [ 52%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[3-1] PASSED       [ 56%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[3-2] PASSED       [ 60%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[4-1] PASSED       [ 64%]
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[4-2] PASSED       [ 68%]
test_skip.py::test_always_run PASSED                           [ 72%]
test_skip.py::test_never_run SKIPPED                           [ 76%]
test_skip.py::test_always_skip SKIPPED                         [ 80%]
test_skip.py::test_always_skip_string SKIPPED                  [ 84%]
test_unittest.py::MyTestCase::test_method1 PASSED              [ 88%]
test_unittest.py::MyTestCase::test_method2 PASSED              [ 92%]
tests.json::hello PASSED                                       [ 96%]
tests.json::goodbye PASSED                                     [100%]

---------- coverage: platform darwin, python 3.6.9-final-0 -----------
Name                  Stmts   Miss  Cover
-----------------------------------------
conftest.py              16      0   100%
test_fixtures.py         19      0   100%
test_function.py          4      0   100%
test_parametrize.py       8      0   100%
test_skip.py             12      3    75%
test_unittest.py         17      0   100%
-----------------------------------------
TOTAL                    76      3    96%


=================== 22 passed, 3 skipped in 0.18s ====================

Then I can see the contexts that were collected:

$ sqlite3 -csv .coverage "select context from context"
context
""
test_fixtures.py::test_fixture|setup
test_fixtures.py::test_fixture|run
test_fixtures.py::test_two_fixtures|setup
test_fixtures.py::test_two_fixtures|run
test_fixtures.py::test_with_expensive_data|setup
test_fixtures.py::test_with_expensive_data|run
test_fixtures.py::test_with_expensive_data2|run
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[1]|setup
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[1]|run
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[2]|setup
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[2]|run
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[3]|setup
test_fixtures.py::test_parametrized_fixture[3]|run
test_function.py::test_function1|run
test_function.py::test_function2|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized[1-101]|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized[2-202]|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_with_id[one]|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_with_id[two]|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[3-1]|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[3-2]|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[4-1]|run
test_parametrize.py::test_parametrized_twice[4-2]|run
test_skip.py::test_always_run|run
test_skip.py::test_always_skip|teardown
test_unittest.py::MyTestCase::test_method1|setup
test_unittest.py::MyTestCase::test_method1|run
test_unittest.py::MyTestCase::test_method2|run
test_unittest.py::MyTestCase::test_method2|teardown
tests.json::hello|run
tests.json::goodbye|run

Version 2.8.0 of pytest-cov (and later) has the new feature. Give it a try. BTW, I also snuck another alpha of coverage.py (5.0a8) in at the same time, to get a needed API right.

Still missing from all this is a really useful way to report on the data. Get in touch if you have needs or ideas.