enable code coverage from C-embedded Julia

Currently, as far as I understand, the only way to activate code coverage in Julia is via the --code-coverage command-line flag. However, when embedding Julia through the C API using functions like jl_init(), there is no documented or supported way to pass such flags.

As a result, it appears to be impossible to enable code coverage when Julia is embedded from a C program. This limitation makes it difficult to track test coverage in environments where Julia is integrated as a component of a larger native application.

It would be extremely helpful to:

Allow passing startup arguments (like --code-coverage=user) programmatically via jl_init() or a similar API.

Or alternatively, provide a global programmatic interface or configuration file to enable coverage in embedded contexts.

This would greatly enhance the tooling and testing capabilities for projects embedding Julia.

Thanks for considering this!

Start by investigating Julia's existing --code-coverage handling and the jl_init() embedding entry point. Determine whether startup arguments or another supported configuration path can be exposed for embedded Julia, and define how coverage activation would be verified in an embedding scenario. The issue is stale and proposes alternatives rather than naming a specific implementation path.