Clang Static Analyzer

Website

clang-analyzer.llvm.org

Categories

#Code Analysis #Code Coverage #Development #Code Review

Sourcetrail

Website

sourcetrail.com

Categories

#Code Coverage #Code Quality #Code Analysis #Code Review

Clang Static Analyzer features and specs

• Integration with Clang
  The Clang Static Analyzer is built as part of the Clang project, ensuring seamless integration with the Clang compiler. This allows for easy adoption in projects that already use Clang for compiling, as there is no need for additional tooling setup.
• Open Source
  Being an open-source tool, Clang Static Analyzer is freely available for anyone to use and modify. This encourages a community-driven approach to improvements and provides the flexibility to tailor the tool to specific needs.
• Path-sensitive Analysis
  Clang Static Analyzer performs path-sensitive analysis, which means it evaluates different execution paths in the code to detect complex bugs that may only manifest under certain conditions.
• Deep C/C++ Support
  As part of the LLVM project, Clang Static Analyzer offers robust support for C and C++ languages, leveraging the deep language understanding from the Clang front-end.

Possible disadvantages of Clang Static Analyzer

• Limited Language Support
  While it is excellent for C and C++, Clang Static Analyzer has limited support for other programming languages, which can be a drawback for projects involving multiple languages.
• False Positives
  Like many static analysis tools, Clang Static Analyzer can generate false positives, where it reports issues that are not actual bugs. This can require developers to spend additional time reviewing and dismissing spurious warnings.
• Complex Setup for Non-Clang Projects
  Projects that are not already using Clang might face a more complex setup process to integrate Clang Static Analyzer, as it requires adapting build configurations to use Clang.
• Performance Overhead
  Running Clang Static Analyzer can introduce significant performance overhead during the analysis phase, which might lead to longer build or integration times, especially for large codebases.

Sourcetrail features and specs

• Cross-language Support
  Sourcetrail supports multiple programming languages, making it versatile for developers working in different coding environments.
• Visual Code Exploration
  It provides an interactive and graphical interface to explore and understand the structure of the code, which can be useful for visual learners.
• Dependency Graphs
  Automatically generated graphs help in understanding the dependencies and relationships within the codebase.
• Ease of Navigation
  Offers features like jumping to definition and finding references, which help in navigating through large codebases efficiently.
• Open Source
  Being open source, Sourcetrail allows users to contribute and customize the tool according to their own needs.

Possible disadvantages of Sourcetrail

• Learning Curve
  New users might find the tool complex at first and may require time to fully understand all its features and functionalities.
• Resource Intensive
  Sourcetrail can be resource-intensive, particularly for very large codebases, which might lead to slow performance on some systems.
• Limited IDE Integration
  Compared to other code exploration tools, it may have limited integration options with popular IDEs.
• Maintenance and Updates
  As an open source project, the frequency and quality of updates and maintenance depend on community contributions.
• Limited Offline Support
  Some features may not be fully available offline, limiting usability in environments with restricted internet access.

2019 LLVM Developers’ Meeting: A. Dergachev “Developing the Clang Static Analyzer”

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