Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Source Insight VS FindBugs

Compare Source Insight VS FindBugs and see what are their differences

Source Insight logo Source Insight

Source Insight is a programming editor & code browser with built-in live analysis for C/C++, C#, Java, and more; helping you understand large projects.

FindBugs logo FindBugs

Findbugs is a tool that looks for bugs in Java code. Findbugs finds the bugs by analyzing computer software without actually executing programs. Using this software allows for easy debugging and repairing broken script. Read more about FindBugs.
  • Source Insight Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-21
  • FindBugs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-01-11

Source Insight features and specs

  • Efficient Code Navigation
    Source Insight provides advanced code navigation features, such as global symbol indexing and dynamic context views, which help in understanding and navigating large codebases quickly.
  • Real-time Symbolic Analysis
    The software performs real-time analysis of symbols and relationships between them, giving developers instant feedback and insights while coding.
  • Customizable Syntax Formatting
    Developers can customize the syntax formatting to their preferences, helping to enhance code readability and maintain consistency across projects.
  • Lightweight and Fast
    Source Insight is known for being lightweight and fast, making it a suitable choice even on less powerful machines, without compromising performance.
  • Integrated Scripting
    The tool supports integrated scripting to automate repetitive tasks and extend the functionality, offering greater flexibility to users.

Possible disadvantages of Source Insight

  • Limited Language Support
    Source Insight primarily supports C, C++, Java, and some other languages, but it lacks extensive support for newer languages and technologies, which might be restrictive for some developers.
  • Outdated Interface
    The user interface of Source Insight is considered outdated compared to modern IDEs, which might affect the user experience, especially for new users accustomed to contemporary UIs.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The powerful features and customization options come at the cost of a steeper learning curve, which may require more time for new users to become proficient.
  • Windows Only
    Source Insight is only available for Windows, limiting its usability for developers who prefer or require other operating systems like macOS or Linux.
  • No Integrated Debugger
    While Source Insight excels in code browsing and analysis, it does not include an integrated debugger, which may necessitate the use of additional tools for complete development workflows.

FindBugs features and specs

  • Open Source
    FindBugs is an open-source project, making it free to use and allowing developers to contribute to its development and improvement.
  • Static Code Analysis
    FindBugs performs static analysis of Java bytecode to identify potential defects and bugs without needing to execute the code.
  • Integration
    It integrates with popular development environments and build tools like Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and Ant, which makes it easier to incorporate into existing workflows.
  • Java Specific
    It's specifically designed for Java, meaning it can detect issues unique to the Java programming language that may not be caught by general-purpose tools.
  • Defect Identification
    The tool can identify a wide range of bug patterns, including multithreading issues, performance problems, and bad coding practices.

Possible disadvantages of FindBugs

  • Limited Language Support
    FindBugs is limited to Java, so it does not support other programming languages, which can be a drawback for polyglot environments.
  • Project Activity
    As the project has not been actively maintained for several years, it may lack support for the latest Java features and language updates.
  • False Positives
    Like many static analysis tools, FindBugs can produce false positives, which may lead to unnecessary work to triage these non-issues.
  • Performance
    Analyzing large codebases can be time-consuming and may affect the overall performance during the analysis phase in a CI/CD pipeline.
  • User Interface
    The user interface of FindBugs is considered less modern compared to newer tools, which might lead to a steeper learning curve for new users.

Analysis of Source Insight

Overall verdict

  • Source Insight is particularly well-regarded for its strong code navigation features and efficient handling of large projects. It's a great choice for developers who need a fast, reliable code editor with powerful analytical tools built in. However, it may feel dated in terms of user interface and might lack some of the modern features found in newer IDEs and editors. Overall, it is a solid option for developers working on large and complex codebases who prioritize speed and efficient code comprehension.

Why this product is good

  • Source Insight is a project-oriented program editor and code browser, specifically designed to help you understand, edit, and manage complex source code. It provides features such as syntax highlighting for several programming languages, real-time code parsing, and intuitive code browsing capabilities. The tool is known for its speed, lightweight nature, and the ability to handle large codebases effectively. It also offers features like code navigation, reference trees, and call trees to help developers understand and manage dependencies within their code.

Recommended for

  • Developers working with large and complex codebases
  • C, C++, and Java developers
  • Teams or individuals seeking a fast and lightweight code editor
  • Users who frequently need to navigate and refactor large amounts of code
  • Developers who prefer traditional, project-oriented editing environments over cloud-based IDEs

Source Insight videos

STM32F0 Tutorial 2: Blinking LED with CubeMX, Keil ARM and Source Insight - Part 2

More videos:

  • Tutorial - STM32F0 Tutorial 2: Blinking LED with CubeMX, Keil ARM and Source Insight - Part 1
  • Review - source insight

FindBugs videos

Static Code Analysis With FindBugs: Step By Step Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Source Insight and FindBugs)
Code Coverage
84 84%
16% 16
Code Analysis
81 81%
19% 19
Code Quality
83 83%
17% 17
Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Source Insight and FindBugs. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Source Insight and FindBugs

Source Insight Reviews

We have no reviews of Source Insight yet.
Be the first one to post

FindBugs Reviews

TOP 40 Static Code Analysis Tools (Best Source Code Analysis Tools)
A tool that helps in analyzing C/C++, Java, C#, RPG and Python codes. Another good thing about this tool is it allows integration with free static checker tools like cppcheck, PMD, FindBugs. Basic Version of this tool is free but it comes with fewer features. Based on the need, you can decide whether the free version satisfies the requirement or not.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FindBugs seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Source Insight mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Source Insight yet. Tracking of Source Insight recommendations started around Mar 2021.

FindBugs mentions (4)

  • Tutorial: Build a Java SDK based on OpenAPI Spec
    FindBugs: Detects potential issues in Java code that could lead to bugs. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Scanning for flaws?
    The tools generally depend on the programming language. You might be looking for something like a "linter" or static analyzer (i.e. FindBugs for Java). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Why we need multiple code analysis tools?
    These tools perform analysis on the application's source code without executing/running the code on a platform. In other words, a bot goes line by line of source code to find any bug defined by preconfigured policies/rules. It could be compared to manual code review, but the review is done by a bot. Mostly, code quality, coding standard aspects are targeted to be scanned. The biggest name in static code analysis... - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
  • Review of Java Static Analysis Tools
    FindBugs looks for bugs in Java Code, and this means over 400 different bugs. - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Source Insight and FindBugs, you can also consider the following products

Codacy - Automatically reviews code style, security, duplication, complexity, and coverage on every change while tracking code quality throughout your sprints.

CodeClimate - Code Climate provides automated code review for your apps, letting you fix quality and security issues before they hit production. We check every commit, branch and pull request for changes in quality and potential vulnerabilities.

SonarQube - SonarQube, a core component of the Sonar solution, is an open source, self-managed tool that systematically helps developers and organizations deliver Clean Code.

Pmd - PMD scans Java source code and looks for potential problems like:

Source-Navigator NG - Source-Navigator NG is a source code analysis tool.

SolidSDD - Duplicate Code Detector - Bluehost - Top rated web hosting provider - Free 1 click installs For blogs, shopping carts, and more.