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Splint VS PVS-Studio

Compare Splint VS PVS-Studio and see what are their differences

Splint logo Splint

Splint Home Page

PVS-Studio logo PVS-Studio

PVS-Studio is a useful piece of software for detecting problems in source code. The software examines program codes written in C, C++, and C# for any problems that might prohibit the code from functioning properly.
  • Splint Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-01-23
  • PVS-Studio Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02

Splint features and specs

  • Static Analysis
    Splint is designed to perform static analysis of C programs, allowing developers to catch bugs early in the development process without executing the program.
  • Custom Annotations
    It supports custom annotations, enabling developers to specify intended behaviors and constraints, which helps in identifying more domain-specific issues.
  • Free and Open Source
    Splint is free to use and open source, making it accessible for individual developers and smaller teams who may not have the resources for expensive software tools.
  • Wide Adoption in Academia
    The tool is widely used in academic settings as a teaching aid for programming and software engineering courses due to its educational value in illustrating software flaws.

Possible disadvantages of Splint

  • Limited Language Support
    Splint is limited to C programs only, which can be a drawback for teams working with multiple programming languages.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with static analysis tools or Splint's annotations, there is a learning curve that might slow down initial adoption.
  • Outdated Documentation
    Some users have reported that the documentation is outdated or lacking in certain areas, which can make understanding and using the tool more challenging.
  • Manual Work Required
    To get the most out of Splint, developers may need to manually annotate code, which can be time-consuming and may not fit well into all development workflows.

PVS-Studio features and specs

  • Comprehensive Code Analysis
    PVS-Studio offers a detailed static code analysis that helps to identify a wide range of potential issues in C, C++, C#, and Java code, including bugs, coding errors, and potential vulnerabilities.
  • Integration with Development Environments
    Seamless integration with popular IDEs like Visual Studio, IntelliJ IDEA, and others, which allows developers to receive immediate feedback on code quality as they write and modify code.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    PVS-Studio supports multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, providing flexibility for diverse development environments.
  • Rich Set of Diagnostic Rules
    The tool comes with an extensive set of diagnostic rules designed specifically for each supported language, enabling early detection of potential issues specific to the language.
  • Regular Updates
    The vendor provides frequent updates that include new diagnostics, improved algorithms, and support for newer language standards, ensuring the tool remains current and effective.

Possible disadvantages of PVS-Studio

  • Cost
    PVS-Studio is a commercial product, requiring a paid subscription or license, which might be a constraint for small companies or independent developers.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users might find it challenging to navigate and utilize all features effectively due to the comprehensive nature of the software.
  • Resource Intensive
    The analysis process can be resource-intensive, which might slow down performance on older or less powerful machines.
  • Integration Complexity
    While integration is possible with many systems, setting it up in CI/CD pipelines or with certain build systems may require significant configuration effort.
  • Potential for False Positives
    Like many static analysis tools, PVS-Studio may occasionally produce false positives, requiring developers to spend time reviewing non-issues.

Splint videos

Will a Night Splint Help Your Plantar Fasciitis? We Review 3 Braces.

More videos:

  • Review - Will A Night Splint Help Your Plantar Fasciitis?

PVS-Studio videos

Generic Talks - PVS-Studio

More videos:

  • Review - CppCast Episode 238: PVS-Studio Static Analysis with Yuri Minaev

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Splint and PVS-Studio)
Code Analysis
34 34%
66% 66
Code Coverage
34 34%
66% 66
Code Review
30 30%
70% 70
Code Quality
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Splint and PVS-Studio

Splint Reviews

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PVS-Studio Reviews

8 Best Static Code Analysis Tools For 2024
PVS Studio provides many integration options, including IDEs, build systems, CI platforms, etc. You can also install this tool on operating systems like Windows, macOS, or Linux.
Source: www.qodo.ai
TOP 40 Static Code Analysis Tools (Best Source Code Analysis Tools)
PVS-Studio is a tool for detecting bugs and security weaknesses in the source code of programs, written in C, C++, C#, and Java. It works in Windows, Linux, and macOS environment.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PVS-Studio should be more popular than Splint. It has been mentiond 18 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.

Splint mentions (9)

  • C-rusted: The Advantages of Rust, in C, without the Disadvantages
    Whenever I see people talk about the portability or compatibility advantages of C, I'm reminded of how "even C isn't compatible with C", because you typically aren't talking about up-to-date GCC or LLVM on these niche platforms... you're talking about some weird or archaic vendor-provided compiler... Possibly with syntax extensions that static analyzers like splint will choke on. (Splint can't even understand near... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Announcing Rust 1.67.1
    Huh. I think I actually needed to use the equivalent position for certain splint annotations in my C retro-hobby project. Source: over 2 years ago
  • US NGO Consumer Reports also reporting on C and C++ safety for product development.
    I often like to say that Rust's bindings are a way to trick people into writing the compile-time safety annotations that they didn't want to write for things like splint. (Seriously. Look into how much splint is capable of checking with the correct annotations.). Source: over 2 years ago
  • “Rust is safe” is not some kind of absolute guarantee of code safety
    Linters like Splint [0] can do that for C. I’m not saying that Rust’s built-in approach isn’t better, but please be careful about what exactly you claim. [0] http://splint.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Glauber's Journey from rust to typescript
    (Sort of like how, for my DOS hobby project, I use splint to require explicit casts between typedefs so I can use the newtype pattern without having to manually reach into wrapper struct fields in places that don't do conversions.). Source: almost 3 years ago
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PVS-Studio mentions (18)

  • Why SSDLC needs static analysis: a case study of 190 bugs in TDengine
    PVS-Studio can be used for all these tasks. It supports code analysis for C, C++, C#, and Java. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. PVS-Studio is a SAST solution to enhance quality, reliability, and security of your projects. - Source: dev.to / 8 days ago
  • Court is in session: Top 10 most notorious C and C++ errors in 2024
    The court is silent. Even the judge is speechless. The most dangerous criminals of the year have been apprehended. The only thing left is to destroy them, but that's another story... However, we wouldn't have been able to find these errors without the help of our trusty detective—the PVS-Studio analyzer. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • 5 lines of fortune: what program keeps under wraps
    As mentioned above, I analyzed the project using the PVS-Studio static analyzer. The checked code matches the 3d30b2e commit. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • 19 errors in LLVM 19
    If I understand correctly, LLVM is already regularly checked with Coverity Scan Static Analysis and Clang Static Analyzer. PVS-Studio would look great next to the above tools :) That would be a horse of a different colour! - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • What's new in C# 13: overview
    The above scope characteristic can be an unexpected problem for a developer. For example, legacy code with irrelevant logic may cause issues when executed (especially in a running application). Certain tools that detect such non-obvious errors can help you prevent this. Those are static code analyzers. This update inspired us to add a new diagnostic rule for our C# PVS-Studio analyzer, in addition to hundreds of... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Splint and PVS-Studio, you can also consider the following products

Coverity Scan - Find and fix defects in your Java, C/C++ or C# open source project for free

Cppcheck - Cppcheck is an analysis tool for C/C++ code. It detects the types of bugs that the compilers normally fail to detect. The goal is no false positives. CppCheckDownload cppcheck for free.

Clang Static Analyzer - The Clang Static Analyzer is a source code analysis tool that finds bugs in C, C++, and Objective-C...

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.

Checkmarx - The industry’s most comprehensive AppSec platform, Checkmarx One is fast, accurate, and accelerates your business.

Parasoft C/C++test - Ensure compliance with a variety of functional safety, security, and coding standards in embedded C/C++ software.