Static source code analysis

Fisher G (2007) When, why and how to leverage source code analysis tools, http //www.kloc work.com/resources/white-paper/static-analysis-when-why-how. Accessed 11 October 2010 Ganssle J (2010) A guide to code inspections. http //www.ganssle.com/inspections.pdf. Accessed 11 October 2010... 

B8.4 Static Code Analysis Static code analysis is the analysis of the source code before it is executed. Techniques include ... 

Analysis, in this context, covers any proof of requirements satisfaction that is obtained from the design or other representation of the product, including models, prototypes, software source code etc. It includes, for example, simulation, formal proof, hardware reliability prediction, inspection, and software static and dynamic code analysis. 

Static analysis comprising subset analysis, metrics analysis, control flow analysis, data use analysis, information flow analysis, semantic analysis/path function analysis and safety properties analysis shall be performed on the whole of the source code to verify that the source code is well formed and free of anomalies that would affect the safety of the system. 

The following techniques of static analysis may be used to build confidence in the correctness of the source code ... 

Static analysis is a technique (usually automated) which does not involve execution of code but consists of algebraic examination of source code. It involves a succession of procedures whereby the paths through the code, the use of variables, and the algebraic functions of the algorithms are analyzed. There are packages available which carry out the procedures and, indeed, modern compilers frequently carry out some of the static analysis procedures such as data flow analysis. 

As discussed above, for safe stack size analysis it is important to work on fully linked binary code, i.e., here the static analysis is not based on the source code but on the executable code. It approximates the semantics of the machine code of the microprocessor by using an abstract model of the processor architecture. The abstract model does not need to cover the entire state of the microprocessor, only the parts affecting the stack are needed. The hardware state relevant for worst-case stack analysis includes the processor registers and the memory cells. For a naive analysis only the stack pointer register is needed, but for precise results it is important to perform an elaborate value analysis on the contents of processor register and memory cells (cf. Sec. 4.2). In the following we will give an overview of the structure and analysis phases of the tool StackAnalyzer [14,11]. 

Static Analysis tools such as Polyspace by MathWorks [14] and Astree aim at proving absence of runtime errors. They analyze source code to find bugs such as faulty pointer dereferences or infinite loops amongst others. However, they are not aiming for proving general correctness. 

Static analysis tools scan the source code and automatically detect errors that typically pass through compilers and become latent problems, including the following ... 

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