Static analysis is a method that is used to examine the code for bugs/defects without executing the program. The process ensures that the code in the program adheres to industry standards and it also provides software testers with an understanding of the code structure. Many companies use automated tools to help developers and testers carry out static analysis.
Static analysis tools
Static analysis tools refer to a wide array of different tools that examine source code or even documentation and find problems before they happen before running the code. These tools vary greatly in scope and purpose, ranging from high-level checks for logical errors to cloud-based suites of tools that cover everything from documentation formatting to code complexity analysis.
Put simply, you can think of static analysis tools as anything that helps you maintain a healthy code base without having to actually run and check all of the code manually every time.
Why are static analysis tools useful?
- Easier, better code review: If there are tools in place to check for formatting, conventions, and complexity analysis, then less time is spent leaving comments during the code review. This frees op software testers’ time to analyse the really important things.
- Improved code quality: Static analysis tools can enforce code standards or analyse dependency graphs, which control data flow and the complexity of conditional blocks of functions. They can even be used to reformat code or measure test coverage. Being able to analyse and optimise your code with less effort will improve the quality of the code.
- Improved product quality: Ultimately, we want to build and ship successful tools, features and products. When we are building these, it is possible to accept bad practices and code in the short-term. Over time, however, this will slow down the development cycle and ultimately have a real impact on the quality of the product we can produce. Static analysis helps reduce these issues by detecting them for us so that they don’t enter the code base to begin with.
Need software testers who can do a comprehensive and thorough test on all your applications and software? Then contact Inspired Testing today.
