C/C++ Free alternative to Lint?

Question

I'm interested in a free tool that can statically check my C++ code like Lint does. Any hints?

Answer 1

splint ?

Answer 2

Perhaps a list like this is what you're looking for:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tools_for_static_code_analysis

It looks like you'll get the most use out of Splint or Uno .

Answer 3

Try cppcheck, found here: http://cppcheck.wiki.sourceforge.net/

Here's a sampling of some of the checks it can perform or that I've used it for:

• Array indices out of bounds
• Memory/resource leaks
• Improper new/delete
• Failure to put virtual destructors on derived classes
• Mismatching allocation and deallocation
• Deallocating a deallocated pointer
• Using variable after it is deallocated / released
• Size mismatches
• Invalid radix in call to strtol or strtoul
• Overlapping data buffers
• Unsigned division; result may be wrong
• Unusual pointer arithmetic
• Returning pointer to local array variable
• Same iterator is used with two containers
• Dangerous usage of erase
• After pushback or pushfront, iterator may be invalid
• Buffer overruns
• Dangerous usage of strncat, possible buffer overrun

Answer 4

This SO question has relevant answers: What is the Best Command Line Tool to Clean Up Code?

Answer 5

You might want to check out this project:

• Inspirel Vera++ based on user defined rules (written in scripting language, some time ago only Tcl)

And few not free ones:

• QAC++
• Coverity
• Klocwork
• Abraxas CodeCheck - heard various opinions...

Answer 6

I recently read about DeHydra and Pork used by Mozilla, although I have not tried it myself.

Answer 7

try nsiqcppstyle (http://nsiqcppstyle.googlecode.com)

Answer 8

Personally I tried cppcheck (v1.4) and found it hopeless.

eg. This example was correctly detected for array out of bounds:

int a[4];
for (int n = 0; n < 5; n++)
{
  a[n] = n;
}

But this example was not detected:

int a[4];
int z = 4 + 1;

for (int n = 0; n < z; n++)
{
  a[n] = n;
}

Answer 9

@meh

this issue is allready detected by cppcheck:

int main()  
{  
    int a[4];
    int z = 4 + 1;

    for (int n = 0; n < z; n++)
    {
        a[n] = n;
    }

    return 0;

} 


$ cppcheck --enable=all test193.cpp
Checking test193.cpp...
[test193.cpp:9]: (error) Buffer access out-of-bounds
Checking usage of global functions..

Answer 10

Another tool for the list: Google cpplint.py, which Google's C++ style guide mentions. It's very Google-specific, but nonetheless.