A semi-automatic extensible static defect analysis tool

The pattern based code defect analysis approach finds defects for subject programs with the aid of predefined defect pattern knowledge. The advantages of this kind of approach lie in the simplicity of its usage and the efficiency of its analysis, which make it a new technique with more rapid development among different approaches of static code defect analysis recently. However, among the available tools based on the approach, the extension modes provided by most of them are neither friendly nor efficient enough for users to extend their defect analysis capability. In order to solve this problem, the authors proposes a semi-automatic extensible static code defect analysis approach. Based on the approach, a tool named CODA (COde Defect Analysis tool) has been designed and implemented. In order to support the efficient extension of the defect pattern library, CODA provides not only enough "defect pattern description templates" to facilitate users' manual extension, but also a "semi-automatic extension mechanism" which accelerates the process of discovering, summarizing and extending new defect patterns. Once a new defect pattern is defined and added into the defect pattern library, CODA can automatically own the detecting ability for its related defects.