clang/www/analyzer/xcode.html

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  16 <h1>Running the analyzer within Xcode</h1>
  17
  18 <table style="margin-top:0px" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0px" cellspacing="0">
  19 <tr><td>
  20
  21 <h3>What is it?</h3>
  22
  23 <p>Since Xcode 3.2, users have been able to run the Clang Static Analyzer
  24 <a
  25 href="https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/recipes/xcode_help-source_editor/chapters/Analyze.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40009975-CH4-SW1">directly
  26 within Xcode</a>.</p>
  27
  28 <p>It integrates directly with the Xcode build system and
  29 presents analysis results directly within Xcode's editor.</p>
  30
  31 <h3>Can I use the open source analyzer builds with Xcode?</h3>
  32
  33 <p><b>Yes</b>. Instructions are included below.</p>
  34
  35 </td>
  36 <td style="padding-left:10px; text-align:center">
  37   <a href="images/analyzer_xcode.png"><img src="images/analyzer_xcode.png" width="620px" alt="analyzer in xcode"></a>
  38 <br><b>Viewing static analyzer results in Xcode</b>
  39 </td></tr></table>
  40
  41 <h3>Key features:</h3>
  42 <ul>
  43   <li><b>Integrated workflow:</b> Results are integrated within Xcode. There is
  44   no experience of using a separate tool, and activating the analyzer requires a
  45   single keystroke or mouse click.</li>
  46   <li><b>Transparency:</b> Works effortlessly with Xcode projects (including iPhone projects).
  47   <li><b>Cons:</b> Doesn't work well with non-Xcode projects. For those,
  48   consider using <a href="scan-build.html"><b>scan-build</b></a>.
  49 </ul>
  50
  51
  52 <h2>Getting Started</h2>
  53
  54 <p>Xcode is available as a free download from Apple on the <a
  55 href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12">Mac
  56 App Store</a>, with <a
  57 href="https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/recipes/xcode_help-source_editor/chapters/Analyze.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40009975-CH4-SW1">instructions
  58 available</a> for using the analyzer.</p>
  59
  60 <h2>Using open source analyzer builds with Xcode</h2>
  61
  62 <p>By default, Xcode uses the version of <tt>clang</tt> that came bundled with
  63 it to analyze your code. It is possible to change Xcode's behavior to use an
  64 alternate version of <tt>clang</tt> for this purpose while continuing to use
  65 the <tt>clang</tt> that came with Xcode for compiling projects.</p>
  66
  67 <h3>Why try open source builds?</h3>
  68
  69 <p>The advantage of using open source analyzer builds (provided on this website)
  70 is that they are often newer than the analyzer provided with Xcode, and thus can
  71 contain bug fixes, new checks, or simply better analysis.</p>
  72
  73 <p>On the other hand, new checks can be experimental, with results of variable
  74 quality. Users are encouraged to <a href="filing_bugs.html">file bug reports</a>
  75 (for any version of the analyzer) where they encounter false positives or other
  76 issues.</p>
  77
  78 <h3>set-xcode-analyzer</h3>
  79
  80 <p>Starting with analyzer build checker-234, analyzer builds contain a command
  81 line utility called <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> that allows users to change what
  82 copy of <tt>clang</tt> that Xcode uses for analysis:</p>
  83
  84 <pre class="code_example">
  85 $ <b>set-xcode-analyzer -h</b>
  86 Usage: set-xcode-analyzer [options]
  87
  88 Options:
  89   -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  90   --use-checker-build=PATH
  91                         Use the Clang located at the provided absolute path,
  92                         e.g. /Users/foo/checker-1
  93   --use-xcode-clang     Use the Clang bundled with Xcode
  94 </pre>
  95
  96 <p>Operationally, <b>set-xcode-analyzer</b> edits Xcode's configuration files
  97 to point it to use the version of <tt>clang</tt> you specify for static
  98 analysis. Within this model it provides you two basic modes:</p>
  99
 100 <ul>
 101   <li><b>--use-xcode-clang</b>: Switch Xcode (back) to using the <tt>clang</tt> that came bundled with it for static analysis.</li>
 102   <li><b>--use-checker-build</b>: Switch Xcode to using the <tt>clang</tt> provided by the specified analyzer build.</li>
 103 </ul>
 104
 105 <h4>Things to keep in mind</h4>
 106
 107 <ul>
 108   <li>You should quit Xcode prior to running <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt>.</li>    <li>You will need to run <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> under
 109 <b><tt>sudo</tt></b> in order to have write privileges to modify the Xcode
 110 configuration files.</li>
 111 </ul>
 112
 113 <h4>Examples</h4>
 114
 115 <p><b>Example 1</b>: Telling Xcode to use checker-235:</p>
 116
 117 <pre class="code_example">
 118 $ pwd
 119 /tmp
 120 $ tar xjf checker-235.tar.bz2
 121 $ sudo checker-235/set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=/tmp/checker-235
 122 </pre>
 123
 124 <p>Note that you typically won't install an analyzer build in <tt>/tmp</tt>, but
 125 the point of this example is that <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> just wants a full
 126 path to an untarred analyzer build.</p>
 127
 128 <p><b>Example 2</b>: Telling Xcode to use a very specific version of <tt>clang</tt>:</p>
 129
 130 <pre class="code_example">
 131 $ sudo set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=~/mycrazyclangbuild/bin/clang
 132 </pre>
 133
 134 <p><b>Example 3</b>: Resetting Xcode to its default behavior:</p>
 135
 136 <pre class="code_example">
 137 $ sudo set-xcode-analyzer --use-xcode-clang
 138 </pre>
 139
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