Static syntax analysis is the process of looking at a text file and
attempting to identify errors, warnings, etc. from the text without
executing the code.  This is tricky to do in-depth because in an
interpretive environment, programmers often make use of dynamic techniques
for code generation, etc.  These dynamic code fragments typically
won't be evaluated during a static syntax sweep. Another short-coming,
at least as far as procheck and frink go, is that they operate only on
the source code specified on the command line.  This means that calls to
autoloaded or ''source''ed commands are treated as unknowns, unless the
file in which they are defined was specified ''''before''' the invocation.

A C programmer will be familar with a program called '''lint''';
this program provides static syntax analysis for C.


Some of the options one has for performing static syntax analysis of Tcl include:

   * tclCheck [http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Programs/tclCheck/] and [Frink] by [Lindsay Marshall].
   * [TclPro]'s procheck
   * [ActiveState]'s [Tcl Dev Kit]'s procheck (based upon [TclPro], updated for 8.4, integrates with prodebug and [Komodo]).
   * [syntax]
   * [Andreas Leitgeb]'s [bracechecker].
   * [XotclIDE] have syntax checker for Tcl and [XOTcl] code.
   * ICEmcfd has Tcl Lint [http://icemcfd.com/tcl/ice.html] which makes use of their ICE Tcl compiler to determine possible errors.
   * TclParse [http://www.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/ipvr/swlab/sopra/tclsyntax/tclparseHomeEngl.html] by Stefan Schreyjak. [[this url is dead]]
   * [XotclIDE] contains a syntax checker for Tcl and XOTcl code

   * See a page by [Cameron Laird] for more [http://www.phaseit.net/claird/comp.lang.tcl/tcl_compilers.html#analyzers].


[[ Give examples of use. ]]



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See also [What debugging tools are available to a Tcl programmer] and
[Are there tools which are required or would be useful when developing in Tcl].

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[Category Debugging] |
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