Why Static Code Analysis Is Important?

From final few years, Software code character together with safety has went from existence a “nice to have” to a necessity, together with many organizations, including investment banks are making it mandatory to exceed static code analysis test, penetration testing together with safety testing earlier you lot deploy your code inward production. Static analysis tools similar findbugs and fortify are getting pop every passing twenty-four threescore minutes current together with to a greater extent than together with to a greater extent than companies are making fortify scan mandatory for all novel development.  For those unaware of what static code analysis is, static code analysis is virtually analysing your source code without executing them to abide by potential vulnerabilities, bugs together with safety threats.

Static code analyser looks for patterns, defined to them every bit rules, which tin displace those safety vulnerability or other code character problems, necessary for production character code. But similar every other technology, static analysis has it’s laid of advantages together with disadvantages, which is also best way to guess whatsoever technology.

Static code analyser are non a novel thing, together with they are hither from long time, only every bit a senior Java developer or Team lead, you lot possess got responsibleness to set-up procedure similar automated code analysis, continuous integration, automation testing to boot the bucket on your projection inward salubrious state together with promote best evolution practices inward your team.

In my opinion, unit testing, code review together with static code analysis makes a overnice combo, along amongst continuous integration. In this article, nosotros volition larn some pros together with cons of static code analysis, to allow you lot decide, whether static analysis is of import or not.

I am already convinced amongst pros, together with nosotros are using fortify scanning inward all our projects, together with possess got seen benefits of that, only its non all good, its also fourth dimension consuming.

When your tool warning you lot amongst fake positive, you lot origin taking them lightly together with hence it boot the bucket habit to care for everything every bit fake positive, which eventually accept away all benefits of static code analysis. You take away to hold upwards champaign of report enough, non to autumn on that trap.

Why Static Analysis is Good

There are many skillful reasons to usage static code analysis inward your project, i of them is thorough analysis of your code, without executing them. Static analysis scans ALL code. If in that location are vulnerabilities inward the distant corners of your application, which are non fifty-fifty used, hence also static analysis has a higher probability of finding those vulnerabilities.

Second do goodness of using static code analysis is you lot tin define your projection specific rules, together with they volition hold upwards ensured to follow without whatsoever manual intervention. If whatsoever squad fellow member forget to follow those rules, they volition hold upwards highlighted past times static code analyser similar fortify or findbugs.

Third major do goodness of static code analysis is they tin abide by the põrnikas early on inward evolution cycle, which way less toll to create them. All these advantage of static code analyser tin hold upwards best utilized solely if they are role of build process.

On the other manus tools similar manual testing or penetration testing tin solely render you lot express amount of fake positive than a static code analyser. Though both this together with pen testing is seen every bit alternative of each other, they are not, instead they complement each other.

Pen testing is genuinely to a greater extent than realistic than static code analysis, because exam cases are provided past times user together with they are to a greater extent than around existent footing usage example scenario, piece static code analysis, solely await for patterns, which tin displace bugs.

If their is no pattern, it doesn't hateful no bugs, hence ideally you lot take away to do both pen testing together with static code analysis to force your application inward production.

Why Static Analysis is Bad

Though Static code analysis is useful, it also has few disadvantages. The biggest problem of static analysis is that they produces also many fake positives. Those are warnings, which are former rubber to ignore together with non genuinely an issue. This creates a lot of operate for developers, which hence taking them every bit depression priority together with eventually halt fixing them. One way to minimize fake positives are melody rules they used for scanning together with analysing your code. After the initial triage, you lot suppress fake positives together with create custom rules to brand the scan to a greater extent than context specific. If you’re using HP Fortify tool, you lot tin write a custom dominion to eliminate those fake positives inward the future. This is genuinely truthful for whatsoever tool, you lot take away to petty flake customize it to conform your environment. Static analysis shouldn't hold upwards a i shot scan, it should hold upwards used continually throughout evolution together with testing. Another work amongst static code analysers is that they accept also long to run together with later some fourth dimension developers never bother to run them. You tin minimize this work past times making static code analysis role of your create process, together with non an optional, skillful to do alternative. Second thing, you lot must review together with write custom rules, hence that it won't accept also long to execute. Given create procedure take away to do also many things these days e.g. clean, compile, package, static analysis, unit of measurement testing together with deployment, fifty-fifty pocket-size fourth dimension added inward each step, eventually increases full create time.


That's all virtually Why static code analysis is important together with Why should your projection usage a static code analyser every bit role of create process. Projects where safety is ultimate requirement must employ static code analysis, every bit it's real skillful to abide by potential vulnerabilities early. Modern twenty-four threescore minutes current static code analyser similar findbugs and fortify are genuinely skillful inward looking source code to abide by coding errors together with programmers mistake. Findbugs also has a eclipse plugin, hence if your projection is non using static analysis, you lot tin at-least do that at your level, this volition attention you lot to write meliorate code together with boot the bucket meliorate programmer. Code character is also improved past times using this tool, only it doesn't brand penetration or safety testing optional. In the end, you lot take away both static together with dynamic analysis to brand your projection production ready.

Further Learning
SOLID Principles of Object Oriented Design
Java Fundamentals: The Java Language
Clean Code: Writing Code for Humans