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17<h1>Build and Analyze: running the analyzer within Xcode</h1>
18
19<table style="margin-top:0px" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0px" cellspacing="0">
20<tr><td>
21
22<h3>What is it?</h3>
23<p><i>Build and Analyze</i> is an Xcode feature (introduced in Xcode 3.2) that
24allows users to run the Clang Static Analyzer <a
25href="http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/featuredarticles/StaticAnalysis/index.html">directly
26within Xcode</a>.</p>
27
28<p>It integrates directly with the Xcode build system and
29presents 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
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37<center>
38  <a href="images/analyzer_xcode.png"><img src="images/analyzer_xcode.png" width="620px" border=0></a>
39<br><b>Viewing static analyzer results in Xcode</b></center>
40</td></tr></table>
41
42<h3>Key features:</h3>
43<ul>
44  <li><b>Integrated workflow:</b> Results are integrated within Xcode. There is
45  no experience of using a separate tool, and activating the analyzer requires a
46  single keystroke or mouse click.</li>
47  <li><b>Transparency:</b> Works effortlessly with Xcode projects (including iPhone projects).
48  <li><b>Cons:</b> Doesn't work well with non-Xcode projects. For those,
49  consider using <a href="/scan-build.html"><b>scan-build</b></a>.
50</ul>
51
52
53<h2>Getting Started</h2>
54
55<p>Xcode 3.2 is available as a free download from Apple, with <a
56href="http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/featuredarticles/StaticAnalysis/index.html">instructions available</a>
57for using <i>Build and Analyze</i>.</p>
58
59<h2>Using open source analyzer builds with <i>Build and Analyze</i></h2>
60
61<p>By default, Xcode uses the version of <tt>clang</tt> that came bundled with
62it to provide the results for <i>Build and Analyze</i>. It is possible to change
63Xcode's behavior to use an alternate version of <tt>clang</tt> for this purpose
64while continuing to use the <tt>clang</tt> that came with Xcode for compiling
65projects.</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)
70is that they are often newer than the analyzer provided with Xcode, and thus can
71contain 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
74quality. 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
76issues.</p>
77
78<h3>set-xcode-analyzer</h3>
79
80<p>Starting with analyzer build checker-234, analyzer builds contain a command
81line utility called <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> that allows users to change what
82copy of <tt>clang</tt> that Xcode uses for <i>Build and Analyze</i>:</p>
83
84<pre class="code_example">
85$ <b>set-xcode-analyzer -h</b>
86Usage: set-xcode-analyzer [options]
87
88Options:
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(in <tt>/Developer</tt>) to point it to use the version of <tt>clang</tt> you
98specify for static 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>Examples</h4>
106
107<p><b>Example 1</b>: Telling Xcode to use checker-235 for <i>Build and Analyze</i>:</p>
108
109<pre class="code_example">
110$ pwd
111/tmp
112$ tar xjf checker-235.tar.bz2
113$ checker-235/set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=/tmp/checker-235
114</pre>
115
116<p>Note that you typically won't install an analyzer build in <tt>/tmp</tt>, but
117the point of this example is that <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> just wants a full
118path to an untarred analyzer build.</p>
119
120<p><b>Example 2</b>: Telling Xcode to use a very specific version of <tt>clang</tt>:</p>
121
122<pre class="code_example">
123$ set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=~/mycrazyclangbuild/bin/clang
124</pre>
125
126<p><b>Example 3</b>: Resetting Xcode to its default behavior:</p>
127
128<pre class="code_example">
129$ set-xcode-analyzer -use-xcode-clang
130</pre>
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