Why is dynamic analysis not used as extensively as static analysis: an industrial study
Radhika D. Venkatasubramanyam, G. Sowmya · 2014
Code Assessments using static and dynamic analyses are important for the maintenance of code quality of software in the industry. These analyses, though understood to be beneficial, have several practical limitations. The intent of our study was to understand the usage of these analyses across various teams in Siemens during code assessments, reasons for the success of static analysis and the challenges in dynamic analysis. The evaluation was conducted through a survey of the practices of developers in different development teams. Additionally interviews were conducted with expert reviewers and their experiences documented. Our study has revealed that institutionalization of code quality initiatives and customized toolkit support for static analysis are some of the key reasons for the successful implementation of static analysis. Some of the problems hindering the widespread adoption of dynamic analysis include the direct dependency with test cases, scalability, and understandability of the results. Various implications of the results are discussed, including the possible improvements that could increase the acceptance of dynamic analysis on a regular basis.