Automatic Checking of Coding Rules
Paolo Bolzoni, Roberto Bagnara · 2009
Experience shows that programming is difficult and error-prone. This dissertation is about a way to reduce the number of mistakes: to write code following some well-thought coding rules and to detect accidental vi-olations, as far as it is possible, routinely and automatically. The scope of the rules is to help developers to avoid problems in the whole development process: writing the code, compiling and debugging it. When writing the code, rules can impose clear constructs with an easy-to-understand se-mantics. When compiling, rules can avoid language constructs whose compilation is known to be problematic. When debugging, rules can help to avoid obscure code. The use of coding rules has been introduced in the embedded system world where updating the code is difficult and expensive and where failures are dangerous. After the embedded system has been built, updating the code might mean reprogramming electronic cards in many appliances that do not have any standard connection,