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<h1>Build and Analyze: running the analyzer within Xcode</h1>
<table style="margin-top:0px" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0px" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td>
<h3>What is it?</h3>
<p><i>Build and Analyze</i> is an Xcode feature (introduced in Xcode 3.2) that
allows users to run the Clang Static Analyzer <a
href="http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/featuredarticles/StaticAnalysis/index.html">directly
within Xcode</a>.</p>
<p>It integrates directly with the Xcode build system and
presents analysis results directly within Xcode's editor.</p>
<h3>Can I use the open source analyzer builds with Xcode?</h3>
<p><b>Yes</b>. Instructions are included below.</p>
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<a href="images/analyzer_xcode.png"><img src="images/analyzer_xcode.png" width="620px" alt="analyzer in xcode"></a>
<br><b>Viewing static analyzer results in Xcode</b>
</td></tr></table>
<h3>Key features:</h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Integrated workflow:</b> Results are integrated within Xcode. There is
no experience of using a separate tool, and activating the analyzer requires a
single keystroke or mouse click.</li>
<li><b>Transparency:</b> Works effortlessly with Xcode projects (including iPhone projects).
<li><b>Cons:</b> Doesn't work well with non-Xcode projects. For those,
consider using <a href="/scan-build.html"><b>scan-build</b></a>.
</ul>
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
<p>Xcode 3.2 is available as a free download from Apple, with <a
href="http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/featuredarticles/StaticAnalysis/index.html">instructions available</a>
for using <i>Build and Analyze</i>.</p>
<h2>Using open source analyzer builds with <i>Build and Analyze</i></h2>
<p>By default, Xcode uses the version of <tt>clang</tt> that came bundled with
it to provide the results for <i>Build and Analyze</i>. It is possible to change
Xcode's behavior to use an alternate version of <tt>clang</tt> for this purpose
while continuing to use the <tt>clang</tt> that came with Xcode for compiling
projects.</p>
<h3>Why try open source builds?</h3>
<p>The advantage of using open source analyzer builds (provided on this website)
is that they are often newer than the analyzer provided with Xcode, and thus can
contain bug fixes, new checks, or simply better analysis.</p>
<p>On the other hand, new checks can be experimental, with results of variable
quality. Users are encouraged to <a href="filing_bugs.html">file bug reports</a>
(for any version of the analyzer) where they encounter false positives or other
issues.</p>
<h3>set-xcode-analyzer</h3>
<p>Starting with analyzer build checker-234, analyzer builds contain a command
line utility called <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> that allows users to change what
copy of <tt>clang</tt> that Xcode uses for <i>Build and Analyze</i>:</p>
<pre class="code_example">
$ <b>set-xcode-analyzer -h</b>
Usage: set-xcode-analyzer [options]
Options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
--use-checker-build=PATH
Use the Clang located at the provided absolute path,
e.g. /Users/foo/checker-1
--use-xcode-clang Use the Clang bundled with Xcode
</pre>
<p>Operationally, <b>set-xcode-analyzer</b> edits Xcode's configuration files
(in <tt>/Developer</tt>) to point it to use the version of <tt>clang</tt> you
specify for static analysis. Within this model it provides you two basic modes:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>--use-xcode-clang</b>: Switch Xcode (back) to using the <tt>clang</tt> that came bundled with it for static analysis.</li>
<li><b>--use-checker-build</b>: Switch Xcode to using the <tt>clang</tt> provided by the specified analyzer build.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Things to keep in mind</h4>
<ul>
<li>You should quit Xcode prior to running <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt>.</li>
<li>You will need to run <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> under <b><tt>sudo</tt></b>
in order to have write privileges to modify the Xcode configuration files.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Examples</h4>
<p><b>Example 1</b>: Telling Xcode to use checker-235 for <i>Build and Analyze</i>:</p>
<pre class="code_example">
$ pwd
/tmp
$ tar xjf checker-235.tar.bz2
$ sudo checker-235/set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=/tmp/checker-235
</pre>
<p>Note that you typically won't install an analyzer build in <tt>/tmp</tt>, but
the point of this example is that <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> just wants a full
path to an untarred analyzer build.</p>
<p><b>Example 2</b>: Telling Xcode to use a very specific version of <tt>clang</tt>:</p>
<pre class="code_example">
$ sudo set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=~/mycrazyclangbuild/bin/clang
</pre>
<p><b>Example 3</b>: Resetting Xcode to its default behavior:</p>
<pre class="code_example">
$ sudo set-xcode-analyzer --use-xcode-clang
</pre>
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