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<!-- Crown Copyright (c) 1998 -->
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<TITLE>C Checker Reference Manual: Introduction</TITLE>
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<BODY TEXT="#000000" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" LINK="#0000FF" VLINK="#400080" ALINK="#FF0000">
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<A NAME=S3>
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<H1>C Checker Reference Manual</H1>
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<H3>January 1998</H3>
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<HR>
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<DL>
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<DT><A HREF="#S4"><B>1.1 </B> - Background</A><DD>
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<DT><A HREF="#S5"><B>1.2 </B> - The C static checker</A><DD>
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<DT><A HREF="#S6"><B>1.3 </B> - About this document</A><DD>
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</DL>
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<HR>
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<H1>1  Introduction</H1>
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<A NAME=S4>
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<HR><H2>1.1  Background</H2>
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The C program static checker was originally developed as a programming
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tool to aid the construction of portable programs using the Application
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Programming Interface (API) model of software portability; the principle
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underlying this approach being:
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<BLOCKQUOTE>
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<EM>If a program is written to conform to an abstract API specification,
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then that program will be portable to any machine which implements
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the API specification correctly.</EM>
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</BLOCKQUOTE>
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The tool was designed to address the problem of the lack of separation
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between an API specification and an API implementation and as such
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was considered as a compiler for an abstract machine.<P>
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This approach gave the tool an unusually powerful basis for static
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checking of C programs and a large amount of development work has
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resulted in the production of the TenDRA C static checker (tchk).
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The terms, TenDRA C checker and tchk are used interchangably in this
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document.<P>
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<A NAME=S5>
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<HR><H2>1.2  The C static checker</H2>
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The C static checker is a powerful and flexible tool which can perform
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a number of static checks on C programs, including:<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>strict interface checking. In particular, the checker can analyse
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programs against abstract APIs to check their conformance to the specification.
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Abstract versions of most standard APIs are provided with the tool;
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alternatively users can define their own abstract APIs using the syntax
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described in Annex G;<P>
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<LI>checking of integer sizes, overflows and implicit integer conversions
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including potential 64-bit problems, against a 16 bit or 32 bit architecture
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profile;<P>
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<LI>strict ISO C standard checking, plus configurable support for
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many non-ISO dialect features;<P>
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<LI>extensive type checking, including prototype-style checking for
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traditionally defined functions, conversion checking, type checking
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on printf and scanf style argument strings and type checking between
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translation units;<P>
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<LI>variable analysis, including detection of unused variables, use
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of uninitialised variables, dependencies on order of evaluation in
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expressions and detection of unused function returns, computed values
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and static variables;<P>
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<LI>detection of unused header files;<P>
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<LI>configurable tests for detecting many other common programming
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errors;<P>
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<LI>complete standard API usage analysis;<P>
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<LI>several built-in checking environments plus support for user-defined
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checking profiles.<P>
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</UL>
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<A NAME=S6>
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<HR><H2>1.3  About this document</H2>
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This document is designed as a reference manual detailing the features
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of the C static checker. It contains eleven chapters (including this
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introduction) and nine annexes.<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>Chapter 2: Configuring the Checker describes the built-in checking
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modes and the design of customised environments;<P>
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<LI>Chapters 3-8: Type Checking, Integral Types, Data Flow and Variable
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Analysis , Preprocessing Checks, ISO C and Other Dialects and Common
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Errors respectively;<P>
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<LI>Chapter 9: The Symbol Table Dump deals with the detection of unused
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header files, type checking across translation units and complete
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standard API usage analysis;<P>
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<LI>Chapter 10: Conditional Compilation describes the checker's approach
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to conditional compilation;<P>
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<LI>Chapter 11: References lists the references used in the production
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of this document;<P>
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<LI>Annex A: Checking Modes gives a description of the built-in environments;<P>
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<LI>Annex B: Command Line Options lists the command line checking
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options;<P>
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<LI>Annex C: Specifying Integral Types describes the built-in integer
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modes and the methods for customising them;<P>
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<LI>Annex D: Pragma Syntax Specification;<P>
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<LI>Annex E: Symbol Table Dump Specification;<P>
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<LI>Annex F: Token Syntax describes the methods and syntax used to
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produce abstract APIs;<P>
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<LI>Annex G: Abstract API Manipulation gives details of the ways in
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which TenDRA abstract APIs may be extended, combined or overriden
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by local declarations;<P>
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<LI>Annex H: Specifying Conversions with Tokens.
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</UL>
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<P>
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<!-- FM pgf ignored -->
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<HR>
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<P><I>Part of the <A HREF="../index.html">TenDRA Web</A>.<BR>Crown
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Copyright &copy; 1998.</I></P>
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