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17<h1>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
24<p>Since Xcode 3.2, users have been able to run the Clang Static Analyzer
25<a
26href="https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/ToolsLanguages/Conceptual/Xcode4UserGuide/060-Debug_Your_App/debug_app.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40010215-CH3-SW17">directly
27within Xcode</a>.</p>
28
29<p>It integrates directly with the Xcode build system and
30presents analysis results directly within Xcode's editor.</p>
31
32<h3>Can I use the open source analyzer builds with Xcode?</h3>
33
34<p><b>Yes</b>. Instructions are included below.</p>
35
36</td>
37<td style="padding-left:10px; text-align:center">
38  <a href="images/analyzer_xcode.png"><img src="images/analyzer_xcode.png" width="620px" alt="analyzer in xcode"></a>
39<br><b>Viewing static analyzer results in Xcode</b>
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 is available as a free download from Apple on the <a
56href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12">Mac
57App Store</a>, with <a
58href="https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/ToolsLanguages/Conceptual/Xcode4UserGuide/060-Debug_Your_App/debug_app.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40010215-CH3-SW17">instructions
59available</a> for using the analyzer.</p>
60
61<h2>Using open source analyzer builds with Xcode</h2>
62
63<p>By default, Xcode uses the version of <tt>clang</tt> that came bundled with
64it to analyze your code. It is possible to change Xcode's behavior to use an
65alternate version of <tt>clang</tt> for this purpose while continuing to use
66the <tt>clang</tt> that came with Xcode for compiling projects.</p>
67
68<h3>Why try open source builds?</h3>
69
70<p>The advantage of using open source analyzer builds (provided on this website)
71is that they are often newer than the analyzer provided with Xcode, and thus can
72contain bug fixes, new checks, or simply better analysis.</p>
73
74<p>On the other hand, new checks can be experimental, with results of variable
75quality. Users are encouraged to <a href="filing_bugs.html">file bug reports</a>
76(for any version of the analyzer) where they encounter false positives or other
77issues.</p>
78
79<h3>set-xcode-analyzer</h3>
80
81<p>Starting with analyzer build checker-234, analyzer builds contain a command
82line utility called <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> that allows users to change what
83copy of <tt>clang</tt> that Xcode uses for analysis:</p>
84
85<pre class="code_example">
86$ <b>set-xcode-analyzer -h</b>
87Usage: set-xcode-analyzer [options]
88
89Options:
90  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
91  --use-checker-build=PATH
92                        Use the Clang located at the provided absolute path,
93                        e.g. /Users/foo/checker-1
94  --use-xcode-clang     Use the Clang bundled with Xcode
95</pre>
96
97<p>Operationally, <b>set-xcode-analyzer</b> edits Xcode's configuration files
98to point it to use the version of <tt>clang</tt> you specify for static
99analysis. Within this model it provides you two basic modes:</p>
100
101<ul>
102  <li><b>--use-xcode-clang</b>: Switch Xcode (back) to using the <tt>clang</tt> that came bundled with it for static analysis.</li>
103  <li><b>--use-checker-build</b>: Switch Xcode to using the <tt>clang</tt> provided by the specified analyzer build.</li>
104</ul>
105
106<h4>Things to keep in mind</h4>
107
108<ul>
109  <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
110<b><tt>sudo</tt></b> in order to have write privileges to modify the Xcode
111configuration files.</li>
112</ul>
113
114<h4>Examples</h4>
115
116<p><b>Example 1</b>: Telling Xcode to use checker-235:</p>
117
118<pre class="code_example">
119$ pwd
120/tmp
121$ tar xjf checker-235.tar.bz2
122$ sudo checker-235/set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=/tmp/checker-235
123</pre>
124
125<p>Note that you typically won't install an analyzer build in <tt>/tmp</tt>, but
126the point of this example is that <tt>set-xcode-analyzer</tt> just wants a full
127path to an untarred analyzer build.</p>
128
129<p><b>Example 2</b>: Telling Xcode to use a very specific version of <tt>clang</tt>:</p>
130
131<pre class="code_example">
132$ sudo set-xcode-analyzer --use-checker-build=~/mycrazyclangbuild/bin/clang
133</pre>
134
135<p><b>Example 3</b>: Resetting Xcode to its default behavior:</p>
136
137<pre class="code_example">
138$ sudo set-xcode-analyzer --use-xcode-clang
139</pre>
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