Free CppCat for students

CppCat is a static code analyzer that integrates into Visual Studio 2010-2013. The analyzer is designed for regular use and allows you to identify a lot of errors and misprints in C and C ++ programs. In order to popularize it, we decided to issue free licenses to all students who contact us. It is enough to send a photo of a student card or record book.

A couple of words about static code analysis

Static code analysis tools draw the programmer's attention to those places that are highly likely to contain an error. A simple example:

double var_z; .... var_z = ( var_z - 16 / 116 ) / 7.787; 

From the point of view of a programming language and a compiler, this is the correct code. The situation is quite common when dividing an integer number 16 by an integer number 116, we get 0. This is sometimes necessary. However, the analyzer looks more widely and detects an error pattern. If the result of such an integer division is then used in conjunction with the double type, then this is suspicious.

The analyzer will indicate this suspicious division warning: V636 The '16 / 116 'expression was implicitly casted from' int 'type to' double 'type. Consider using a fractional part. An example: double A = (double) (X) / Y ;. color.c 125

Most likely, you should write this:

 var_z = ( var_z - 16.0 / 116.0 ) / 7.787; 

Now the value of the fraction is not 0, but 0.137931.
')
You can consider static analysis tools as an extension of compiler diagnostics. Unlike the compiler, analyzers work with higher-level constructions and, relying on empirics, try to guess whether the code works as intended by the programmer or not.

A bit about the CppCat analyzer

CppCat is an easy to configure and use static code analyzer. It is great for playing the role of the first tool when it comes to static analysis tools. It is inferior in functionality to its older brother PVS-Studio (see comparison ). But for most tasks it is more than enough. In any case, CppCat functionality is completely sufficient for students and individual developers.

The analyzer integrates with Visual Studio 2010, 2012, 2013. Unfortunately, CppCat is not embedded in the Express editions. Nothing can be done about it. Visual Studio Express editions do not support plugins.

The analyzer supports: C, C ++, C / CLI, C / CX.

An important feature is the ability to automatically analyze the modified code. After compiling the modified files, CppCat runs the analysis in the background and issues a warning if it finds something suspicious. This allows you to detect errors at an early stage and thereby save time on its search and correction.

Download CppCat from the product site: http://www.cppcat.com .

How to get a license for CppCat

Using CppCat, you will acquire skills in working with static analysis tools and improve your skills. Static analyzers are increasingly gaining popularity, and it will be useful to indicate in the resume that you are familiar with these tools.

To obtain a license, you need to send us a photo or scan of a student card, record book or other document confirming that you are a student to the mailbox of team@cppcat.com .

Please indicate in your letter your name, surname and name of the institute, as it may be difficult to disassemble them in a photo. This data will be used to generate the key.

The license is valid for 1 year. If next year you want to continue using CppCat, you will need to send a photo of your student card again.

If you want to share free license information with foreign friends, you can send them a link to the English version of the article: Free CppCat for Students .

Unfortunately, we no longer develop or support the CppCat project. You can read about the reasons here . But we offer the possibility of free use of the PVS-Studio analyzer to students for educational purposes, to individual developers and enthusiast teams: " How to use PVS-Studio for free ."