=====================================
Cross Translation Unit (CTU) Analysis
=====================================
Normally, static analysis works in the boundary of one translation unit (TU).
However, with additional steps and configuration we can enable the analysis to inline the definition of a function from another TU.
.. contents::
:local:
Manual CTU Analysis
-------------------
Let's consider these source files in our minimal example:
.. code-block:: cpp
// main.cpp
int foo();
int main() {
return 3 / foo();
}
.. code-block:: cpp
// foo.cpp
int foo() {
return 0;
}
And a compilation database:
.. code-block:: bash
[
{
"directory": "/path/to/your/project",
"command": "clang++ -c foo.cpp -o foo.o",
"file": "foo.cpp"
},
{
"directory": "/path/to/your/project",
"command": "clang++ -c main.cpp -o main.o",
"file": "main.cpp"
}
]
We'd like to analyze `main.cpp` and discover the division by zero bug.
In order to be able to inline the definition of `foo` from `foo.cpp` first we have to generate the `AST` (or `PCH`) file of `foo.cpp`:
.. code-block:: bash
$ pwd $ /path/to/your/project
$ clang++ -emit-ast -o foo.cpp.ast foo.cpp
$ # Check that the .ast file is generated:
$ ls
compile_commands.json foo.cpp.ast foo.cpp main.cpp
$
The next step is to create a CTU index file which holds the `USR` name and location of external definitions in the source files:
.. code-block:: bash
$ clang-extdef-mapping -p . foo.cpp
c:@F@foo# /path/to/your/project/foo.cpp
$ clang-extdef-mapping -p . foo.cpp > externalDefMap.txt
We have to modify `externalDefMap.txt` to contain the name of the `.ast` files instead of the source files:
.. code-block:: bash
$ sed -i -e "s/.cpp/.cpp.ast/g" externalDefMap.txt
We still have to further modify the `externalDefMap.txt` file to contain relative paths:
.. code-block:: bash
$ sed -i -e "s|$(pwd)/||g" externalDefMap.txt
Now everything is available for the CTU analysis.
We have to feed Clang with CTU specific extra arguments:
.. code-block:: bash
$ pwd
/path/to/your/project
$ clang++ --analyze -Xclang -analyzer-config -Xclang experimental-enable-naive-ctu-analysis=true -Xclang -analyzer-config -Xclang ctu-dir=. -Xclang -analyzer-output=plist-multi-file main.cpp
main.cpp:5:12: warning: Division by zero
return 3 / foo();
~~^~~~~~~
1 warning generated.
$ # The plist file with the result is generated.
$ ls
compile_commands.json externalDefMap.txt foo.ast foo.cpp foo.cpp.ast main.cpp main.plist
$
This manual procedure is error-prone and not scalable, therefore to analyze real projects it is recommended to use `CodeChecker` or `scan-build-py`.
Automated CTU Analysis with CodeChecker
---------------------------------------
The `CodeChecker `_ project fully supports automated CTU analysis with Clang.
Once we have set up the `PATH` environment variable and we activated the python `venv` then it is all it takes:
.. code-block:: bash
$ CodeChecker analyze --ctu compile_commands.json -o reports
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Pre-analysis started.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Collecting data for ctu analysis.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - [1/2] foo.cpp
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - [2/2] main.cpp
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Pre-analysis finished.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Starting static analysis ...
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - [1/2] clangsa analyzed foo.cpp successfully.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - [2/2] clangsa analyzed main.cpp successfully.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - ----==== Summary ====----
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Successfully analyzed
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - clangsa: 2
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Total analyzed compilation commands: 2
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - ----=================----
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Analysis finished.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - To view results in the terminal use the "CodeChecker parse" command.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - To store results use the "CodeChecker store" command.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - See --help and the user guide for further options about parsing and storing the reports.
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - ----=================----
[INFO 2019-07-16 17:21] - Analysis length: 0.659618854523 sec.
$ ls
compile_commands.json foo.cpp foo.cpp.ast main.cpp reports
$ tree reports
reports
├── compile_cmd.json
├── compiler_info.json
├── foo.cpp_53f6fbf7ab7ec9931301524b551959e2.plist
├── main.cpp_23db3d8df52ff0812e6e5a03071c8337.plist
├── metadata.json
└── unique_compile_commands.json
0 directories, 6 files
$
The `plist` files contain the results of the analysis, which may be viewed with the regular analysis tools.
E.g. one may use `CodeChecker parse` to view the results in command line:
.. code-block:: bash
$ CodeChecker parse reports
[HIGH] /home/egbomrt/ctu_mini_raw_project/main.cpp:5:12: Division by zero [core.DivideZero]
return 3 / foo();
^
Found 1 defect(s) in main.cpp
----==== Summary ====----
-----------------------
Filename | Report count
-----------------------
main.cpp | 1
-----------------------
-----------------------
Severity | Report count
-----------------------
HIGH | 1
-----------------------
----=================----
Total number of reports: 1
----=================----
Or we can use `CodeChecker parse -e html` to export the results into HTML format:
.. code-block:: bash
$ CodeChecker parse -e html -o html_out reports
$ firefox html_out/index.html
Automated CTU Analysis with scan-build-py (don't do it)
-------------------------------------------------------
We actively develop CTU with CodeChecker as a "runner" script, `scan-build-py` is not actively developed for CTU.
`scan-build-py` has various errors and issues, expect it to work with the very basic projects only.
Example usage of scan-build-py:
.. code-block:: bash
$ /your/path/to/llvm-project/clang/tools/scan-build-py/bin/analyze-build --ctu
analyze-build: Run 'scan-view /tmp/scan-build-2019-07-17-17-53-33-810365-7fqgWk' to examine bug reports.
$ /your/path/to/llvm-project/clang/tools/scan-view/bin/scan-view /tmp/scan-build-2019-07-17-17-53-33-810365-7fqgWk
Starting scan-view at: http://127.0.0.1:8181
Use Ctrl-C to exit.
[6336:6431:0717/175357.633914:ERROR:browser_process_sub_thread.cc(209)] Waited 5 ms for network service
Opening in existing browser session.
^C
$