Editing Splint (programming tool)

{{refimprove|date=March 2013}}

{{Infobox software
| name                   = Splint
| screenshot             =
| caption                =
| developer              = [http://sourceforge.net/project/memberlist.php?group_id=34302 The Splint Developers]
| latest release version = 3.1.2
| latest release date    = {{Start date and age|2007|07|12}}
| operating system       = [[Cross-platform]]
| genre                  = [[Static code analysis]]
| license                = [[GPL]]
| website                = {{URL|www.splint.org}}
| repo                   = {{URL|github.com/splintchecker/splint}}
}}

'''Splint''', short for '''Secure Programming Lint''', is a [[programming tool]] for [[Static code analysis|statically checking]] [[C (programming language)|C programs]] for security [[vulnerability (computer science)|vulnerabilities]] and coding mistakes. Formerly called LCLint, it is a modern version of the [[Unix]] [[lint programming tool|lint]] tool.

Splint has the ability to interpret special annotations to the [[source code]], which gives it stronger checking than is possible just by looking at the source alone. Splint is used by [[gpsd]] as part of an effort to design for zero defects.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Architecture of Open Source Applications, Volume II|year=2012|publisher=Lulu|isbn=9781105571817|url=http://www.aosabook.org/en/gpsd.html|author=Raymond|edition=Eric|editor1=Brown, Amy |editor2=Wison, Greg }}</ref>

Splint is [[free software]] released under the terms of the [[GNU General Public License]].

Main development activity on Splint stopped in 2010. According to the [[Concurrent Versions System|CVS]] at [[SourceForge]], as of September 2012 the most recent change in the repository was in November 2010.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2012-09-11|url=http://sourceforge.net/project/stats/detail.php?group_id=34302&ugn=splint&type=cvs&mode=12months|title=Splint project CVS statistics}}</ref> A [[Git]] repository at [[GitHub]] has more recent changes, starting in July 2019.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2020-09-16|url=https://github.com/splintchecker/splint|title=Splint project git history|website=[[GitHub]] }}</ref>

==Example==
<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
    char c;
    while (c != 'x');
    {
        c = getchar();
        if (c = 'x')
            return 0;
        switch (c) {
        case '\n':
        case '\r':
            printf("Newline\n");
        default:
            printf("%c",c);
        }
    }
    return 0;
}
</syntaxhighlight>

Splint's output:
<pre><nowiki>
Variable c used before definition
Suspected infinite loop. No value used in loop test (c) is modified by test or loop body.
Assignment of int to char: c = getchar()
Test expression for if is assignment expression: c = 'x'
Test expression for if not boolean, type char: c = 'x'
Fall through case (no preceding break)
</nowiki></pre>

Fixed source:
<syntaxhighlight lang="c">
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
    int c = 0;  // Added an initial assignment definition.

    while (c != 'x') {
        c = getchar();  // Corrected type of c to int
        if (c == 'x') // Fixed the assignment error to make it a comparison operator.
            return 0;
        switch (c) {
        case '\n':
        case '\r':
            printf("Newline\n");
            break;  // Added break statement to prevent fall-through.
        default:
            printf("%c",c);
            break;  //Added break statement to default catch, out of good practice.
        }
    }
    return 0;
}
</syntaxhighlight>

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

*[[Buffer overflow]]
*[[Memory debugger]]
*[[Software testing]]
*[[List of tools for static code analysis]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{sourceforge|splint}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Splint (Programming Tool)}}
[[Category:Static program analysis tools]]
[[Category:Free memory management software]]
[[Category:Cross-platform software]]
[[Category:Free software testing tools]]
[[Category:Software using the GNU General Public License]]


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