We are glad to announce the release of the new version of the PVS-Studio 4.00 static code analyzer that is now intended not only for 64-bit and parallel software developers but for a wider range of programmers as well. We say so because the new version of our tool includes a FREE general-purpose analyzer. Analysis of parallel software is also free now and only analysis of 64-bit software remains paid. That is what the changes in the licensing policy is concerned. Besides, we created a new window for displaying diagnostic messages (it has become much more convenient) and made the tool much faster.
Beginning with version 4.00, PVS-Studio includes three sets of rules:
The analyzer handles code of software written in C and C++.
PVS-Studio is shipped as a plugin for the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/2008/2010 development environment.
Out of the three rule sets available in PVS-Studio (64-bit, OpenMP and general analysis), only the 64-bit software analysis is a paid solution (you may get a 30-day trial version that displays only a part of issues found in your code). The other two rule sets – analysis of OpenMP-issues and general analysis – are free.
You may download PVS-Studio here: https://pvs-studio.com/en/pvs-studio/download/
We have developed a new set of general-purpose static analysis rules. By the moment of release of version 4.00, it includes more than forty rules that let you find issues in code of general character.
When we were starting to develop a general-purpose static analyzer, we did not intend to copy rules from already existing tools. We rather concentrated on creating contemporary rules some of which were absolutely our own ideas. We consciously refused to implement obsolete diagnoses available in any similar tool with a ten-year history. So, we include only new and relevant rules into our tool.
Release of version 4.00 with a set of more than forty rules is only the first step. We intend to implement much more diagnostic rules in future.
Here is also important and nice news: this set of rules is absolutely free, you may use it both for private and commercial purposes, at home or in your office. Perhaps we will make this rule set paid in time as it becomes much larger, but we are not planning it now.
The pricing policy for PVS-Studio 4.00 underwent significant changes. While there were only two analyzers (to detect 64-bit and parallel issues) and all the sets of analysis rules were paid, now we have changed this. So, now you must pay only for the rule set intended for usage while porting and developing new 64-bit code (Viva64). The other two rule sets – analysis of OpenMP-issues and general analysis – are free and can be used both for commercial and non-commercial purposes at home and in office.
Thus, users have to purchase only 64-bit diagnosis (Viva64) if they need it.
There are still three types of licenses available: Single User License, Team License, Site License.
Users that purchased the license for PVS-Studio not earlier than a year ago may automatically update the old version up to version 4.00 for free – your old registration keys will remain valid. Those users who purchased the license earlier than a year ago may update their version up to version 4.00 too but they will not be able to use some new diagnostic rules in the 64-bit analysis. To get a complete version, these users will have to renew the license for 80% of its initial price.
To learn more about prices and licensing policy, visit this page: https://pvs-studio.com/en/order/
We used standard Visual Studio windows to display diagnostic messages until the release of PVS-Studio 4.00 – these are Output Window and Error List. This method had a lot of disadvantages: we could not provide convenient handling of our tool because we could not extend standard Visual Studio elements. That is why we developed our own window to display diagnostic messages. This allowed us to make the tool more convenient for our users. We intend to significantly extend this functionality in future making usage of PVS-Studio more convenient.
The process of static code analysis is slower than, for instance, the compilation process. It is determined by the fact that the analyzer performs much more work to gather and process information about application's code. That is why our constant priority task is to increase the speed of our tool. There are two methods to achieve it and we use both of them. First, we regularly improve analysis procedures to make it faster. Second, the new window for displaying diagnostic messages let us significantly improve inner data representation structures, which made handling of the message list faster.
OOO "Program Verification Systems", Russian company (the city of Tula) founded in 2008. The main product developed by the company is the PVS-Studio static code analyzer.
Product's page: https://pvs-studio.com/en/pvs-studio/
Prices and types of licenses: https://pvs-studio.com/en/order/license/