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	9	<title>Splint FAQ</title>
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	11	<body>
	12	<!--#include virtual="header.html"-->
	13	<h1>Splint - Frequently Asked Questions</h1>
	14	<h3>Index</h3>
	15	<ol>
	16	<li style="list-style: none">
	17	<h4><a href="#genquest">General Questions About Splint</a></h4>
	18	</li>
	19	<li><a href="#quest1">What is the difference between Splint and LCLint?</a><br />
	20	</li>
	21	<li><a href="#quest2">What is the Splint logo?<br />
	22	</a></li>
	23	<li><a href="#quest3">Can I include Splint in my software distribution?<br />
	24	</a></li>
	25	<li><a href="#quest4">Can we use your software in our company? (We are not a GNU
	26	organization.)<br />
	27	</a></li>
	28	<li><a href="#quest9">Which compilers does Splint support?<br />
	29	</a></li>
	30	<li><a href="#quest5">Does Splint handle C++?<br />
	31	</a></li>
	32	<li style="list-style: none">
	33	<h4><a href="#install">Installation</a></h4>
	34	</li>
	35	<li><a href="#quest6">I downloaded the Splint .tgz file but can't figure out how to
	36	extract it. There is no 'z' option on the tar on my system.<br />
	37	</a></li>
	38	<li><a href="#quest7">I want to use Splint in win2000. How do I do that?<br />
	39	</a></li>
	40	<li><a href="#quest8">I have installed Splint for Windows 2000. Where should I put
	41	the ".splintrc" file?<br />
	42	</a></li>
	43	<li><a href="#quest17">When I build Splint I get the following errors.... Should I
	44	be worried?<br />
	45	</a></li>
	46	<li><a href="#quest18">I just installed Splint on a new machine. I get a bunch of
	47	errors during building when the test suite is run. When I look through the results,
	48	it seems like Splint is not reporting any errors in the code it analyzes. What is
	49	going on?<br />
	50	</a></li>
	51	<li style="list-style: none">
	52	<h4><a href="#usage">Usage</a></h4>
	53	</li>
	54	<li><a href="#quest15">I heard that we will get lot of parse errors when we run
	55	this tool first time. Hence we need to modify source code. Is it correct ?<br />
	56	</a></li>
	57	<li><a href="#quest16">I heard that Splint can generate some spurious errors ( not
	58	genuine errors). Is it correct ?<br />
	59	</a></li>
	60	<li><a href="#quest10">How does Splint handle const?<br />
	61	</a></li>
	62	<li><a href="#quest14">I develop code on an embedded system with a compiler that
	63	uses nonstandard key words and data types. I would like to run Splint on my code
	64	but these nonstandard keywords cause parse errors. What should I do?<br />
	65	</a></li>
	66	<li><a href="#quest14b">How can I get Splint to recognize directory trees and local
	67	source include directories?<br />
	68	</a></li>
	69	<li><a href="#quest20">I use realloc in my code. How can I get Splint in check this
	70	code more effectively?<br />
	71	</a></li>
	72	<li style="list-style: none">
	73	<h4><a href="#warnerror">Warnings and Errors</a></h4>
	74	</li>
	75	<li><a href="#quest11">Why do I get a warning when multiplying different integer
	76	types? The C standard says this is ok. Why is this wrong?<br />
	77	</a></li>
	78	<li><a href="#quest12">The C standard says that what I'm doing is okay. Why does
	79	Splint give me a warning?<br />
	80	</a></li>
	81	<li><a href="#quest13">Splint complains if I ignore the return value of scanf but
	82	not printf?<br />
	83	</a></li>
	84	<li><a href="#quest18b">I get parse errors when I try to run Splint on code like
	85	#define MACROdebug(...) blahblah . Can I use variadic macros in Splint?<br />
	86	</a></li>
	87	<li style="list-style: none">
	88	<h4><a href="#bugs">Bugs</a></h4>
	89	</li>
	90	<li><a href="#quest21">I think I've found a bug in Splint. What should I do?<br />
	91	</a></li>
	92	<li><a href="#quest22">Splint tells me that there is a bug and I should report it.
	93	What information should I send?<br />
	94	</a></li>
	95	<li style="list-style: none">
	96	<h4><a href="#adinfo">Additional Information</a></h4>
	97	</li>
	98	<li><a href="#quest23">My question isn't answered here. How can I get more
	99	information about Splint?<br />
	100	</a></li>
	101	</ol>
	102	<h3>Questions and Answers</h3>
	103	<ol>
	104	<li style="list-style: none">
	105	<h4><a id="genquest" name="genquest">General Questions About Splint</a></h4>
	106	</li>
	107	<li>
	108	<p><a id="quest1" name="quest1">What is the difference between Splint and
	109	LCLint?</a></p>
	110	<p>Before 2002, Splint was known as LCLint. Splint 3.0 is the successor to LCLint
	111	2.5.</p>
	112	<blockquote>
	113	LCLint was originally named for LCL, the Larch C Interface Language and lint, a
	114	well-known C program checking tool. Because our tool has diverged from LCL, and
	115	our focus now is on secure programming, it was renamed Splint. Splint's name
	116	has (at least) three interpretations: specifications lint, secure programming
	117	lint, and first aid for programmers. It's also easier to pronounce than
	118	LCLint.<br />
	119	<br />
	120	</blockquote>
	121	</li>
	122	<li>
	123	<p><a id="quest2" name="quest2">What is the Splint logo?</a></p>
	124	<blockquote>
	125	Thomas Jefferson's Serpentine Walls at the University of Virginia. The walls
	126	are one brick thick, but because of their design are both strong and aesthetic.
	127	Like a secure program, secure walls depend on sturdy bricks, solid
	128	construction, and elegant and principled design.<br />
	129	<br />
	130	</blockquote>
	131	</li>
	132	<li>
	133	<p><a id="quest3" name="quest3">Can I include Splint in my software
	134	distribution?</a></p>
	135	<blockquote>
	136	Yes. Splint is licensed under the GNU General Public License. You may
	137	redistribute it as you wish so long as credits and pointers to <a
	138	href="http://www.splint.org/">www.splint.org</a> are not changed or removed.
	139	Splint may be included in commercial distributions, and is included in several
	140	Linux and freeware CDs. If you redistribute Splint, please let us know by
	141	sending a message to <a
	142	href="mailto:splint@cs.virginia.edu">splint@cs.virginia.edu</a>.<br />
	143	<br />
	144	</blockquote>
	145	</li>
	146	<li>
	147	<p><a id="quest4" name="quest4">Can we use your software in our company? (We are
	148	not a GNU organization.)</a></p>
	149	<blockquote>
	150	Yes, splint is GPL-licensed. Anyone may use it. If you want to redistribute it,
	151	check the license for details or contact us.<br />
	152	<br />
	153	</blockquote>
	154	</li>
	155	<li>
	156	<p><a id="quest9" name="quest9">Which compilers does Splint support?</a></p>
	157	<blockquote>
	158	It is independent from your compiler.<br />
	159	<br />
	160	</blockquote>
	161	</li>
	162	<li>
	163	<p><a id="quest5" name="quest5">Does Splint handle C++?</a></p>
	164	<blockquote>
	165	No. Splint handles ISO C99 (and some gcc extensions if +gnuextensions is used).
	166	We don't have the resources (or the research justification) to build a C++
	167	front end, but if you are interested in building a C++ front end the source
	168	code is available, and I will certainly be willing to help.<br />
	169	<br />
	170	</blockquote>
	171	</li>
	172	<li style="list-style: none">
	173	<h4><a id="install" name="install">Installation</a></h4>
	174	</li>
	175	<li>
	176	<p><a id="quest6" name="quest6">I downloaded the Splint .tgz file but can't
	177	figure out how to extract it. There is no 'z' option on the tar on my
	178	system.</a></p>
	179	<blockquote>
	180	Check to see if there is GNU tar on your system, it is usually invoked by the
	181	command gtar or gnutar. GNU tar supports the -z option.<br />
	182	<br />
	183
	184	<p>You can also unzip the file then untar it. Do: gunzip filename.tar.gz to
	185	unzip then tar -xvf filename.tar</p>
	186	</blockquote>
	187	</li>
	188	<li>
	189	<p><a id="quest7" name="quest7">I want to use Splint in win2000. How do I do
	190	that?</a></p>
	191	<blockquote>
	192	See <a href="http://www.splint.org/">www.splint.org</a> for information on
	193	Splint.<br />
	194	<br />
	195
	196	<p><a
	197	href="http://www.splint.org/win32.html">http://www.splint.org/win32.html</a>
	198	for Windows instructions.</p>
	199	</blockquote>
	200	</li>
	201	<li>
	202	<p><a id="quest8" name="quest8">I have installed Splint for Windows 2000. Where
	203	should I put the ".splintrc" file?</a></p>
	204	<blockquote>
	205	For Win32, Splint looks for splint.rc instead of .splintrc due to the DOS
	206	filename problems. It will look first in the current directory, then in<br />
	207	<br />
	208
	209	<p>your home directory. See the Splint manual for more information.</p>
	210	</blockquote>
	211	</li>
	212	<li>
	213	<p><a id="quest17" name="quest17">When I build Splint I get the following
	214	error:</a></p>
	215	<blockquote>
	216	Checking for...<br />
	217	<br />
	218
	219	<p>Checking manual...</p>
	220	<p>cmx > / Checking tests2.2...</p>
	221	<p>Checking tests2.4...</p>
	222	<p>Checking tests2.5...</p>
	223	<p>Checking db1...</p>
	224	<p>0a1,2</p>
	225	<p>> /cmx/tools/make -e clean</p>
	226	<p>> /cmx/tools/make -e check</p>
	227	<p>* FAIL *</p>
	228	<p>Checking db2...</p>
	229	<p>0a1,/tools/make -e clean</p>
	230	<p>> /cmx/tools/make -e check</p>
	231	<p>* FAIL *</p>
	232	<p>Checking db3...</p>
	233	</blockquote>
	234	<p>Should I be worried?</p>
	235	<blockquote>
	236	Those diffs look harmless. It is likely that your make is set up slightly
	237	differently than ours.<br />
	238	<br />
	239	</blockquote>
	240	</li>
	241	<li>
	242	<p><a id="quest18" name="quest18">I just installed Splint on a new machine. I get
	243	a bunch of errors during building when the test suite is run. When I look through
	244	the results, it seems like Splint is not reporting any errors in the code it
	245	analyzes. What is going on?</a></p>
	246	<blockquote>
	247	One possibility is that the installation directory where the test suite is
	248	running is on the system path (hence, splint won't report errors if
	249	-sysdirerrors is set, as it is by default). Try adding +sysdirerrors to the
	250	command line for the test suite to see if that is the problem, or installing
	251	Splint in a different directory not in the system path.<br />
	252	<br />
	253	</blockquote>
	254	</li>
	255	<li style="list-style: none">
	256	<h4><a id="usage" name="usage">Usage</a></h4>
	257	</li>
	258	<li>
	259	<p><a id="quest15" name="quest15">I heard that we will get lot of parse errors
	260	when we run this tool first time. Hence we need to modify source code. Is it
	261	correct ?</a></p>
	262	<blockquote>
	263	Usually not, but Splint doesn't support all C99 extensions.<br />
	264	<br />
	265	</blockquote>
	266	</li>
	267	<li>
	268	<p><a id="quest16" name="quest16">I heard that Splint can generate some spurious
	269	errors ( not genuine errors). Is it correct ?</a></p>
	270	<blockquote>
	271	Yes, please see <a href="http://www.splint.org/">www.splint.org</a> for
	272	details.<br />
	273	<br />
	274	</blockquote>
	275	</li>
	276	<li>
	277	<p><a id="quest10" name="quest10">How does Splint handle const?</a></p>
	278	<blockquote>
	279	Splint doesn't interpret const (at all). See the manual section on modifies
	280	checking (<a
	281	href="http://www.splint.org/manual/html/sec7.html">http://www.splint.org/manual/html/sec7.html</a>).<br />
	282	<br />
	283	</blockquote>
	284	</li>
	285	<li>
	286	<p><a id="quest14" name="quest14">I develop code on an embedded system with a
	287	compiler that uses nonstandard key words and data types. I would like to run
	288	Splint on my code but these nonstandard keywords cause parse errors. What should
	289	I do?</a></p>
	290	<blockquote>
	291	<p>You can often use -D to solve this problem.</p>
	292	<p>If you just want to ignore a keyword, you can add -Dnonstandardkeyword= to
	293	make the preprocessor eliminate the keyword, where nonstandardkeyword is the
	294	name of the keyword. Similarly, you can use -Dspecialtype=int to make a custom
	295	type parse as an int.</p>
	296	</blockquote>
	297	</li>
	298	<li>
	299	<p><a id="quest14b" name="quest14b">How can I get Splint to recognize directory
	300	trees and local source include directories? I've tried putting them in my path
	301	but it doesn't seem to look beyond the current directory.</a></p>
	302	<blockquote>
	303	You can use -I to set the include path like you would with a compiler.<br />
	304	<br />
	305	</blockquote>
	306	</li>
	307	<li>
	308	<p><a id="quest20" name="quest20">I use realloc in my code. How can I get Splint
	309	in check this code more effectively?</a></p>
	310	<blockquote>
	311	realloc has complicated semantics that make it difficult to use correctly. Make
	312	sure that you understand realloc and that you really need to use it.<br />
	313	<br />
	314
	315	<p>If you decide to use realloc, we recommend that you wrapper it. The document
	316	Using Wrapper Functions explains how to do this. That document is included in
	317	the Splint documentation and is also available at:</p>
	318	<p><a
	319	href="http://www.splint.org/documentation/realloc.htm">http://www.splint.org/documentation/realloc.htm</a></p>
	320	</blockquote>
	321	</li>
	322	<li style="list-style: none">
	323	<h4><a id="warnerror" name="warnerror">Warnings and Errors</a></h4>
	324	</li>
	325	<li>
	326	<p><a id="quest11" name="quest11">Why do I get a Warning when multiplying
	327	different integer types? The C standard says this is ok. Why is this
	328	wrong?</a></p>
	329	<blockquote>
	330	There are lots of things that the C spec allows and defines clearly, that
	331	Splint will provide warnings for. It's not a question of it being "wrong", it's
	332	a matter of it being likely to reveal a programming mistake.<br />
	333	<br />
	334	</blockquote>
	335	</li>
	336	<li>
	337	<p><a id="quest12" name="quest12">The C standard says that what I'm doing is
	338	okay. Why does Splint give me a warning?</a></p>
	339	<blockquote>
	340	See the previous question.<br />
	341	<br />
	342	</blockquote>
	343	</li>
	344	<li>
	345	<p><a id="quest13" name="quest13">Splint complains if I ignore the return value
	346	of scanf but not printf?</a></p>
	347	<blockquote>
	348	This is just a strategic decision --- we view ignoring the result of a scanf to
	349	be more likely to reveal a problem with the code than ignoring the result of a
	350	printf, even though strict programmers will want to check printf also.<br />
	351	<br />
	352
	353	<blockquote>
	354	If you want stricter checking, use the flags +ansistrictlib, +posixstrictlib,
	355	+unixstrictlib to select the strict versions of these libraries.<br />
	356	<br />
	357	</blockquote>
	358	</blockquote>
	359	</li>
	360	<li>
	361	<p><a id="quest18b" name="quest18b">I get parse errors when I try to run Splint
	362	on code like #define MACROdebug(...) blahblah . Can I use variadic macros in
	363	Splint?</a></p>
	364	<blockquote>
	365	Sorry, Splint does not yet support variadic macros. We hope to fix this in a
	366	future release.<br />
	367	<br />
	368	</blockquote>
	369	</li>
	370	<li style="list-style: none">
	371	<h4><a id="bugs" name="bugs">Bugs</a></h4>
	372	</li>
	373	<li>
	374	<p><a id="quest21" name="quest21">I think I've found a bug in Splint. What should
	375	I do?</a></p>
	376	<blockquote>
	377	See <a
	378	href="http://www.splint.org/bugs.html">http://www.splint.org/bugs.html</a> for
	379	a list of known bugs and instructions on reporting bugs.<br />
	380	<br />
	381	</blockquote>
	382	</li>
	383	<li>
	384	<p><a id="quest22" name="quest22">Splint tells me that there is a bug and I
	385	should report it. What information should I send?</a></p>
	386	<blockquote>
	387	Ideally we would like enough code to reproduce the problem. Small snippets of
	388	code which trigger the bug are the best but more code is also acceptable.<br />
	389	<br />
	390
	391	<p>If we're not able to reproduce the problem, then we are unlikely to be able
	392	to patch Splint. However, we would still appreciate hearing about the bug and
	393	may be able to at least to offer you advice on working around the problem.</p>
	394	</blockquote>
	395	</li>
	396	<li style="list-style: none">
	397	<h4><a id="adinfo" name="adinfo">Additional Information</a></h4>
	398	</li>
	399	<li>
	400	<p><a id="quest23" name="quest23">My question isn't answered here. How can I get
	401	more information about Splint?</a></p>
	402	<blockquote>
	403	First check the Splint manual and the mailing list archives.<br />
	404	<br />
	405
	406	<p>The Splint manual is available at: <a
	407	href="http://www.splint.org/manual/l">http://www.splint.org/manual/</a></p>
	408	<p>The mailing list archives are at:</p>
	409	<p><a
	410	href="http://www.mail-archive.com/lclint-interest@virginia.edu/u">http://www.mail-archive.com/lclint-interest%40virginia.edu/</a></p>
	411	<p>If you're still unable to find the information to answer your question, you
	412	can try posting the question to the splint-discuss mailing list (see <a
	413	href="http://www.splint.org/lists.html">http://www.splint.org/lists.html</a>)</p>
	414	<p>You can also email us at splint@splint.org.</p>
	415	</blockquote>
	416	</li>
	417	</ol>
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