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diff --git a/lib/dialyzer/doc/src/dialyzer_chapter.xml b/lib/dialyzer/doc/src/dialyzer_chapter.xml index c445f2633f..b5acf3732e 100644 --- a/lib/dialyzer/doc/src/dialyzer_chapter.xml +++ b/lib/dialyzer/doc/src/dialyzer_chapter.xml @@ -25,196 +25,211 @@ <title>Dialyzer</title> <prepared></prepared> <docno></docno> - <date></date> + <date>2016-09-19</date> <rev></rev> <file>dialyzer_chapter.xml</file> </header> <section> <title>Introduction</title> - <p><em>Dialyzer</em> is a static analysis tool that identifies software discrepancies - such as type errors, unreachable code, unnecessary tests, etc in single Erlang modules - or entire (sets of) applications.</p> - </section> - - <section> - <title>Using the Dialyzer from the GUI</title> - <section> - <title>Choosing the applications or modules</title> - <p>In the "File" window you will find a listing of the current directory. - Click your way to the directories/modules you want to add or type the - correct path in the entry.</p> - <p>Mark the directories/modules you want to analyze for discrepancies and - click "Add". You can either add the <c><![CDATA[.beam]]></c> and <c><![CDATA[.erl]]></c>-files directly, or - you can add directories that contain these kinds of files. Note that - you are only allowed to add the type of files that can be analyzed in - the current mode of operation (see below), and that you cannot mix - <c><![CDATA[.beam]]></c> and <c><![CDATA[.erl]]></c>-files.</p> + <title>Scope</title> + <p>Dialyzer is a static analysis tool that identifies software + discrepancies, such as definite type errors, code that has become dead + or unreachable because of programming error, and unnecessary tests, + in single Erlang modules or entire (sets of) applications.</p> + + <p>Dialyzer can be called from the command line, from Erlang, + and from a GUI.</p> </section> <section> - <title>The analysis modes</title> - <p>Dialyzer has two modes of analysis, "Byte Code" or "Source Code". - These are controlled by the buttons in the top-middle part of the - main window, under "Analysis Options".</p> - </section> - - <section> - <title>Controlling the discrepancies reported by the Dialyzer</title> - <p>Under the "Warnings" pull-down menu, there are buttons that control - which discrepancies are reported to the user in the "Warnings" window. - By clicking on these buttons, one can enable/disable a whole class of - warnings. Information about the classes of warnings can be found on - the "Warnings" item under the "Help" menu (at the rightmost top corner).</p> - <p>If modules are compiled with inlining, spurious warnings may be emitted. - In the "Options" menu you can choose to ignore inline-compiled modules - when analyzing byte code. When starting from source code this is not a - problem since the inlining is explicitly turned off by Dialyzer. The - option causes Dialyzer to suppress all warnings from inline-compiled - modules, since there is currently no way for Dialyzer to find what - parts of the code have been produced by inlining. </p> + <title>Prerequisites</title> + <p>It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the Erlang programming + language.</p> </section> + </section> - <section> - <title>Running the analysis</title> - <p>Once you have chosen the modules or directories you want to analyze, - click the "Run" button to start the analysis. If for some reason you - want to stop the analysis while it is running, push the "Stop" button.</p> - <p>The information from the analysis will be displayed in the Log and the - Warnings windows.</p> - </section> + <section> + <marker id="plt"/> + <title>The Persistent Lookup Table</title> + <p>Dialyzer stores the result of an analysis in a Persistent + Lookup Table (PLT). The PLT can then be used as a starting + point for later analyses. It is recommended to build a PLT with the + Erlang/OTP applications that you are using, but also to include your + own applications that you are using frequently.</p> + + <p>The PLT is built using option <c>--build_plt</c> to Dialyzer. + The following command builds the recommended minimal PLT for + Erlang/OTP:</p> - <section> - <title>Include directories and macro definitions</title> - <p>When analyzing from source you might have to supply Dialyzer with a - list of include directories and macro definitions (as you can do with - the <c><![CDATA[erlc]]></c> flags <c><![CDATA[-I]]></c> and <c><![CDATA[-D]]></c>). This can be done either by starting Dialyzer - with these flags from the command line as in:</p> - <code type="none"> + <code type="none"> +dialyzer --build_plt --apps erts kernel stdlib mnesia</code> - dialyzer -I my_includes -DDEBUG -Dvsn=42 -I one_more_dir - </code> - <p>or by adding these explicitly using the "Manage Macro Definitions" or - "Manage Include Directories" sub-menus in the "Options" menu.</p> - </section> + <p>Dialyzer looks if there is an environment variable called + <c>DIALYZER_PLT</c> and places the PLT at this location. If no such + variable is set, Dialyzer places the PLT at + <c>$HOME/.dialyzer_plt</c>. The placement can also be specified using + the options <c>--plt</c> or <c>--output_plt</c>.</p> - <section> - <title>Saving the information on the Log and Warnings windows</title> - <p>In the "File" menu there are options to save the contents of the Log - and the Warnings window. Just choose the options and enter the file to - save the contents in.</p> - <p>There are also buttons to clear the contents of each window.</p> - </section> + <p>Information can be added to an existing PLT using option + <c>--add_to_plt</c>. If you also want to include the Erlang compiler in + the PLT and place it in a new PLT, then use the following command:</p> - <section> - <title>Inspecting the inferred types of the analyzed functions</title> - <p>Dialyzer stores the information of the analyzed functions in a - Persistent Lookup Table (PLT). After an analysis you can inspect this - information. In the PLT menu you can choose to either search the PLT - or inspect the contents of the whole PLT. The information is presented - in edoc format.</p> - </section> - </section> + <code type="none"> +dialyzer --add_to_plt --apps compiler --output_plt my.plt</code> - <section> - <title>Using the Dialyzer from the command line</title> - <p>See <seealso marker="dialyzer">dialyzer(3)</seealso>.</p> - </section> + <p>Then you can add your favorite application my_app to the new + PLT:</p> - <section> - <title>Using the Dialyzer from Erlang</title> - <p>See <seealso marker="dialyzer">dialyzer(3)</seealso>.</p> - </section> + <code type="none"> +dialyzer --add_to_plt --plt my.plt -r my_app/ebin</code> - <section> - <title>More on the Persistent Lookup Table (PLT)</title> + <p>But you realize that it is unnecessary to have the Erlang compiler in this + one:</p> - <p> The persistent lookup table, or PLT, is used to store the - result of an analysis. The PLT can then be used as a starting - point for later analyses. It is recommended to build a PLT with - the otp applications that you are using, but also to include your - own applications that you are using frequently.</p> + <code type="none"> +dialyzer --remove_from_plt --plt my.plt --apps compiler</code> - <p>The PLT is built using the --build_plt option to dialyzer. The - following command builds the recommended minimal PLT for OTP.</p> + <p>Later, when you have fixed a bug in your application my_app, + you want to update the PLT so that it becomes fresh the next time + you run Dialyzer. In this case, run the following command:</p> <code type="none"> +dialyzer --check_plt --plt my.plt</code> - dialyzer --build_plt -r $ERL_TOP/lib/stdlib/ebin\ - $ERL_TOP/lib/kernel/ebin \ - $ERL_TOP/lib/mnesia/ebin - </code> + <p>Dialyzer then reanalyzes the changed files + and the files that depend on these files. Notice that this + consistency check is performed automatically the next time you + run Dialyzer with this PLT. Option <c>--check_plt</c> is only + for doing so without doing any other analysis.</p> - <p>Dialyzer will look if there is an environment variable called - $DIALYZER_PLT and place the PLT at this location. If no such - variable is set, Dialyzer will place the PLT at - $HOME/.dialyzer_plt. The placement can also be specified using the - --plt, or --output_plt options.</p> - - <p>You can also add information to an existing plt using the - --add_to_plt option. Suppose you want to also include the compiler - in the PLT and place it in a new PLT, then give the command</p> + <p>To get information about a PLT, use the following option:</p> <code type="none"> +dialyzer --plt_info</code> - dialyzer --add_to_plt -r $ERL_TOP/lib/compiler/ebin --output_plt my.plt - </code> + <p>To specify which PLT, use option <c>--plt</c>.</p> - <p>Then you would like to add your favorite application my_app to - the new plt.</p> + <p>To get the output printed to a file, use option <c>--output_file</c>.</p> - <code type="none"> + <p>Notice that when manipulating the PLT, no warnings are + emitted. To turn on warnings during (re)analysis of the PLT, use + option <c>--get_warnings</c>.</p> + </section> - dialyzer --add_to_plt --plt my.plt -r my_app/ebin - </code> + <section> + <title>Using Dialyzer from the Command Line</title> + <p>Dialyzer has a command-line version for automated use. + See <seealso marker="dialyzer"><c>dialyzer(3)</c></seealso>.</p> + </section> - <p>But you realize that it is unnecessary to have compiler in this one.</p> + <section> + <title>Using Dialyzer from Erlang</title> + <p>Dialyzer can also be used directly from Erlang. + See <seealso marker="dialyzer"><c>dialyzer(3)</c></seealso>.</p> + </section> - <code type="none"> + <section> + <marker id="dialyzer_gui"/> + <title>Using Dialyzer from the GUI</title> + <section> + <title>Choosing the Applications or Modules</title> + <p>The <em>File</em> window displays a listing of the current directory. + Click your way to the directories/modules you want to add or type the + correct path in the entry.</p> - dialyzer --remove_from_plt --plt my.plt -r $ERL_TOP/lib/compiler/ebin - </code> + <p>Mark the directories/modules you want to analyze for discrepancies and + click <em>Add</em>. You can either add the <c>.beam</c> and + <c>.erl</c> files directly, or add directories that contain + these kind of files. Notice that + you are only allowed to add the type of files that can be analyzed in + the current mode of operation (see below), and that you cannot mix + <c>.beam</c> and <c>.erl</c> files.</p> + </section> - <p> Later, when you have fixed a bug in your application my_app, - you want to update the plt so that it will be fresh the next time - you run Dialyzer, run the command</p> + <section> + <title>Analysis Modes</title> + <p>Dialyzer has two analysis modes: "Byte Code" and "Source Code". + They are controlled by the buttons in the top-middle part of the + main window, under <em>Analysis Options</em>.</p> + </section> - <code type="none"> + <section> + <title>Controlling the Discrepancies Reported by Dialyzer</title> + <p>Under the <em>Warnings</em> pull-down menu, there are buttons that + control which discrepancies are reported to the user in the + <em>Warnings</em> window. By clicking these buttons, you can + enable/disable a whole class of warnings. Information about the classes + of warnings is found on the "Warnings" item under the <em>Help</em> + menu (in the rightmost top corner).</p> + + <p>If modules are compiled with inlining, spurious warnings can be + emitted. In the <em>Options</em> menu you can choose to ignore + inline-compiled modules when analyzing byte code. + When starting from source code, this is not a problem because + inlining is explicitly turned off by Dialyzer. The option causes + Dialyzer to suppress all warnings from inline-compiled + modules, as there is currently no way for Dialyzer to find what + parts of the code have been produced by inlining.</p> + </section> - dialyzer --check_plt --plt my.plt - </code> + <section> + <title>Running the Analysis</title> + <p>Once you have chosen the modules or directories you want to analyze, + click the <em>Run</em> button to start the analysis. If you for some + reason want to stop the analysis while it is running, click the + <em>Stop</em> button.</p> - <p> Dialyzer will then reanalyze the files that have been changed, - and the files that depend on these files. Note that this - consistency check will be performed automatically the next time - you run Dialyzer with this plt. The --check_plt option is merely - for doing so without doing any other analysis.</p> + <p>The information from the analysis is displayed in the <em>Log</em> + window and the <em>Warnings</em> window.</p> + </section> - <p> To get some information about a plt use the option</p> - <code type="none"> + <section> + <title>Include Directories and Macro Definitions</title> + <p>When analyzing from source, you might have to supply Dialyzer + with a list of include directories and macro definitions (as you can do + with the <seealso marker="erts:erlc"><c>erlc</c></seealso> flags + <c>-I</c> and <c>-D</c>). This can be done + either by starting Dialyzer with these flags from the command + line as in:</p> + + <code type="none"> +dialyzer -I my_includes -DDEBUG -Dvsn=42 -I one_more_dir</code> - dialyzer --plt_info - </code> + <p>or by adding these explicitly using submenu + <em>Manage Macro Definitions</em> or + <em>Manage Include Directories</em> in the <em>Options</em> menu.</p> + </section> - <p>You can also specify which plt with the --plt option, and get the - output printed to a file with --output_file</p> + <section> + <title>Saving the Information on the Log and Warnings Windows</title> + <p>The <em>File</em> menu includes options to save the contents of the + <em>Log</em> window and the <em>Warnings</em> window. Simply choose the + options and enter the file to save the contents in.</p> - <p>Note that when manipulating the plt, no warnings are - emitted. To turn on warnings during (re)analysis of the plt, use - the option --get_warnings.</p> + <p>There are also buttons to clear the contents of each window.</p> + </section> + <section> + <title>Inspecting the Inferred Types of the Analyzed Functions</title> + <p>Dialyzer stores the information of the analyzed functions in a + Persistent Lookup Table (PLT), see section + <seealso marker="#plt">The Persistent Lookup Table</seealso>.</p> + + <p>After an analysis, you can inspect this information. + In the <em>PLT</em> menu you can choose to either search the PLT + or inspect the contents of the whole PLT. The information is presented + in <seealso marker="edoc:edoc"><c>EDoc</c></seealso> format.</p> + </section> </section> <section> - <title>Feedback and bug reports</title> - <p>At this point, we very much welcome user feedback (even wish-lists!). - If you notice something weird, especially if the Dialyzer reports any - discrepancy that is a false positive, please send an error report - describing the symptoms and how to reproduce them to:</p> - <code type="none"><![CDATA[ - ]]></code> + <title>Feedback and Bug Reports</title> + <p>We very much welcome user feedback - even wishlists! + If you notice anything weird, especially if Dialyzer reports + any discrepancy that is a false positive, please send an error report + describing the symptoms and how to reproduce them.</p> </section> </chapter> |