Structural analysis

A structural analysis code review is a set of rules that automates the process for a software architect to review code. A structural analysis code review focuses on coding that relates to an application's design. You run this kind of code review to analyze dependencies between components and to resolve design errors in code early in the development process.

Benefits

After you design an application, it is possible that developers could change the design structure by introducing unplanned dependencies in the code. The software would work, so these changes would not be flagged during the testing phase as defects to fix. Such changes can be caught and corrected if you act proactively and take the following steps:

It is important to run structural analysis code reviews throughout the product development life cycle. The automated process is quick, so you can run code reviews often. The code review findings let you catch and correct problems early, when it is easiest and cheapest to make changes.

Supplied structural analysis rules

Several code reviews and categories of rules are supplied and each one applies a different set of rules. The following sets of rules relate to structural analysis:

Architectural control rules

You can create architectural control rules with a wizard. You select a template and provide specific properties to design rules that are specific to your application's architecture. With customized rules, you can extend the capabilities of supplied code reviews. By running a code review that applies your rules, you ensure that the integrity of your application architecture is carried out during the implementation process.

Note: You must run the Structural Analysis code review on the workspace only. This ensures that the code in every project is reviewed to make the structural analysis complete.

Parent topic: Performing structural analysis code reviews

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