cppcheck

Check single file

$ cppcheck [file.cpp]

$ cppcheck [src/]

$ cppcheck --enable=all [file.cpp]

$ cppcheck --enable=warning,style [src/]

$ cppcheck --std=c++17 [file.cpp]

$ cppcheck --xml [src/] 2> [report.xml]

$ cppcheck --suppress=uninitvar [file.cpp]

$ cppcheck -j [4] [src/]

cppcheck [options] path...

cppcheck performs static analysis on C/C++ source code to detect bugs, undefined behavior, and dangerous coding patterns without executing the program. It focuses on maintaining a low false positive rate, making warnings actionable and trustworthy.
The tool analyzes code for memory leaks, null pointer dereferences, buffer overflows, uninitialized variables, and many other issues. It supports C++11 through C++20 standards and can check both individual files and entire project directories.
Unlike compiler warnings, cppcheck performs deeper analysis including flow-sensitive checks and interprocedural analysis. It can detect issues that compilers typically miss while being faster and simpler to configure than comprehensive tools like Clang Static Analyzer.

--enable=checks

Enable checks: all, warning, style, performance, portability, information, unusedFunction

C/C++ standard: c89, c99, c11, c++03, c++11, c++14, c++17, c++20

Use n threads

Output as XML

Suppress warning type

Suppress from file

Include directory

Define preprocessor symbol

Check all configurations

Report uncertain results

Suppress progress output

error: Bugs and undefined behavior
warning: Defensive coding issues
style: Code style issues
performance: Optimization suggestions
portability: Cross-platform issues

Cannot analyze included headers without proper include paths. Use with clang-tidy for comprehensive analysis.

clang-tidy(1), cpplint(1), gcc(1)