What is the difference between dynamic code analysis and static code analysis?

Dynamic code analysis and static code analysis are two different approaches used to identify potential bugs, security vulnerabilities, and code quality issues in software development.

Static Code Analysis:
Static code analysis examines the source code or compiled code without executing it. It analyzes the code structure, syntax, and semantics to find potential issues. This method is performed during the development phase and does not require the application to be running.

Example: A static code analysis tool might scan a piece of code to detect unused variables, unhandled exceptions, or potential security flaws like SQL injection vulnerabilities based on the code patterns.

Dynamic Code Analysis:
Dynamic code analysis, on the other hand, involves executing the application and monitoring its behavior in real-time. It can detect issues that only occur during runtime, such as memory leaks, performance bottlenecks, and concurrency issues.

Example: A dynamic analysis tool might monitor an application while it's running to identify memory leaks by tracking how memory is allocated and deallocated.

Key Differences:

• Execution: Static analysis does not require execution of the code, while dynamic analysis requires the application to be running.
• Timing: Static analysis is typically done during the development and coding phase, while dynamic analysis is often performed during testing or in production environments.
• Coverage: Static analysis can cover the entire codebase, while dynamic analysis might only cover parts of the application that are executed during the testing period.

For cloud-based solutions, Tencent Cloud offers services like Tencent Cloud CodeScan, which integrates both static and dynamic analysis to provide comprehensive code quality and security checks. This service can help developers identify and fix issues early in the development cycle, improving the overall quality and security of their applications.