A code checker is an automated software that statically analyzes source code and detects potential issues. Most code checkers provide in-depth insights into why a particular line of code was flagged to help software teams implement coding best practices. These code-level checks often measure the syntax, style, and documentation completeness of source code.

Integrating code checkers into existing developer workflows is a great way to fix code issues earlier, while also helping developers learn about best practices. This can make a significant impact on the quality and security of code that developers write going forward. More maintainable code can also improve the customer experience because there are fewer bugs and technical debt to deal with in the future.

When it comes to static application security testing (SAST) with a code checker, it’s important to choose a developer-first tool that integrates into developer workflows and produces minimal false positives in scan results. A SAST tool also needs to take a comprehensive approach for scanning source code, and be able to combine with linters to check code syntax and style.

CONFIGURATION: Ensures that application configuration files are following security best practices and policies.

SEMANTIC: Examines code contextually to estimate what the developer intended, and check whether the code syntax differs.

DATA FLOW: Tracks the flow of data from insecure sources to ensure it’s cleansed before consumption by the application.

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS: Determines whether there are inconsistencies with implementing language-specific best practices and cryptographic techniques.