C Programming Error Handling, Testing Tools Software : DevPartner for Visual C++ detects and analyzes runtime errors, pinpoints performance bottlenecks and verifies test coverage in order to increase code quality and reduce development and testing time through increased productivity. The tool suite integrates into Visual Studio 2005, Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Visual C++ 6.0 for maximum usability within these familiar development environments. In addition to IDE integration, DevPartner for Visual C++ features can be integrated into automated testing and nightly build processes through a command-line interface.

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DevPartner for Visual C++ BoundsChecker Suite is a powerful set of software development and testing tools that enable Windows C/C++ application teams to build reliable, high-performance applications and components for native Windows platforms.

DevPartner for Visual C++ detects and analyzes runtime errors, pinpoints performance bottlenecks and verifies test coverage in order to increase code quality and reduce development and testing time through increased productivity. The tool suite integrates into Visual Studio 2005, Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Visual C++ 6.0* for maximum usability within these familiar development environments. In addition to IDE integration, DevPartner for Visual C++ features can be integrated into automated testing and nightly build processes through a command-line interface.

Register for free trial of DevPartner for Visual C++ BoundsChecker Suite.

DevPartner for Visual C++ BoundsChecker Suite includes the following capabilities:

• Error Detection with BoundsChecker technology
  
  Award-winning BoundsChecker error detection technology provides developers with a clear, detailed analysis of programming errors in unmanaged Visual C++ code. It automatically monitors the runtime behavior of the code—how it accesses memory, how it calls APIs and how it uses COM interfaces and methods. Without any special compilation or build steps, developers and testers can automatically locate errors in static, stack and heap memory, and can detect and diagnose memory and resource leaks.
  
  DevPartner error detection technology enables Visual C++ native application developers to:
  
  • Locate a large variety of memory and resource problems including leaks, overrun errors and pointer problems;
  • Rapidly sort errors and leaks by size, frequency and type to identify and prioritize critical problems;
  • Check for errors in any native application or component, including proprietary and third-party components and libraries—even when the original source code is unavailable;
  • Detect thread deadlocks, potential deadlocks and other synchronization problems;
  • Locate incorrect usage or failed API calls in any native application component, DLL or EXE, including Win32, ActiveX, DirectX, ODBC, Winsock, Internet APIs and more.
  
  
  DevPartner error detection also helps native Visual C++ developers interface with managed .NET code by monitoring native application calls that cross the managed boundary into .NET code. It provides valuable information on the frequency of crossed boundaries to help developers determine when native code should be migrated to .NET code. It also tracks errors in native code that can cause problems in managed code such as finalizer problems and unhandled exceptions thrown across boundaries.
  
  Dual-core and hyper-threaded systems are excellent for accelerating multi-threaded Windows applications, but often result in thread deadlock problems that do not occur on development systems. Finding the cause of multi-threading deadlocks in dual-core and hyper-threaded systems can be extremely difficult without the right tools. DevPartner error detection includes powerful thread analysis features that monitor the execution of native Windows applications to predict and detect thread deadlock conditions.



• Performance Analysis
  
  Using DevPartner for Visual C++ performance analysis, developers can quickly isolate performance bottlenecks in single and multi-tiered applications. DevPartner performance analysis technology delivers unmatched top-to-bottom performance metrics at the machine, process, component and source-line levels. Combined with an intuitive user interface, performance analysis enables developers to trace application flow and differentiate between application and operating system calls for rapid identification of performance issues.
  
  DevPartner for Visual C++ performance analysis also provides a dynamic call graph feature with detailed performance data to graphically navigate through the components of the application. Developers can automatically compare the data collected from multiple performance runs, providing a fast and easy way to determine if code changes have resulted in improved performance.



• Code Coverage Analysis
  
  How much of the code has been tested? Which lines of code have not been tested? How stable is the code base? Without the right tools, developers trying to determine how well their applications have been tested are faced with relying on subjective information. Insufficient answers to these questions lead to uncertainty at milestones such as code check-in, unit testing or integration testing, and final release.
  
  DevPartner for Visual C++ coverage analysis automatically pinpoints untested code by capturing and combining testing sessions for applications and components—across users and application tiers in native C/C++ code. By identifying which portions of the application are being tested redundantly and which portions are not being tested at all, DevPartner for Visual C++ helps application teams focus their testing activities where they are most needed—significantly improving efficiency.



• System Comparison with Snapshot SDK
  
  System configuration differences and changes in system-level settings are often the cause of application problems that are difficult to reproduce in the development lab. If a problem cannot be reproduced, it can be nearly impossible to fix. Developers often find themselves asking questions such as: Why does an application fail on one system, but not on another? Why has a normally stable application become unstable over time?
  
  DevPartner system comparison helps developers understand the differences in configuration and system-level settings that affect the stability of their applications. Through the use of system snapshots, the system comparison feature can compare the configuration of two systems and present a developer with a concise view of the differences between the two systems. Through the use of automated snapshots, the system comparison feature can also show developers the configuration and setting changes that have occurred on a single system between two points in time.
  
  The system comparison feature of DevPartner for Visual C++ also includes a Snapshot Software Development Kit (SDK) that allows snapshot capability to be customized and embedded, royalty free, into production-level applications. This allows developers using DevPartner to extend the reach of their troubleshooting expertise beyond the development lab.

* Visual C++ 6.0 integration varies by feature.


Register for free trial of DevPartner for Visual C++ BoundsChecker Suite.