CodeSonar vs. DoubleCheck Code Analysis vs. PHPStan vs. PyCharm Comparison Chart

CodeSonar employs a unified dataflow and symbolic execution analysis that examines the computation of the complete application. By not relying on pattern matching or similar approximations, CodeSonar's static analysis engine is extraordinarily deep, finding 3-5 times more defects on average than other static analysis tools. Unlike many software development tools, such as testing tools, compilers, configuration management, etc., SAST tools can be integrated into a team's development process at any time with ease. SAST technologies like CodeSonar simply attach to your existing build environments to add analysis information to your verification process. Like a compiler, CodeSonar does a build of your code using your existing build environment, but instead of creating object code, CodeSonar creates an abstract model of your entire program. From the derived model, CodeSonar’s symbolic execution engine explores program paths, reasoning about program variables and how they relate.

​PHPStan is an open source static analysis tool for PHP that identifies bugs in your codebase without the need for writing tests. It thoroughly scans your entire code, detecting both obvious and subtle issues, including those in rarely executed conditional statements that tests might not cover. By integrating PHPStan into your development environment and continuous integration pipelines, you can prevent bugs from reaching production. It is compatible with legacy codebases, even those lacking an autoloader, and facilitates gradual improvement through configurable rule levels. This approach allows developers to incrementally enhance code quality without being overwhelmed by numerous errors on the initial run. ​PHPStan supports advanced PHP features ahead of their official release, such as generics, array shapes, and checked exceptions, by leveraging PHPDocs. It also offers extensions for popular frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, and Doctrine, ensuring comprehensive understanding.