Static analysis tools in Testing Fundamentals - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Purpose of Static Analysis Tools

What is the primary purpose of static analysis tools in software testing?

A To analyze code without executing it to find potential errors

B To measure the performance of the software during execution

C To find bugs by running the program with test inputs

D To automatically fix bugs found during testing

💡 Hint

Think about tools that check code before running it.

Static analysis tools examine the source code without running it to detect errors, code smells, or security issues early.

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Static Analysis Warning Example

Given the following Python code snippet, what warning would a static analysis tool most likely report?

Testing Fundamentals

def calculate_area(radius):
    pi = 3.14159
    area = pi * radius ** 2
    return area

result = calculate_area(5)
print(result)

unused_var = 10

A Unused variable 'unused_var' detected

B Division by zero error possible

C Syntax error due to missing colon

D Variable 'pi' used before assignment

💡 Hint

Look for variables declared but never used.

The variable 'unused_var' is declared but never used, which static analysis tools often warn about to help clean code.

❓ assertion

advanced

Static Analysis and Assertion Failures

Which statement about static analysis tools and assertion failures is correct?

A Static analysis tools replace the need for assertions in code

B Static analysis tools cannot detect assertion failures because assertions depend on runtime values

C Static analysis tools automatically fix assertion failures

D Static analysis tools can detect all assertion failures before runtime

💡 Hint

Consider when assertions are checked during program execution.

Assertions check conditions during runtime, so static analysis tools cannot detect failures that depend on actual runtime data.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Identifying Static Analysis Tool Output

Which output below is most likely produced by a static analysis tool scanning this JavaScript code?

Testing Fundamentals

function add(a, b) {
  return a + b;
}

let result = add(5);
console.log(result);

A No issues found

B Error: Syntax error missing semicolon

C Warning: Function 'add' called with 1 argument but expects 2

D Warning: Variable 'result' is unused

💡 Hint

Check function calls and argument counts.

The function 'add' expects two arguments, but is called with only one, which static analysis tools detect as a potential bug.

❓ framework

expert

Integrating Static Analysis in CI/CD Pipeline

Which approach best integrates static analysis tools into a CI/CD pipeline to improve code quality?

A Run static analysis only after deployment to production

B Run static analysis only on the main branch after merging

C Run static analysis manually once a month

D Run static analysis on every pull request before merging code

💡 Hint

Think about catching issues early in the development process.

Running static analysis on every pull request helps catch issues before code merges, improving quality and reducing bugs.