This topic helps you troubleshoot problems you might experience with C/C++test.

General

What files are analyzed? How do I analyze header files?

C/C++test analyzes C/C++ source files directly and header files indirectly. Based on the current selection, C/C++test will analyze all C/C++ source files and report violations for all source and header files from the selection (only for header files included by the source files).

For example:

• if the project root is selected, then all source files (and header files indirectly) will be analyzed.
• if a single source file is selected, then only that file will be analyzed (no header files will be analyzed).
• if single source file and a single header file is selected, then the source file (and header file if it's included by the source) will be analyzed.
• if only a header file is selected, then C/C++test will skip the analysis (header files are not analyzed directly).

How can I  modify the verbosity level of the C/C++test console?

Choose Parasoft> Preferences, select  Console, then select the desired verbosity level (High, Normal, Low).

What do I do if C/C++test runs out of memory?

You can customize the amount of allocated memory with the CPPTEST_ENGINE_EXTRA_ARGS option by specifying the value of the -Xmx setting. This may be particularly useful for when you perform static analysis or report results to DTP. See Configuring Advanced Options for details.

If C/C++test runs out of memory when generating the report, see What if C/C++test runs out of memory when generating the report?.

How can I work with C/C++test via proxy?

To connect through a proxy server, you need to configure appropriate system properties in the parasoft.properties file located in:

• For Visual Studio 2017-2019

<INSTALL-DIR>/plugins/com.parasoft.ptest.common.vstudio/parasoft.properties

• For Visual Studio 2022

<INSTALL-DIR>/ptest/plugins/com.parasoft.ptest.common.vstudio/parasoft.properties

Using system proxy settings

To enable C/C++test to use the system proxy settings, you need to configure parasoft.useSystemProxies=true. No additional configuration is required.

If you encounter any issues with credentials, you can specify them using the parasoft.https.systemProxyUser=[username] and parasoft.https.systemProxyPassword=[password, which can be encrypted by Parasoft] properties. The user and password are specified separately for each protocol.

Using manual proxy settings

To connect through a proxy server using manual settings, you need to configure protocol-specific system properties. 

For example, if you are using the HTTPS protocol, ensure that the system properties for HTTPS are configured. At a minimum, you must configure https.proxySet=true, https.proxyHost=[hostname], and https.proxyPort=[port number]. If your proxy server requires authentication, you can configure your credentials with the https.proxyUser and https.proxyPassword properties.

Your command line may resemble the following:

https.proxySet=true
https.proxyHost=proxy.parasoft.com.pl
https.proxyPort=3128
https.proxyUser=username
https.proxyPassword=password

In addition, you can configure the https.nonProxyHosts property to specify hosts where connection via proxy is not required.

If I’m having problems, what information should I send to the  C/C++test support team?

See Preparing a Support Archive.

Installation

How can I prevent my machine ID from floating?

Changes in the network environment may affect the interface that is used to compute your machine ID and result in machine ID instability. You can use the PARASOFT_SUPPORT_NET_INTERFACES environment variable to specify a stable interface and prevent the machine ID from floating.

1. Set up the PARASOFT_SUPPORT_NET_INTERFACES environment variable.

2. Set the variable value to a stable Ethernet network interface. Do not use virtual, temporary or loopback interfaces. 
   - On Windows: Set the value to the MAC address of your network card. You can use the ipconfig -all command to obtain the address.  For example:

   SET PARASOFT_SUPPORT_NET_INTERFACES=00-10-D9-27-AC-85

   - On Linux: Set the value to one of the network interfaces from the "inet" or "inet6" family. You can use the ifconfig command to obtain the list of available interfaces. For example: 

   export PARASOFT_SUPPORT_NET_INTERFACES=eth1

If the problem persists, you can obtain diagnostic information by setting up the environment variable PARASOFT_DEBUG_NET_INTERFACES and setting its value to true. This will print to the standard output the checking procedure that can be shared with technical support, as well as the interface that is used to compute your machine ID. The interface will be marked with the [SELECTED] prefix.

What if my Machine ID is WIN32-0?

If your Machine ID is WIN32-0, remove the license file located in <DRIVE>:\Users\<USER_NAME>\.parasoft\C++test\10.x\license.

Why are suppressions of some rules no longer available on DTP after C/C++test was upgraded to a newer version?

Suppressions associated with rules whose messages changed between releases may not be available on DTP and the rules must be re-suppressed.

You can restore legacy messages for BD category rules in version 10.4.1 and newer by configuring the following advanced option (see Configuring Advanced Options):

CPPTEST_ENGINE_EXTRA_ARGS="-property flowanalysis.legacy.messages.for.<rule_ID>=true"

For example:

CPPTEST_ENGINE_EXTRA_ARGS="-property flowanalysis.legacy.messages.for.BD.PB.ARRAY=true -property flowanalysis.legacy.messages.for.BD.PB.ZERO=true"

To successfully restore the legacy messages, ensure that you remove the .cpptest folder that contains the local C/C++test cache data from following location: <workspace_location>/.cpptest/.dtpengine/.cpptest.

Testing and Analysis

What if C/C++test does not launch in the command line mode?

Installing or updating extensions or other Visual Studio components may corrupt Visual Studio's Component Model Cache, which can prevent C++test from launching. To clear the Component Model Cache, try to run cpptestcli with the -clearcmc option.

What can I do if C/C++test reports a timeout during static analysis?

To ensure the analysis completes, you can do one of the following:

• Increase the timeout limit by configuring the following advanced option:
  cpptest.analyzer.source.timeout=<TIMEOUT_IN_SECONDS> 
  See Configuring Advanced Options.

• Disable the most time-consuming rules or metrics in your test configuration. The information about the times is included in the timeout message displayed on the console and in the report.
• Contact Parasoft Support.

What if one or more files were not found when collecting static coverage data?

The setup problem that specifies the file (or files) that was not found when collecting static coverage data indicates that the local path of the file is different from its build-time path.

As a workaround, you can use the CPPTEST_COVERAGE_SRC_ROOT environment variable to map the original path to the local path:

CPPTEST_COVERAGE_SRC_ROOT=original/path1=local/path1;original/path2=local/path2;...

You can use '*' as an accepted wildcard in the original path. For example:

CPPTEST_COVERAGE_SRC_ROOT=/*/path=/local/path

You can also specify a list of path mappings in a list file (*.lst) and set its location as the value. For example:

CPPTEST_COVERAGE_SRC_ROOT=/path/mapping.lst

Each item in the *.lst file is treated as a separate entry.

What if memory is not allocated when using C/C++test with a Bazel build?

In some cases, the linking process may run out of mappable pages. This will manifest as an inability to allocate memory despite the machine having enough free RAM. To fix the issue, increase the maximum number of mapping pages per process. The default is 65530. Increasing this value ten times should resolve the problem. To do this, use the following command: 

sysctl -w vm.max_map_count=655300

If the problem persists, you may need to increase this value further.

How can I disable C/C++test code instrumentation for functions containing OpenMP instructions?

Add the following entry to Project Settings> Parasoft> C/C++test> Other Settings> Advanced options:

xharness.ignoreFunctionsWithOpenMP true

When using the cpptestcc utility for collecting code coverage, add the following option to the cpptestcc command line:

-xharness-option="—-ignore-functions-with-openmp=true"

Reports

How can I create a report with a list of active coding standard rules?

When generating a report, specify a report configuration file that contains the following entry:

results.report.active_rules=true

What if some characters fail to be properly displayed in C/C++test reports?

Reports generated by Parasoft products require a sans-serif font to be available in your environment. If your report fails to correctly display some characters, such as national characters, ensure that a sans-serif font is installed on your system.

What if C/C++test runs out of memory when generating the report?

C/C++test uses a separate JVM to generate reports after code is tested. You can increase the amount of memory allocated for generating C/C++test reports by configuring the parasoft.report.separate_vm.xmx system property, for example:

parasoft.report.separate_vm.xmx=1280m

You can configure the JVM that generates reports to use Java with a larger maximum memory size by setting the parasoft.report.separate_vm.java_home system property, for example:

parasoft.report.separate_vm.java_home=C:/Program Files/Java/jdk-12.0.1

Working in the IDE

Why is C/C++test unable to generate test cases in Visual Studio 2017?

C/C++test cannot generate test cases when project caching is enabled in Visual Studio 2017. To ensure that test cases can be generated, disable project caching:

1. In the Visual Studio 2017 main menu, go to Tools> Options.
2. Expand Projects and Solutions and select VC++ Project Settings.
3. Set the Enable Project Caching option to No to disable project caching.

Why are some Parasoft options not working in the Solution Explorer context menu in Visual Studio 2017 or newer?

To ensure that all Parasoft options are working in the Solution Explorer context menu, the following Visual Studio Workloads must be installed with your Visual Studio 2017 or newer:

• Desktop development with C++
• Universal Windows Platform development or .NET desktop development

1. Run the Visual Studio Installer.
2. Select the appropriate Workloads when prompted.
   

Why do I get notified that Parasoft Plugin or its components are slowing down Visual Studio 2017 or 2019 on startup?

In Visual Studio 2017 and 2019, performance management monitors and manages extensions that can affect startup time. As a result, a pop-up alert may appear when Parasoft Plugin is installed to indicate that Visual Studio startup time has increased. You can click the 'Manage performance' link in the pop-up window to review the startup times and disable displaying the alert.

What if Visual Studio reports syntax errors on code that is correct in test suites generated with C/C++test?

Visual Studio may mark correct code elements in test suites with a red underline to indicate potential errors when IntelliSense, Visual Studio's native code completion, is unable to recognize C/C++test-specific syntax.  To prevent this, you can do one of the following:

• Configure IntelliSense to stop reporting potential syntax errors. Note that this will globally disable error recognition–in test suites and in all other files.

• Wrap the code in your test suite (s) with the following directives:
  

  #ifndef __INTELLISENSE__
  //this code block will not be analyzed by IntelliSense
  #endif

What if I encounter issues with displaying the RuleWizard UI on Linux?

If you are experiencing issues with displaying the RuleWizard UI, then check if your Linux distribution uses a Wayland display server. If you use a Wayland display server, we recommend changing it to X11.

You can verify what display server your Linux distribution is using by:

• executing the following command in the Linux terminal: "echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE" (working in most distributions)
• checking the desktop environment settings (not available in all distributions)
• checking the current setting on the login screen, usually by clicking the wheel/cog/menu icon on the login screen (not available in all distributions; the Automatic Login feature needs to be turned off)
• checking the Windowing System field on the Settings/About page

You can change your display server to X11 by:

• editing the display manager (GDM, SDDM, etc.) configuration file, e.g. /etc/gdm3/custom.conf for Ubuntu with GDM (a reboot is required)
• clicking the wheel/cog/menu icon on the login screen and choosing X11 (not available in all distributions; the Automatic Login feature needs to be turned off)