Build Your Own (Simple) Static Code Analyzer

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Python language constructs, inheritance, tree traversal

Code reviewers often face significant cognitive load. Depending on the project, they must scrutinize the implementation, check that the code adheres to conventions – such as using the latest syntax and language constructs – verify that the code is properly documented, and much more. When performed manually, these code-quality checks can easily monopolize the reviewer’s time. As a result, it is a key priority to offload as many tasks as possible onto static code analysis tools – like linters and formatters – so the reviewer can focus on the implementation itself.

How do these tools work, and how could you build one of your own to enforce conventions specific to your codebase? In this keynote, I will walk you through the process of creating a simple static code analyzer in Python using a data structure called an abstract syntax tree, which represents your code's structure and allows you to access its components in order to perform checks.