 
Frequently Asked Questions for Total .NET Analyzer
Here are some common questions about Total .NET Analyzer:
What is Total .NET Analyzer?
Total .NET Analyzer is an add-in for Visual Studio .NET that
performs detailed analysis of C# and Visual Basic .NET Code. It
detects over 150 issues related to errors, unused code, references to
legacy libraries, performance issues, naming conventions, standards,
and much more.
How does Total .NET Analyzer work?
After you install Total .NET Analyzer, a new toolwindow is
available within Visual Studio .NET. Simply open your C# or Visual
Basic .NET solution and press then Analyze button. Total .NET Analyzer
parses and analyzes all source code in the project, and builds a list
of issues. The list appears directly in the toolwindow. As you click
on each found issue, Total .NET Analyzer takes you to the code
location where the issue exists.
What issues does Total .NET Analyzer find?
Total .NET Analyzer detects over 150 issues. Issues fall into one
of six categories:
- Errors: Rules that relate to specific errors in code. For
example, Total .NET Analyzer detects unreachable code, which may
contain logic crucial to your application. Another example of an
error is the use of Stop and End statements in code.
- Performance: Rules that identify potential performance issues in
code. For example, Total .NET Analyzer detects use of string
concatenation instead of using the StringBuilder class, or use of
multi-dimensioned arrays, which are not optimized in the .NET
Framework.
- Standards: Rules that identify standards and best practices
problems. Standards including configurable naming conventions, and
rules that detect things like use of literal strings, characters,
and integers.
- Suggestions: Rules that offer suggestions to improve code
readability, maintainability, and usability. Examples include event
handlers that return values, empty Try statements, underived
exceptions, and lack of a default clause in Select Case statements.
- Unused: Rules that detect unused or unreachable objects. Total
.NET Analyzer detects unused labels, variables, assignments, events,
members, classes, statements, fields, parameters, and enumeration
members. (See Why is unused code an issue?)
- VBLegacy: Rules that identify calls in code to legacy Visual
Basic libraries. For example, Total .NET Analyzer detects references
to Visual Basic legacy date and math functions, control characters,
message boxes, and more.
For a complete list or rules, along with documentation on each,
visit our
Total .NET
Analyzer Rules Site.
I’m new to .NET programming. How can Total
.NET Analyzer help me?
Everyone is new to .NET. And any new development environment
requires that developers re-learn how to program. .NET brings many
changes to the table, including new languages, a new framework, and a
new IDE. Total .NET Analyzer is ideal for learning .NET because it
detects the common errors in .NET code that all new developers make.
Not only will Total .NET Analyzer help you identify mistakes in
coding, but it will also help you learn the best practices as you
develop .NET solutions.
How does Total .NET Analyzer help me solve
issues?
Total .NET Analyzer goes beyond simply detecting issues. Each rule
includes detailed information about the rule, and provides information
on how to correct the problem. This information is crucial to allow
you to quickly solve problems.
Are the rules configurable?
Absolutely. Every rule can be turned on or off. Additionally, many
of the rules have configurable parameters. For example, the rule that
detects literal strings in code can be disabled for the
InitializeComponent call in Windows Forms. Also, you can attach your
own notes to rules to explain your own standards or practices.
How does Total .NET Analyzer compare with
FXCop from Microsoft?
Microsoft designed FXCop to be an internal tool to test compliance
with CLS/CLR standards for published components. If you are developing
a .NET component, control, or other assembly that is going to be
consumed by others, FXCop does a good job of detecting problems with
naming conventions and language interoperability.
However, FXCop does not have any of the advanced analysis that
Total .NET Analyzer offers. For example, FXCop does not detect calls
to legacy libraries, or unused code, nor does it detect possible bugs
or programming defects. Finally, FXCop only runs on assemblies, not
source code. By directly analyzing C# and Visual Basic .NET source
code, Total .NET Analyzer can find issues that no assembly inspection
can reveal.
Why is unused code an issue? Doesn’t the
compiler get rid of unused code?
Why should you worry about unused code? After all, if it never gets
called, what’s the problem? In many cases, unused code actually points
to a programming error. The issue is not that the code doesn’t get
called. The issue is that the code may contain important logic for
your application, and the fact that it isn’t called represents an
error. For example, look at the following code:
Dim Continue As Boolean = False
If Continue Then
' Be sure to close database connections
DatabaseConn.Close()
End If
In this example, the code in the If block is considered unused
code. In this case, a potentially large bug is hidden by unused code.
How Long will it Take to Analyze My Project?
Total .NET Analyzer uses our state of the art .NET code parser.
Written from the ground up specifically for C# and Visual Basic .NET,
the parser can handle over 10,000 lines of code per second. This means
that an average size .NET project will parse very quickly. As an
example, a solution that comprises roughly 10 C# files and 10 Visual
Basic .NET files will parse in under 2 seconds on a typical
development computer.
What are the System Requirements?
Total .NET Analyzer has the following system requirements:
- Microsoft Visual Studio .NET running on a supported Windows
operating system (Total .NET Analyzer is not supported under Windows
95, 98, or ME)
- Approximately 3 MB Free Disk Space.
- PC with a Pentium III-class processor or higher recommended.
- 256 MB of RAM (more is always better)
How much does Total .NET Analyzer cost?
Total .NET Analyzer is licensed on a per-user basis. Each user who
runs the program must own a license. Pricing is as follows:
- 1 License: $499
- 5 Licenses: $1499
Larger quantity discounts are available by contacting FMS.
Total .NET Analyzer can be purchased directly from FMS, corporate
resellers, and international distributors. All FMS products offer a
30-day money back guarantee.
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