Why don't software developers use static analysis tools to find bugs?

TLDR

Static analysis tools can automate code inspections, making bug detection faster and cheaper, yet despite these benefits they remain underused by developers. The study examines why developers rarely adopt static analysis tools and explores ways to improve them, including the need for interactive defect‑fixing mechanisms. Interviews with 20 developers revealed that while they see benefits, false positives and poor warning presentation hinder tool adoption.

Abstract

Using static analysis tools for automating code inspections can be beneficial for software engineers. Such tools can make finding bugs, or software defects, faster and cheaper than manual inspections. Despite the benefits of using static analysis tools to find bugs, research suggests that these tools are underused. In this paper, we investigate why developers are not widely using static analysis tools and how current tools could potentially be improved. We conducted interviews with 20 developers and found that although all of our participants felt that use is beneficial, false positives and the way in which the warnings are presented, among other things, are barriers to use. We discuss several implications of these results, such as the need for an interactive mechanism to help developers fix defects.