Design engineers failing to enforce coding standards?
1 min read
New research shows that while embedded design engineers are widely using coding standards, they are failing to use tools that will allow them to enforce the use of these standards, relying on trust and manual checks. According to programming research group, PRQA, without a proper approach to enforcement, this could lead to lower quality code and more bugs.
The survey, which was conducted to understand the use of coding standards across Europe, revealed that 74% of respondents said they made use of coding standards. However, only 35% made use of static analysis tools that would ensure software engineers adhered to the standards – particularly in more complex sections of the code that will be more prone to bugs.
PRQA suggests that almost half of embedded development teams in Europe believe in the benefits of standards but are failing to ensure compliance. Paul Blundell, pictured, ceo of PRQA, said that it was a 'real concern' that only a third of companies use tools to ensure standards are observed. "Using static analysis tools not only ensures compliance, but also ensures a consistent interpretation of the standard," he said. "We're faced with a situation where two thirds of development teams could be cutting corners, misinterpreting or ignoring coding standards, despite three quarters of engineers believing that standards result in higher quality code."
