System and method for statically checking source code

摘要

The present invention is directed at a system and method for statically checking source code to determine potential compatibility issues with a new software release. The system and method perform a static check on input source files associated with a software release. The static check includes identifying programming constructs, such as function prototypes, structures, unions, and the like, within source code files associated with the software release. The programming constructs undergo a filtering process that reduces the number of potentially false change errors. The filtered programming constructs are saved in a database associated with the software release. The database is then compared with another database containing programming constructs for another software release in order to identify differences between the two software releases. A list of changes is generated that identifies the differences between the two software releases. These changes are used to identify potential incompatibilities between the two software releases.