Sparse is a computer software tool designed to find possible coding faults in the Linux kernel. Unlike other such tools, this static analysis tool was initially designed to flag constructs that were only likely to be of interest to kernel developers, such as mixing pointers to user and kernel address spaces.
Sparse checks for known problems and provides annotations designed to convey information about data types, such as the address space that pointers point to and the locks that a function acquires or releases.
Linus Torvalds started writing Sparse in 2003. Josh Triplett was its maintainer from 2006, a role taken over by Christopher Li in 2009. Sparse is released under the Open Software License, version 1.1.
Read more about Sparse: Annotations
Famous quotes containing the word sparse:
“The report reflects incredibly terrible judgments, shockingly sparse concern for human life, instances of officials lacking the courage to exercise the responsibilities of their high office and some very bewildering thought processes.”
—Jane Jarrell Smith, U.S. widow of American astronaut Michael J. Smith. As quoted in Newsweek magazine, p. 13 (June 30, 1986)