In a software project, what analysis is commonly performed to ensure code quality?

Static analysis is a key method used to ensure code quality in a software project. This technique involves the examination of code without executing it, which allows developers and testers to identify potential errors, security vulnerabilities, coding standard violations, and other issues early in the development process. Static analysis tools analyze the source code or bytecode for discrepancies against defined rules or best practices, making it easier to address problems before they lead to more significant defects or failures in the application.

This approach is especially valuable because it can be applied continuously during the development lifecycle, providing immediate feedback to developers and promoting more consistent coding standards across teams. By identifying issues before runtime, static analysis contributes significantly to maintaining a high standard of code quality, reducing technical debt, and improving maintainability and readability of the codebase.

In contrast, dynamic analysis involves testing the code while it is running, which, while useful, does not catch all types of issues that static analysis can. Regression analysis is typically used in statistical settings to understand relationships among variables rather than focusing on code quality, and prioritization analysis is more related to project management and decision-making processes.