CompilerChecks

CompilerChecks is a term used to describe the set of checks performed by a compiler to verify the correctness, safety, and quality of code during the translation process. These checks are designed to detect errors early, prevent undefined behavior, and guide optimizations without requiring runtime execution of the program.

The scope of CompilerChecks typically spans syntax and semantics, type safety, name resolution, and various safety and correctness properties. Compile-time checks include verifying that variables are initialized before use, that types are compatible in expressions, and that functions are called with appropriate arguments. Some languages additionally enforce memory safety through static analyses, while others rely on runtime checks for bounds, nullability, and overflow; compilers may emit warnings or convert certain checks into runtime guards based on the language specification and optimization level.

Implementation commonly uses a modular pass architecture, where individual check passes traverse language representations such as the abstract syntax tree or an intermediate representation. Checks may run in early phases for fast feedback or later when more context is available, and errors can fail the compilation or be downgraded to warnings. The configurability of CompilerChecks lets users enable, disable, or tune the strictness of checks, balancing safety guarantees against compile-time cost.

Relation to tooling: CompilerChecks interacts with static analyzers, formal verification components, and IDEs for real-time feedback. It supports incremental compilation by reusing results from previously analyzed code. In practice, CompilerChecks aims to provide a predictable balance between safety and performance, serving as a foundation for reliable software development.