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Semgrep: Stop grepping code

Blog post from Semgrep

Post Details
Company
Date Published
Author
Isaac Evans
Word Count
2,318
Language
English
Hacker News Points
-
Summary

Semgrep is an open-source tool designed to bridge the gap between the simplicity of grep and the robustness of abstract syntax tree (AST) parsers, offering a more precise and language-aware code analysis. Unlike traditional static analysis tools that are often slow and focused on language-level defects, Semgrep provides a faster, more versatile approach by enabling users to write code-aware search patterns that can match code structures across multiple programming languages. It uses semantic logic to identify code equivalences and employs metavariables and ellipsis to streamline pattern matching, making it easier for developers to catch framework-specific bugs that traditional methods might miss. Originally developed at Facebook to enforce code rules across their codebase, Semgrep supports various languages including Python, JavaScript, Java, and Golang, with ongoing development to expand its language coverage and capabilities. This tool aims to enhance code security and quality by allowing developers to write and share tailored search patterns, providing a community-driven approach to modern code analysis.