Project Analyzer FAQ

General

Q: Which Visual Basic versions does Project Analyzer support?

A: Project Analyzer v10 supports all Visual Basic versions from 3.0 to 6.0, as well as Visual Basic .NET versions 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013. It can also analyze the VB code in the codebehind classes of an ASP.NET project.

Q: Does Project Analyzer support VBA?

A: Project Analyzer supports Office VBA, but you need VBA Plug to analyze any Visual Basic for Applications code.

Q: Does Project Analyzer support the latest Visual Studio?

A: No. Project Analyzer supports Visual Basic .NET up to version 2013.

Q: Help file is blank or displays error 'The page cannot be displayed' or 'Action canceled'

A: Right-click the file project.chm, click Properties and choose Unblock. Explanation: Windows places a block on downloaded .chm files. The block prevents the help file from showing content. Alternative solution: Read the Online Help

Free evaluation

Q: Can I evaluate Project Analyzer before purchase?

A: Sure. Check out the Download section.

Q: How can I test Project Analyzer with my big projects?

A: The free demo allows you to analyze any 10 source files in any project or solution. All the features are enabled (except for macros). Of course, the results will be limited when you make a partial analysis. The full version works on code of any size: it has been used to analyze over 2 million lines in one run.

Q: The demo is limited. Can I get a full evaluation copy?

A: Project Analyzer works on any type of VB code, including yours (as long as it's on the list of supported VB versions). The free demo works on projects of any size, but for a maximum of 10 source files at a time. You can try each and every feature with the demo (exception: macros are disabled). The only limitation is that the analysis results will be incomplete or inaccurate when you haven't analyzed all the code.

Unfortunately we cannot provide evaluation versions other than the free demo. However, you can trust Project Analyzer works on your code as well. Project Analyzer comes with a money back guarantee. You can also check out the Reference list to see who use Project Analyzer already.

Q: Is my project too large for Project Analyzer?

A: No. Project Analyzer is robust software. It is designed to work on systems of any size, up to millions of lines and hundreds of projects in one run. We haven't yet found a program too large for Project Analyzer. If your VB system contains millions of lines, please contact us, you might have the record. The larger the project or solution, the more useful Project Analyzer is for you.

Q: How do I analyze an ASP.NET web site without a .vbproj or .sln file?

A: Choose Analyze directory in the File menu.

Q: How do I learn to use Project Analyzer?

A: Read the PDF tutorial and Online Help.

Purchasing and licenses

Q: What are the differences between the various editions?

A: See the editions comparison chart.

Q: Which version do I need to analyze .vbg's or .sln solutions?

A: The Enterprise Edition.

Q: We are x users interested in the software. How much is it for us?

A: The licensing is per user. 2 users need 2 licenses and so on.

Each license allows 2 installations for the same user. You can install it on your desktop and laptop as long as you're the user on both machines.

Q: Is it a floating license or a machine license?

A: It is neither. It is a user license. Each license covers one user and two installations. As an example, one license allows installation on a desktop and a laptop PC, as long as it is for the same user.

Q: Do we get support?

A: Of course! As a user, you get unlimited support. Just contact us! If you've found a bug or want to share an idea, just drop us a note!

Q: Are there any maintenance fees?

A: There are no continuous maintenance fees to pay. Minor version updates are free within the same version number. The license covers new installations for 3 years free of charge.

Installation and activation

Q: How many installations can I make?

A: A single-user license allows 2 installations at a time. You need to activate the full version online before use.

Q: How can I reinstall on another machine?

A: When you already have 2 installations and need to move to another machine, please contact us for the instructions.

Q: Can I activate the full version on an off-line PC?

A: Yes.

Q: Which run-time files does it install? What Windows versions does it run on?

A: See the system requirements.

Q: Do I need the .NET Framework or Visual Studio installed?

A: No. Project Analyzer works independent of either Visual Studio or the .NET Framework. Exception: .NET assembly analysis, which is an optional feature, requires .NET Framework 4 or 4.5.

Updates

Q: How about updates?

A: Updates within a major version number are free (request free upgrade). If you're running an older version, read more about the upgrade to the current version.

Q: I've got a license. How do I install the newest Project Analyzer version?

A: Do a keyword request to receive your current keyword and installation instructions.

Dead code

Q: What is dead code?

A: Dead code is extra code that you can remove because it's not used anywhere in your program.

Q: How much dead code can there be?

A: We have heard of several hundred kilobytes of dead code in a single project. Some users have said their project contained 30% or 40% of dead code. Even if your project has just 10% of dead code, it's worth taking it out. Think of the large EXEs and those functions that no-one knows what they were for.

Q: Why is a procedure "dead" although it is in use?

A: A procedure may be marked dead if it is called by other procedures. This happens only if the callers themselves are dead. You could as well remove all those procedures. This is a pretty unique feature in Project Analyzer.

Q: Why is a variable "dead" although it is written?

A: In addition to being totally out of use, a variable can be "read but not written" or "written but not read". This is kind of semi-dead code. You should review the variable to see whether you should remove it or add the missing read or write.

Q: How can I easily remove dead code?

A: Project Analyzer lets you manually review your dead code and decide if it is worth saving or should rather be deleted. Project Analyzer Enterprise Edition includes a problem auto-fix feature that automatically removes all dead code that can safely be removed.

Troubleshooting

Q: Project Analyzer hangs

A: If a file you are analyzing is on a network drive and the network drive is not available, Windows may cause Project Analyzer to hang. You can verify this by opening the project file with a text editor (Notepad) and searching for paths such as \\drive\path.

Q: Project Analyzer doesn't find files on a network path

A: Copy the files to a local directory and try again.

More questions?

If your question was not answered here, see also Aivosto FAQ and Project Analyzer Help. Or just ask us!