Details

Multiple Language Support

The Understand 2.0 parser supports multiple languages*. This is a major improvement in flexibility and usability. In the previous version, a single license supported just one language. For example, if you had to analyze C++ code and Java code you needed two separate licenses, one of Understand for C++, and another of Understand for Java. Now in 2.0, in most cases, one license allows you to parse code in all the most common programming languages (see info about L1 and L2 language sets...).

*Note: Only L1 and L2 licenses support multiple languages. See more…

Support for C#

Understand 2.0 now supports the increasingly popular C# language, a capability many users have requested. Additionally, the PLM 80 and PLM 86 languages are now supported.

Combined Language Analysis

Even more important, Understand 2.0 now has Combined Language Analysis (CLA). With CLA, you can handle code bases written in multiple languages, such as C++ and Java, or Ada combined with FORTRAN. Combined code only needs to be parsed one time, instead of parsing for each language present in the source. Moreover, once parsing is done Understand 2.0 shows the dependence between parts of the code written in different languages. CLA make it easy to follow the calls.

New Editor

Our goal for the Understand 2.0 editor was to provide something equal to the top programming editors, but also give it lots of features for maintaining and understanding code. And that's what we've achieved -- the best programming editor for maintaining code.

The new Understand editor has all the features you'd expect, such as syntax colorization, auto-completion and syntax-based collapsing & folding. We've also expanded the way we show C-preprocessing regions (in the C portion of the editor) where before we used to identify them just by color. Now you can hide or show active & inactive regions. This is a huge benefit for users working extensively with the C-preprocessor.

The biggest addition is the "browse mode", which essentially turns the editor into a web browser for code. Essentially, Understand 2.0 shifts from the editing mode to browsing, and as you move around in the code it pushes information about it to you as you work. This makes understanding your code very easy, just click on what you want to know about and all the information is right readily available.

New, Streamlined Interface

We've totally rewritten the Understand 2.0 GUI, folding in modern features like tabs, tab groups and docking, to name a few and bringing it all up to date. Function is much improved, especially on Linux and Unix/X11, and there is a native Apple OSX port.

Understand 2.0 lets you create your own customized workspace to organize information, palettes, source code, etc. Unlike the previous version, which made you choose between separate windows (SDI model) or an all-in-one window (MDI model), this GUI operates in a whole new way. Now you can put windows anywhere you want. You can place windows inside other windows. You can drag them out and put them on another monitor. Whatever works best for the job you're doing.

Multiple Monitor Support

We've also added very robust, smart support for multiple monitors. Now Understand supports any number of monitors. Monitor configurations can be easily changed, and it adapts automatically. Many of our customers were asking for this, and all our own engineers are using two or three monitors, so we figured this was pretty important. After all, when you're maintaining code, the more you can see the better. See an example from one of our engineers

Improved Diff

Understand's "diffing" function is quite powerful, and since it is integrated into the application, all the code navigation features available with it. This makes it much easier for you to find things and focus on what you need to do. Its visual overlay system identifies changes at a glance. It also performs "character diffing", highlights individual characters that are different from one place to the next, and immensely useful advantage. Everything is integrated at the menu level, which makes finding functions or classes, and diffing them from others, quick and easy.

File and Folder Comparing

This feature lets you compare entities, files and folders. This becomes very useful when you have sections of code or functions that are similar. By comparing entities, you can quickly see why one is working and the other isn't, or if you can combine them. Comparing files works great for merging in changes that others have made to the code. And comparing folders tells what files are new, which ones aren't in the newest version, and files that are different between versions. None of this requires a parse, which makes it very fast.

Faster Find in Files

We've sped this up dramatically. The Find Files function in Understand 2.0 is 2 or 3 times faster than in the previous version. It also gives you new ways to specify your search regions, so that you can search smarter. Now you can search multiple directories, and you can specify multiple directories to search. You can search open files and project files. All searches can be saved, and you can even search within search results.

Searching on "Architectures" (another new feature in 2.0) is particularly valuable. For instance, after you change functions or entities in your code, you can easily search for parts of code that depend on those changes. Even if you're working on a multi-million SLOC code base, this kind of smart functionality means you can intelligently limit your searches to just a few thousand line of code, which speeds up your work flow.