Customer evaluation · Visual Studio 2026 · 01

Review CUDA findings in your C++test workflow

Prepare a Visual Studio companion solution from a CMake CUDA project, run analysis, and review mapped findings in the IDE

Visual Studio 2026

Findings in the Error List and editor, plus an HTML report for every run

36

NVIDIA CUDA C++ Guidelines 3.0.1 rule identifiers, as heuristic review aids

Daniel Liezrowice CTO, ESL - Engineering Software Lab

Embedded software consultancy, Parasoft and Perforce partner in Israel for over 20 years. ESL builds and supports the Parasoft CUDA Bridge.

linkedin.com/in/liezrowice · sales@eswlab.com

Parasoft CUDA Bridge · Engineering Software Lab Ltd. · Evaluation material

What it does · 02

Connect CUDA sources to familiar C++test review surfaces

Prepare, analyze, and review without leaving Visual Studio

Prepare

Generate a companion solution

For CMake projects, configure with Visual Studio 2026 and create companion projects for CUDA sources.

Analyze

Use your installed Parasoft tools

Run C++test on host-visible CUDA source using the project's build settings and nvcc host flags.

Review

Stay in Visual Studio

Mapped findings appear in the Error List and editor. An HTML report is also generated.

kernel.cu ──► Bridge companion kernel.cu.cpp ──► C/C++test ──► Error List, editor, HTML report

The Bridge is an independent ESL product. It is not a Parasoft or NVIDIA product and no endorsement is claimed.

Before you start · 03

Evaluation prerequisites

Your own licensed tools, plus an ESL activation token

Toolchain

Visual Studio 2026 with C++ and CUDA Toolkit MSBuild integration.
NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit 13.x and a supported project configuration.
Parasoft C/C++test Professional 2026.1 with an active license.
CMake for CMake-folder projects.

Bridge authorization

A signed, machine-bound ESL activation token.
Stage 1 provides 30 days from first successful activation.
Stage 2 adds its own 30-day period when activated; stage 3 is permanent.
Unit tests and host coverage additionally require C/C++test Standard and GoogleTest.

The Bridge does not supply or extend Parasoft entitlements, CUDA Toolkit licensing, or Visual Studio licensing.

CMake preparation · 04

From CMake folder to analyzable solution

Five steps, all on your machine with your toolchain

1ConfigureGenerate with the Visual Studio 2026 CMake generator.

2Read project settingsEvaluate the generated MSBuild projects.

3Mirror CUDACreate host-visible .cu.cpp companions.

4Open solutionOpen the generated *-parasoft.sln in Visual Studio.

5Run C++testSelect the desired configuration and review mapped results.

CMake is the preparation path. Analysis runs on the generated companion Visual Studio solution, not through a native CMake analyzer engine.

Genuine Visual Studio capture · 05

Generated solution with findings

Visual Studio capture showing the vectorAdd companion solution, source editor, and five Error List findings — Actual Visual Studio capture from the local vectorAdd evaluation. The File column shows the generated `.cu.cpp` mirror.

A familiar review surface: each finding with its source location and analyzer severity

A report finding is not automatically a confirmed defect

Flow Analysis Standard: 1 file, 144 source lines, 5 findings (3 Very High, 2 High)

CUDA guideline rules · 06

Use the rule pack as a focused review aid

36

NVIDIA CUDA guideline rule identifiers

35

Enabled by default

1

Older-GPU synchronization rule is opt-in

5

Process directives remain guidance, not checks

Examples

CUDA-1_3 checks selected CUDA API result handling. CUDA-1_4 checks whether a direct kernel launch is followed by an error check. Both are heuristic pattern checks.

Interpret carefully

Checks can miss cases or report false positives. Review source and control flow; a clean run is not proof of compliance.

Reference: NVIDIA CUDA C++ Guidelines 3.0.1.

Separate analysis layers · 07

Keep analysis layers separate

Review findings under the configuration that produced them

Close view of the five vectorAdd Flow Analysis findings — Flow Analysis Standard findings from the local vectorAdd run

Flow Analysis Standard

5

Findings in the local vectorAdd run: 1 file, 144 lines, 3 Very High and 2 High.

CUDA Guidelines 3.0.1

8

Heuristic findings in a separate vectorAdd run, across CUDA-1_3 and CUDA-1_4.

These are separate analysis runs and must not be added as a combined defect count. Review each finding against source and build context.

Report options · 08

Choose where to review the findings

After each run, the Bridge asks where the findings should go

HTML report only

Open the run's HTML report.

Error List only

Show findings with their C/C++test severity.

Both

HTML report and Error List together.

None

Show nothing now. The files are still written.

Every run also writes an HTML report and findings JSON.

Report options · 09

The same findings in the Error List

Visual Studio Error List showing MISRA C++ 2023 findings with severity tags — The same MISRA C++ 2023 findings in the Visual Studio Error List

Entries show the C/C++test severity and open the source line. The clear command removes Bridge entries.

Tip: set the Error List filter to Build + IntelliSense to see Bridge findings

Counts vary by project, rules, configuration, and tool version

Activation · 10

See activation status inside Visual Studio

About dialog with activation state, days left, masked fingerprint, contact links and legal notice buttons — About / Legal Notices

Everything about your activation in one place

Version and activation state.
Days left in the current stage.
The machine fingerprint you send to ESL.
Legal documents, one button each.

Fingerprint and machine ID are masked in these captures.

Activation · 11

Check activation and license

Activation and License Status dialog showing the trial stage and a valid Parasoft license — Activation and License Status

Both checks in one dialog

Your ESL activation stage.
Your Parasoft C/C++test license.

The Bridge does not supply or extend Parasoft entitlements.

Activation · 12

Activate in two steps

Activate dialog with a field for an activation token — Activate: paste the token you receive from ESL

Machine-bound, signed by ESL

Send the fingerprint from the About dialog to sales@eswlab.com.
Paste the PCB1- token you receive.

Fingerprint and machine ID are masked in these captures.

Scope and limitations · 13

Know what the workflow does and does not cover

Analysis

Host-visible CUDA code is analyzed through companion projects.
The workflow is not native CMake engine integration.
CUDA source checks are heuristic, not full semantic proof.

Tests and coverage

CUDA GoogleTest supports native Visual Studio projects with adjacent tests.
CMake-folder test discovery is not supported.
Host coverage does not instrument device-kernel code.

CUDA guideline rules are not MISRA rules. Neither a clean scan nor a coverage percentage is certification or proof of safety compliance.

Local smoke evidence · 14

Validated on a specific evaluation bench

Visual Studio

2026 · 18.6.2

Professional edition with C++ workload.

CUDA

13.2

RTX 5080 Laptop, compute capability 12.0.

CMake

4.2.2

Visual Studio 2026 generator path.

Parasoft

2026.1.3

Installed licensed tools required.

3 / 3

Native CUDA GoogleTests passed

26 / 26

Host lines covered

0

Device-code lines instrumented

These results are specific to the tested setup and do not guarantee compatibility with other toolchain versions.

Evaluation next steps · 15

Start with one representative project

Prepare

Confirm prerequisites

Verify Visual Studio, CUDA Toolkit, CMake, Parasoft licensing, and ESL activation.

Review

Compare source and findings

Check mappings, severity, false positives, missing cases, and setup output with the owning engineer.

Feedback

Agree the evaluation scope

Record project/build details, supported configurations, test needs, and acceptance criteria.

Requires your own licensed Parasoft C/C++test Professional for Visual Studio. The Bridge is an independent ESL product; no approval or endorsement by Parasoft, NVIDIA or Microsoft is claimed.

Engineering Software Lab Ltd. · sales@eswlab.com · eswlab.com · Daniel Liezrowice on LinkedIn