diff --git a/tools/compare_ast.py b/tools/compare_ast.py
deleted file mode 100644
index ebe9adca0..000000000
--- a/tools/compare_ast.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-# Example usage:
-# python3 compare_ast.py lib/token.cpp
-# python3 compare_ast.py "--project=compile_commands.json --file-filter=*/lib/somefile.c"
-
-import glob
-import os
-import re
-import sys
-import subprocess
-
-CPPCHECK = os.path.expanduser('~/cppcheck/cppcheck')
-
-def run_cppcheck(cppcheck_parameters:str, clang:str):
-    cmd = f'{CPPCHECK} {cppcheck_parameters} {clang} --debug --verbose'
-    print(cmd)
-    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd.split(), stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-    comm = p.communicate()
-    return comm[0].decode('utf-8', 'ignore')
-
-
-def get_ast(debug):
-    debug = re.sub(r' f:0x[0-9a-fA-F]+', '', debug)
-    debug = re.sub(r" '[a-zA-Z0-9: *]+'", '', debug)
-
-    pos1 = debug.rfind('\n##AST\n')
-    if pos1 < 0:
-        return ''
-    pos1 = debug.find('\n', pos1) + 1
-    assert pos1 > 0
-    pos2 = debug.find("\n##", pos1)
-    if pos2 < 0:
-        return debug[pos1:]
-    return debug[pos1:pos2-1]
-
-
-def compare_ast(cppcheck_parameters: str):
-    ast1 = get_ast(run_cppcheck(cppcheck_parameters, ''))
-    ast2 = get_ast(run_cppcheck(cppcheck_parameters, '--clang'))
-    if ast1 == ast2:
-        print(f"ast is the same for file {cppcheck_parameters}")
-        print('ast size:%i' % len(ast1))
-    else:
-        print(f"ast is not the same for file {cppcheck_parameters}")
-        print('saving cppcheck ast in file ast1 and clang ast in file ast2')
-
-        f = open('ast1', 'wt')
-        f.write(ast1)
-        f.close()
-
-        f = open('ast2', 'wt')
-        f.write(ast2)
-        f.close()
-
-        sys.exit(1)
-
-
-for arg in sys.argv[1:]:
-    compare_ast(arg)
-
diff --git a/tools/compare_ast_symdb.py b/tools/compare_ast_symdb.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5712062f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/compare_ast_symdb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+# Example usage:
+# python3 compare_ast.py lib/token.cpp
+# python3 compare_ast.py "--project=compile_commands.json --file-filter=*/lib/somefile.c"
+# check all files in a compile_commands.json:
+# grep '"file":' compile_commands.json | grep -v test | sed 's|.*/curl/|"--project=compile_commands.json --file-filter=*|' | xargs python3 ~/cppcheck/tools/compare_ast.py
+
+import glob
+import os
+import re
+import sys
+import subprocess
+
+CPPCHECK = os.path.expanduser('~/cppcheck/cppcheck')
+
+def run_cppcheck(cppcheck_parameters:str, clang:str):
+    cmd = f'{CPPCHECK} {cppcheck_parameters} {clang} --debug --verbose'
+    #print(cmd)
+    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd.split(), stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+    comm = p.communicate()
+    return comm[0].decode('utf-8', 'ignore')
+
+
+def get_ast(debug):
+    debug = re.sub(r' f:0x[0-9a-fA-F]+', '', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r" '[a-zA-Z0-9: *]+'", '', debug)
+
+    pos1 = debug.rfind('\n##AST\n')
+    if pos1 < 0:
+        return ''
+    pos1 = debug.find('\n', pos1) + 1
+    assert pos1 > 0
+    pos2 = debug.find("\n##", pos1)
+    if pos2 < 0:
+        return debug[pos1:]
+    return debug[pos1:pos2-1]
+
+
+def get_symdb(debug):
+    debug = re.sub(r'0x[0-9a-fA-F]+', '0x12345678', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r'nestedIn: Struct', 'nestedIn: Class', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r'classDef: struct', 'classDef: class', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r'isInline: [a-z]+', 'isInline: ---', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r'definedType: .*', 'definedType: ---', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r'needInitialization: .*', 'needInitialization: ---', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r'functionOf: .*', 'functionOf: ---', debug)
+    debug = re.sub(r'0x12345678 Struct', '0x12345678 Class', debug)
+
+    pos1 = debug.rfind('\n### Symbol database ###\n')
+    if pos1 < 0:
+        return ''
+    pos1 = debug.find('\n', pos1) + 1
+    assert pos1 > 0
+    pos2 = debug.find("\n##", pos1)
+    if pos2 < 0:
+        return debug[pos1:]
+    return debug[pos1:pos2-1]
+
+
+def compare_ast_symdb(cppcheck_parameters: str):
+    same = True
+    debug1 = run_cppcheck(cppcheck_parameters, '')
+    debug2 = run_cppcheck(cppcheck_parameters, 'clang')
+
+    ast1 = get_ast(debug1)
+    ast2 = get_ast(debug2)
+    if ast1 != ast2:
+        print(f"ast is not the same: {cppcheck_parameters}")
+        print('saving file cppcheck.ast and clang.ast')
+
+        f = open('cppcheck.ast', 'wt')
+        f.write(ast1)
+        f.close()
+
+        f = open('clang.ast', 'wt')
+        f.write(ast2)
+        f.close()
+
+        same = False
+
+    symdb1 = get_symdb(debug1)
+    symdb2 = get_symdb(debug2)
+    if symdb1 != symdb2:
+        print(f"symdb is not the same: {cppcheck_parameters}")
+        print('saving file cppcheck.symdb and clang.symdb')
+
+        f = open('cppcheck.symdb', 'wt')
+        f.write(symdb1)
+        f.close()
+
+        f = open('clang.symdb', 'wt')
+        f.write(symdb2)
+        f.close()
+
+        same = False
+
+    if not same:
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+for arg in sys.argv[1:]:
+    print(arg)
+    compare_ast_symdb(arg)
+