dead-code-eliminator

Dead Code Eliminator

Overview

Systematically identify unused or redundant code in Python codebases to improve maintainability, reduce confusion, and eliminate technical debt.

Workflow

1. Understand the Scope

Define what to analyze:

Questions to ask:

• What directory or files should be analyzed?
• Should test files be included or excluded?
• Are there specific types of dead code to focus on?
• Should external-facing API functions be considered?

Determine analysis scope:

# Check project structure
ls -la

# Count Python files
find . -name "*.py" | wc -l

# Identify test directories
find . -type d -name "*test*"

2. Identify Dead Code

Use multiple detection strategies to find different types of dead code.

Strategy 1: Find Unused Functions

Use the bundled script for AST-based analysis:

# Scan entire project
python scripts/find_unused_functions.py /path/to/project

# Exclude specific directories
python scripts/find_unused_functions.py /path/to/project tests,venv,docs

What it detects:

• Functions defined but never called
• Methods that aren't invoked anywhere
• Async functions without callers

Limitations:

• Won't detect dynamically called functions (via getattr, decorators)
• May flag public API functions that are used externally
• Doesn't detect pytest fixtures or entry points

Strategy 2: Find Unused Imports

Use the bundled script to identify unused imports:

# Scan single file
python scripts/find_unused_imports.py /path/to/file.py

# Scan entire directory
python scripts/find_unused_imports.py /path/to/project

# Exclude directories
python scripts/find_unused_imports.py /path/to/project venv,.venv,tests

What it detects:

• Imports that are never referenced
• Unused from X import Y statements
• Redundant imports

Strategy 3: Use External Tools

Leverage Python ecosystem tools for comprehensive analysis:

vulture - Finds unused code:

# Install
pip install vulture

# Run on project
vulture /path/to/project

# Exclude directories
vulture /path/to/project --exclude venv,tests

# Set minimum confidence (0-100)
vulture /path/to/project --min-confidence 80