analyzing-cpp-codebase

C++ Codebase Analysis

Target: $ARGUMENTS

Analyzes C++ desktop project structure, dependencies, and architecture. Delivers actionable findings, not exhaustive documentation.

Workflow

1. Detect project layout — scan for CMakeLists.txt, .pro files, src/, include/
2. Identify framework — determine wxWidgets, GTK3, Qt, or mixed
3. Map dependencies — CMake targets, find_package calls, include graph
4. Assess architecture — module boundaries, coupling, layering
5. Report findings — structured summary with actionable items

Framework Detection

Check these indicators in order:

Framework	CMake Signal	Include Signal	Other
Qt	find_package(Qt6) / Qt5	#include <QWidget>	.pro, .qrc files
wxWidgets	find_package(wxWidgets)	#include <wx/wx.h>	—
GTK3	pkg_check_modules(GTK3)	#include <gtk/gtk.h>	.ui (GtkBuilder)

Dependency Mapping

# List all CMake targets
grep -rn "add_library\|add_executable" CMakeLists.txt */CMakeLists.txt 2>/dev/null

# List external dependencies
grep -rn "find_package\|pkg_check_modules" CMakeLists.txt */CMakeLists.txt 2>/dev/null

# Include graph (most-included headers)
grep -rh '#include "' src/ include/ 2>/dev/null | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head -20

Architecture Assessment

Evaluate these dimensions:

Module Boundaries:

• Are source files organized by feature or by layer?
• Is there a clear src/ vs include/ separation?
• Are GUI components isolated from business logic?

Coupling:

• How many cross-module includes exist?
• Are there circular dependencies?
• Is dependency injection or interface abstraction used?

Build Structure:

• Single CMakeLists.txt or hierarchical?
• Are libraries split into reusable targets?
• Are tests in a separate target?