find-dead-code

Finding dead code in a Python project involves running static analysis on production paths to identify unused functions, classes, and imports. This Skill scans directories like ols/ and generates a concise report of removable items to safely prune bloat.

Static analysis handles false positives by classifying findings and cross-checking results using vulture and pylint unused checks. It filters potential false positives before suggesting removals, prompting for human review to minimize unnecessary code deletion.

Scanning test code for dead code is possible but excluded by default unless explicitly requested. The analysis focuses on production paths within directories like ols/ to ensure refactoring targets main application logic without touching test suites.

Preparing a Python codebase for refactoring involves running a targeted dead-code scan on production directories to report cleanup candidates. Leveraging vulture and pylint identifies unused imports and unreachable paths while filtering false positives before changes.

A limitation of using vulture for dead code detection is potential false positives from dynamic imports or runtime code generation. This Skill mitigates limitations by cross-checking with pylint and classifying results to filter inaccuracies before prompting for removal review.