minimize-rust-ffi-crate-surface

Minimize Rust FFI crate surface by identifying and deleting C symbols that are unused or only referenced in C/C++ unit tests. The tool analyzes symbol usage across your crate, removes candidates without breaking production code, and validates changes by running your test suite.

Production symbols are called by live C/C++ code; test-only symbols exist solely for unit testing. Distinguishing them lets you safely prune test symbols to shrink your FFI surface, improve compile times, and clarify which bindings are actually required for production.

Yes. The tool identifies which C symbols are safe to remove by analyzing actual usage, then validates your refactor by running unit tests. This separates production interfaces from test-only bindings, making refactors safer and more maintainable.

Run the tool on your FFI crate to enumerate all C symbol usage across src/ paths. It reports which symbols are unused, which are only called in tests, and which are production-facing, giving you a clear picture of your actual API surface.

The tool validates all changes by running your test suite (./build.sh RUN_UNIT_TESTS). If a removed symbol breaks production or test code, the validation catches it, so you can restore the symbol before deployment.

It improves both. Removing unused C symbol definitions reduces compile time, linker overhead, and maintenance burden. Shrinking your public surface also clarifies which bindings are production-critical versus test scaffolding.