DeadKiller CLI

DeadKiller is an advanced Command Line Interface (CLI) tool designed to perform deep static analysis on JavaScript and TypeScript source code. Developed as a final year thesis project, it leverages Graph-Based Reachability Analysis to accurately map project structures, detecting unreachable files, dead code (unused variables, functions, etc.), and unused dependencies.

It features a Confidence Scoring System and Safety Classification to ensure that all findings are accurately categorized, along with an HTML Dashboard and Git-style diff viewing for a secure and professional developer experience.

Core Features

• Graph-Based Reachability: Constructs a dependency graph from entry points using Breadth-First Search (BFS) to distinguish between live and dead files.
• Intra-procedural Dead Code Detection: Detects unused variables, functions, parameters, and unreachable statements within their respective scopes.
• Unused Dependency Detection: Identifies libraries declared in package.json that are never imported.
• Confidence & Safety System: Automatically labels findings with confidence levels (High/Medium/Low) and safety statuses (Safe/Review/Risky).
• Interactive Diff Preview: Provides a Git-style before-and-after preview prior to any code deletion.
• HTML Dashboard Visualization: Generates an interactive graph using Cytoscape.js and Dagre layout for deep architectural inspection.
• Safe Mode Execution: Protected exports, automatic backups, and interactive confirmation. Only items marked as safe are eligible for auto-fix.
• Framework-Aware: Supports native detection for vanilla, react, and next frameworks, automatically protecting critical framework directories.

Installation

Clone this repository and install dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/Dwirifan/Dead-code-and-Unsed-Dependecy.git
cd Dead-code-and-Unsed-Dependecy
npm install

To install the CLI globally on your system:

npm install -g deadkiller-cli

Note: If installed locally, you can use npm link to make the deadkiller command available globally.

Usage

DeadKiller provides both an Interactive Wizard and direct CLI commands.

Interactive Wizard (Recommended)

Launch the interactive menu to be guided through all available features:

deadkiller

Direct CLI Commands

1. Scan (Dry Run) Audits the project and outputs dead code and unused dependencies without modifying any files.

deadkiller scan <path>
# Output in JSON format for CI/CD integration:
deadkiller scan <path> --json

2. Fix (Interactive Deletion) Detects dead code, displays a diff preview, and requests confirmation before deletion. Only safe items will be processed.

deadkiller fix <path>

3. Show Dependencies Analyzes package.json to contrast used versus unused dependencies.

deadkiller show-deps <path>

4. Visualize / Report Generates an interactive HTML dashboard containing the dependency graph and the complete dead code report.

deadkiller visualize <path>
# or
deadkiller report <path>

5. Trace (Reverse Import) Traces module imports to answer which files depend on a specific target file.

deadkiller trace <file_path>

6. Watch Mode Monitors the directory for file changes and automatically triggers a scan upon saving.

deadkiller watch <path>

7. History Displays backup history created by the fix command and allows restoration of previous states.

deadkiller history <path>

Configuration

You can customize DeadKiller's behavior by creating a .deadkillerrc.json file in your project's root directory:

{
  "mode": "vanilla",
  "ignorePrefixedVariables": "^_",
  "preserveExports": true,
  "preserveFiles": [],
  "ignoreDependencies": [],
  "entryPoints": []
}

• mode: Framework mode (vanilla, react, or next).
• ignorePrefixedVariables: Regex pattern to ignore specific variables (e.g., ^_ ignores _unusedVar).
• preserveExports: Protects all exported functions and variables from deletion.
• preserveFiles: Array of file paths to explicitly exclude from analysis.

Confidence and Safety Classification

To ensure code stability, DeadKiller categorizes all findings into two dimensions:

Confidence Level:

• High: >99% certainty of being unused (e.g., unused local variables, unreachable statements).
• Medium: High probability of being unused, but may have side effects.
• Low: Potential false positives (e.g., unused class methods, parameters).

Safety Status:

• Safe: Completely safe to remove. Eligible for auto-fix.
• Review: Requires manual developer review. Will not be auto-fixed.
• Risky: High risk of breaking changes (e.g., callbacks, polymorphic methods). Will not be auto-fixed.

License

MIT License