dead-code-finder

name	dead-code-finder
description	Find dead code and unused files/components in CC Director. Use when you need to identify unused projects, classes, or services that can be safely removed to simplify the codebase.

Dead Code Finder Skill

Find and identify dead code in the CC Director application to simplify maintenance and reduce codebase complexity.

Scope

INCLUDED directories:

• src/CcDirector.Core/ - Core business logic
• src/CcDirector.Wpf/ - WPF application
• src/CcClick/ - CLI tool for UI automation

EXCLUDED directories:

• src/CcDirector.Core.Tests/ - Test projects (don't flag as dead code)
• src/CcDirector.TestHarness/ - Test utilities

Analysis Types

1. Unused Project Detection

Find projects (.csproj) that are:

• Not referenced by any other project in the solution
• Not an entry point (WPF app, console app)
• Only referenced by other unused projects (chain detection)

2. Unused File Detection

Find C# files (.cs) where:

• All public classes/interfaces have zero external references
• File is not an entry point (Program.cs, App.xaml.cs)
• File is not a test file

3. Unused XAML Detection

Find XAML files (.xaml) where:

• UserControl or Window is never instantiated
• Not referenced in any other XAML file
• Not the main window (MainWindow.xaml)

4. Unused Service Detection

Find services where:

• Registered in DI (if applicable)
• But never injected or used

Manual Analysis Steps

Step 1: Find Unused Projects

# List all project references in solution
grep -r "ProjectReference" --include="*.csproj" src/

Compare against project list to find unreferenced projects.

Step 2: Find Unused Classes

# Find public classes
grep -r "public class " --include="*.cs" src/ | grep -v Tests

# For each class, search for references
grep -r "ClassName" --include="*.cs" --include="*.xaml" src/

Step 3: Find Unused XAML Components

# Find all XAML files
find src -name "*.xaml" -not -name "App.xaml" -not -name "*.Designer.xaml"

# For each UserControl, search for usage
grep -r "<local:ControlName" --include="*.xaml" src/

Step 4: Find Unused Methods

Use IDE tools or:

# Find public methods
grep -r "public.*\w\+\s*(" --include="*.cs" src/ | grep -v Tests

# Search for method name usage
grep -r "MethodName" --include="*.cs" src/

Output Format

The analysis produces a structured report:

================================================================================
DEAD CODE ANALYSIS REPORT
Generated: {timestamp}
================================================================================

SUMMARY
-------
Potentially unused projects: X
Potentially unused files: Y
Potentially unused controls: Z

================================================================================
SECTION 1: UNUSED PROJECTS (High Confidence)
================================================================================

Project: src/CcDirector.OldFeature/CcDirector.OldFeature.csproj
Status: NOT REFERENCED
Reason: No ProjectReference found in any other .csproj
Action: Review and delete if confirmed unused

---

================================================================================
SECTION 2: UNUSED FILES (High Confidence)
================================================================================

File: src/CcDirector.Core/Legacy/OldHelper.cs
Classes: OldHelper
References found: 0
Action: Review and delete if confirmed unused

---

================================================================================
SECTION 3: UNUSED XAML CONTROLS (High Confidence)
================================================================================

Control: OldDialog.xaml
Location: src/CcDirector.Wpf/Dialogs/
Usage search: <local:OldDialog found 0 times
Action: Review and delete if confirmed unused

---

Safety Guidelines

1. Never auto-delete - Always review before removing code
2. Check git history - Some code may be recently added and not yet integrated
3. Search for string references - Some code is loaded dynamically by name
4. Check configuration files - Services may be registered in config
5. Build after removal - Always run dotnet build cc-director.sln after removing code

Removal Workflow

When you've confirmed code is dead:

1. Document the removal in the commit message
2. Remove in order: Files first, then projects
3. Update solution file if removing projects
4. Build the solution to verify nothing breaks
5. Run tests if applicable

# Remove project from solution
dotnet sln cc-director.sln remove "src/path/to/project.csproj"

# Delete the project directory
rm -rf "src/path/to/project"

# Build to verify
dotnet build cc-director.sln

# Run tests
dotnet test src/CcDirector.Core.Tests

Common False Positives

Entry Points - These are NEVER dead code:

• CcDirector.Wpf - Main WPF app
• CcClick - CLI tool
• CcDirector.TestHarness - Test utility

Infrastructure Code:

• App.xaml / App.xaml.cs
• AssemblyInfo.cs
• Extension methods classes
• Attribute classes

XAML Resources:

• Styles defined in ResourceDictionaries
• Converters used via StaticResource

---

Skill Version: 1.0 Last Updated: 2026-02-14 Adapted from: sampleWeb dead-code-finder skill