dead-code-eliminator

Development

Identify and safely remove dead, unused, and unreachable code from codebases

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How to use this skill

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I want to install this Agent Skill for this project in Codex.

Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/a5c-ai/babysitter/blob/HEAD/library/specializations/code-migration-modernization/skills/dead-code-eliminator/SKILL.md

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Copying this prompt does not install or run the skill. Review third-party files before use. Codex skill guide

Dead Code Eliminator Skill

Identifies and safely removes dead code, unused functions, unreachable code paths, and orphaned files from codebases to reduce complexity and maintenance burden.

Purpose

Enable safe dead code removal for:

Codebase simplification
Migration preparation
Technical debt reduction
Build size optimization
Maintenance cost reduction

Capabilities

1. Unused Function Detection

Find uncalled functions
Identify unused exports
Detect unreferenced methods
Map call graphs

2. Unreachable Code Identification

Analyze control flow
Find code after returns
Detect impossible conditions
Identify dead branches

3. Unused Variable Detection

Find unread variables
Identify write-only variables
Detect unused parameters
Flag shadowed variables

4. Orphan File Detection

Find unimported modules
Identify orphaned assets
Detect unused configuration
Map file dependencies

5. Safe Removal Verification

Verify no runtime references
Check dynamic imports
Validate reflection usage
Test after removal

6. Impact Analysis

Estimate removal scope
Calculate size reduction
Assess risk level
Document dependencies

Tool Integrations

Tool	Language	Integration Method
ts-prune	TypeScript	CLI
unimported	JavaScript	CLI
deadcode	Python	CLI
UCDetector	Java	Eclipse Plugin
unused	Rust	CLI
deadcode	Go	CLI
webpack-bundle-analyzer	JavaScript	CLI

Output Schema

{
  "analysisId": "string",
  "timestamp": "ISO8601",
  "deadCode": {
    "functions": [
      {
        "file": "string",
        "name": "string",
        "line": "number",
        "confidence": "high|medium|low",
        "reason": "string"
      }
    ],
    "variables": [],
    "files": [],
    "unreachable": []
  },
  "impact": {
    "filesAffected": "number",
    "linesRemovable": "number",
    "estimatedSizeReduction": "string"
  },
  "risks": [],
  "recommendations": []
}

Integration with Migration Processes

code-refactoring: Pre-refactoring cleanup
legacy-decommissioning: Feature removal
monolith-to-microservices: Service extraction prep

Related Skills

static-code-analyzer: Combined analysis
code-smell-detector: Related smell detection

Related Agents

legacy-decommissioning-specialist: Uses for cleanup
code-transformation-executor: Executes removal