code-smell-detector

Testing & Quality

Automated detection of code smells and anti-patterns to identify refactoring opportunities

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

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Code Smell Detector Skill

Automated detection of code smells, anti-patterns, and design issues that indicate deeper problems in the codebase. This skill identifies refactoring opportunities and prioritizes them by impact.

Purpose

Enable systematic detection of code smells for:

Refactoring prioritization
Technical debt identification
Code quality improvement
Migration preparation
Design pattern violations

Capabilities

1. Long Method Detection

Identify methods exceeding line thresholds
Analyze parameter counts
Detect high cyclomatic complexity
Suggest extraction candidates

2. Large Class Identification

Detect classes with too many responsibilities
Identify god classes
Analyze class cohesion
Suggest decomposition strategies

3. Feature Envy Analysis

Find methods using other classes' data excessively
Identify misplaced functionality
Suggest method relocation
Map cross-class dependencies

4. Primitive Obsession Detection

Identify overuse of primitives
Find missing value objects
Detect stringly-typed code
Suggest domain type extraction

5. Parallel Inheritance Hierarchy

Detect mirrored class hierarchies
Identify inheritance coupling
Suggest hierarchy consolidation
Map inheritance relationships

6. Shotgun Surgery Detection

Identify changes requiring multiple file edits
Detect scattered functionality
Map change propagation patterns
Suggest consolidation points

7. God Class Identification

Detect classes doing too much
Analyze responsibility distribution
Calculate lack of cohesion metrics
Suggest single responsibility refactoring

Tool Integrations

Tool	Purpose	Integration Method
SonarQube	Code smell detection	MCP Server / API
PMD	Java smell detection	CLI
IntelliJ IDEA	IDE-based analysis	CLI / Export
Designite	Design smell detection	CLI
ast-grep	Pattern-based detection	MCP Server / CLI
ESLint	JavaScript smell rules	CLI

Output Schema

{
  "analysisId": "string",
  "timestamp": "ISO8601",
  "target": {
    "path": "string",
    "filesAnalyzed": "number"
  },
  "smells": [
    {
      "type": "string",
      "severity": "high|medium|low",
      "file": "string",
      "line": "number",
      "element": "string",
      "description": "string",
      "metrics": {},
      "refactoringSuggestion": "string",
      "estimatedEffort": "string"
    }
  ],
  "summary": {
    "totalSmells": "number",
    "byType": {},
    "bySeverity": {},
    "hotspots": []
  }
}

Integration with Migration Processes

code-refactoring: Primary smell identification
technical-debt-remediation: Debt quantification
legacy-codebase-assessment: Quality assessment

Related Skills

static-code-analyzer: Broader quality analysis
refactoring-assistant: Smell remediation
dead-code-eliminator: Unused code removal

Related Agents

code-transformation-executor: Executes refactorings
technical-debt-auditor: Prioritizes debt remediation