Remove Dead Code

Find and safely remove unused code: imports, functions, variables, commented blocks, unreachable code, unused files.

Prerequisites

Safety requirements:

1. Git repository with clean working tree
2. All tests passing before cleanup
3. Backup branch created automatically
4. Test validation after each removal category

Run prerequisite check:

PLUGIN_ROOT="$HOME/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/shavakan"

if [[ ! "$PLUGIN_ROOT" =~ ^"$HOME"/.* ]]; then
  echo "ERROR: Invalid plugin root path"
  exit 1
fi

PREREQ_SCRIPT="$PLUGIN_ROOT/commands/cleanup/scripts/check-prerequisites.sh"
if [[ ! -f "$PREREQ_SCRIPT" ]]; then
  echo "ERROR: Prerequisites script not found"
  exit 1
fi

PREREQ_OUTPUT=$(mktemp)
if "$PREREQ_SCRIPT" > "$PREREQ_OUTPUT" 2>&1; then
  source "$PREREQ_OUTPUT"
  rm "$PREREQ_OUTPUT"
else
  cat "$PREREQ_OUTPUT"
  rm "$PREREQ_OUTPUT"
  exit 1
fi

This exports: TEST_CMD, BACKUP_BRANCH, LOG_FILE

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Additional Instructions

$ARGUMENTS

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Objective

Identify and remove dead code that clutters the codebase without affecting functionality.

Categories

Unused imports - Modules imported but never referenced

Unused functions - Defined but never called, private methods with no references, exported with no external usage

Unused variables - Declared but never read, parameters never used, constants not referenced

Commented code - 5+ consecutive commented lines with code syntax (belongs in git history)

Unreachable code - After return/throw/break, conditional branches that never execute

Unused files - Source files with no imports, test files for deleted features, replaced implementations

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Execution

Phase 1: Detect Dead Code

Scan codebase for unused code using language-appropriate static analysis. For each category:

• Report locations with context
• Verify findings (check for dynamic references, reflection, callbacks)
• Count impact (lines that can be removed)

Be cautious with:

• Public API exports - check for external usage first
• Test utilities - may be needed later even if not currently used
• Code called dynamically (eval, reflection, event handlers)

Gate: User must review findings before removal.

Phase 2: Confirm Removals

Present findings to user with risk assessment:

Remove dead code?

□ Safe - Unused imports + variables (auto-fixable)
□ Low risk - Unused private functions + commented code
□ Needs review - Unused public functions + unused files
□ Custom - Select specific items
□ Cancel

Gate: Get user approval on which categories to remove.

Phase 3: Execute Removals

For each approved category:

1. Remove items using language-specific tools when available (eslint --fix, autoflake). For functions/files, manual removal with careful validation.

2. Test and commit: Run $TEST_CMD after each category. If passing, commit. If failing, rollback and report which removal broke tests.

3. Continue safely: Process one category at a time. Stop on test failure.

Gate: Tests must pass before moving to next category.

Phase 4: Report Results

Summarize: items removed per category, files affected, lines eliminated, code coverage maintained.

Delete the backup branch after successful completion:

git branch -D "$BACKUP_BRANCH"

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Safety Constraints

CRITICAL:

• One category at a time with test validation
• Never remove public API exports without confirming no external usage
• Verify zero references using code search before removing
• Test after each removal - rollback on failure
• Commit granularly
• Use git rm for file removal to preserve history
• Check for dynamic references (code may be called via string identifiers)

If tests fail: Rollback, identify which specific removal caused failure, decide whether to skip that item or investigate why it was actually needed.

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After Cleanup

Review with code-reviewer agent before pushing:

Use shavakan-agents:code-reviewer to verify removals don't introduce issues.

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Related Commands

• /shavakan-commands:cleanup - Full repository audit
• /shavakan-commands:cleanup-comments - Clean up comments
• /shavakan-commands:cleanup-architecture - Refactor structure