Deadtrace: Retiring Vulture

The author introduces Deadtrace, a new static code analyzer designed to identify unused components in software projects. The problem of 'dead' code often arises during refactoring, when old implementations remain in the repository even though the application no longer calls them. Existing tools like Vulture do not always succeed in modeling complex relationships between entry points, handlers, and dependencies. Deadtrace aims to automate the process of identifying these connections by analyzing the application structure and suggesting candidates for removal. The article details the limitations of current approaches, the architecture of the new tool, and the boundaries of its applicability. The author shares their experience in building an analyzer that helps developers save time when cleaning up the codebase from obsolete modules and functions, thereby improving the overall cleanliness and maintainability of the project.