Dead Code

Invoke as $dead-code.

Use this skill when the user wants to identify unused code, orphaned files, or stale dependencies for cleanup.

Process

1. Determine scope (specific package or entire project).
2. Scan for unused exports by cross-referencing imports.
3. Scan for orphaned files not imported anywhere.
4. Scan for stale package.json dependencies.
5. Scan for dead code patterns (unreachable code, commented-out blocks).
6. Cross-reference with git history for staleness.
7. Verify findings (false-positive filter):
   • Re-read actual source code for every flagged item. Confirm: exports are genuinely unused (check barrel files, dynamic imports), orphaned files aren't consumed by tools/frameworks, stale dependencies aren't used implicitly (plugins, peer deps, CLI tools in scripts).
   • Drop any finding you cannot re-confirm on second read. If uncertain, move to "Needs Investigation" instead of "Safe to Remove."

Output

• Unused Exports: file, export name, last modified
• Orphaned Files: files not imported anywhere
• Stale Dependencies: unused packages
• Dead Code Patterns: unreachable code, commented blocks
• Safe to Remove: prioritized cleanup list

Follow-Through

After presenting findings, write "Safe to Remove" items to tasks/todo.md under a ## Dead Code Cleanup heading (append or replace existing section). One checkbox per item. Do not add "Needs Investigation" items. If a finding is only a non-blocking future validation or condition-gated cleanup record, write it to tasks/record-todo.md instead with source, condition, non-blocking reason, evidence, and promotion rule. Suggest $exec to execute concrete cleanup.

Constraints

• Never automatically delete anything — only report and write todo items.
• Be conservative with false positives.
• Exclude entry points, config files, and tool-consumed files.

Alignment Page

Follow the shared alignment-page convention via the packaged convention resolver; output path is alignment/dead-code-{topic}.html.

Default Shipping Contract

Follow the shared shipping contract convention in CLAUDE.md.