Absolute Prune

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Absolute Prune

Cut dead growth from the repo: unused dependencies, unreferenced exports, unreachable code,

orphaned files. Evidence-based — every removal is backed by a tool that proves nothing

references it — applied in safe waves with tests green after each.

Runs the shared engine in references/health-engine.md — read it for the

DETECT → SCAN → TRIAGE → FIX → VERIFY → REPORT loop and the safety contract. This file

covers only what's specific to pruning.

When to use

• "Remove dead code", "clean up unused deps", "what can we delete?".
• Bundle/install bloat from packages nothing imports anymore.
• Post-refactor orphans: files and exports left behind after a feature was rerouted.

prune vs simplify: simplify polishes *your working git diff*. prune sweeps the

whole committed repo for things that are dead repo-wide. Use simplify mid-change;

prune as standing cleanup on green main.

What it scans

Dead dependencies — declared but never imported (and missing deps that are imported but

undeclared):

| Ecosystem | Tool |

|---|---|

| JS/TS | depcheck or knip (knip also covers exports/files) |

| Python | deptry |

| Go | go mod tidy (diff), unused module detection |

Dead code — unreferenced exports, unreachable branches, orphaned files:

| Ecosystem | Tool |

|---|---|

| JS/TS | knip (exports/files), ts-prune, eslint no-unused-vars |

| Python | vulture, ruff unused rules |

| Go | deadcode ./..., staticcheck (U1000) |

Prefer tools already in the project. Treat results as *candidates* — verify each isn't

reached via dynamic import, reflection, DI, public API, or a config string before removing.

Risk ranking (TRIAGE)

| Wave | Removal | Default |

|---|---|---|

| 1 | unused devDeps, unreferenced *local* exports/functions | fix now — lowest risk |

| 2 | unused runtime deps, orphaned internal files | fix this pass after confirming no dynamic ref |

| 3 | anything reachable via public API, plugin system, dynamic require, reflection, or config | gated / usually defer — high false-positive risk |

Static tools miss dynamic references. Anything in wave 3, or anything a tool flags but you

can't *prove* is dead, gets confirmed with the user or deferred — never auto-removed.

Fix & verify

• Remove in small, reversible waves. One category per wave (e.g. "unused devDeps", then

"orphaned files").

• After each wave: full test + build + typecheck. A green typecheck/build is the proof the

removed symbol truly had no references. If anything goes red, the symbol wasn't dead —

revert and reclassify.

• Removing a dep: drop it from the manifest, regenerate the lockfile, rebuild.
• Don't delete: generated files, vendored code, public-API surface, or anything load-bearing

for a config/plugin you can't trace. Report those as "suspected dead, needs human call".

Treat preferences.health.protectedPaths from config as never-delete globs — anything

matching is out of scope even if a tool flags it.

Gotchas

• Trusting the tool blindly. Dynamic imports, DI containers, reflection, and string-keyed

lookups defeat static analysis. Confirm before deleting.

• Removing public API. A library's unused-internally export may be its whole point. Check

the package entry points / exports map.

• Deleting generated or vendored files. They look orphaned but are rebuilt/checked-in on purpose.
• Big-bang prune. Deleting everything flagged in one commit makes regressions un-bisectable.

Wave it.

• Scope creep into refactor. prune removes dead things; it does not restructure live code.

Restructuring → simplify or work.

Companion commands

• /absolute simplify — for restructuring/clarity of *live* code in your diff.
• /absolute upgrade — pairs well: prune unused deps, then upgrade what remains.
• /absolute debt — pruning often clears a batch of lint/unused-var warnings too.