redun-pendancy

redun-pendancy is a tool for analyzing and managing dependencies in software projects.

It identifies issues, offers actionable recommendations, and simplifies project maintenance with an intuitive interface.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
  • Downloading the Application
  • Running the Application
• Preview
  • Main Window
  • Report Window
• Features
  • Analyzers
    • Core analyzers
    • Maintenance analyzers
  • Interface Highlights
• Supported Files
• Planned Features
• Developer Reference
  • Architecture
    • Components
    • Project Structure
  • Dependencies
• Contributing
• License

Getting Started

Downloading the Application

1. Navigate to the releases section of this repository.
   You can also find the latest release on the right-hand side of the repository page.

2. Download the latest version of the redun-pendancy executable for your platform.

Running the Application

No installation is required, as the application is portable.

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⚠️ NOTE: Always backup your project files (using Git or otherwise) before proceeding.

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1. Drag & drop a supported file onto the executable or into the main window (after startup).
   Alternatively, use the command line for a CLI-only experience(*):

   ./redun-pendancy <project-file>

2. Click the Analyze button to detect issues and improvements.

3. Review the results:

   • Check the "Suggestions section" for improvements.
   • Inspect the "Actions section" for a list of actions to apply.

4. Click on the "Apply actions" to execute the selected actions.

5. Review the modified project file(s).

Preview

Main Window

Report Window

(To be enhanced in the future)

Features

Analyzers

redun-pendancy includes a suite of analyzers to handle various aspects of dependency management.

Core analyzers

• Bubble-Up Analyzer

  • Detects dependencies shared across multiple projects.
  • Suggests moving them up to common ancestors to reduce duplication.

• Redundancy Analyzer

  • Detects redundant dependencies that are indirectly included through others.
  • Recommends removal with detailed reasoning and version considerations.

• Unsorted Dependencies Analyzer

  • Flags projects with unsorted dependencies.
  • Recommends sorting based on dependency group (projects vs packages).

• Unused Global Packages Analyzer

  • Identifies global packages not referenced by any projects.
  • Recommends their removal to simplify and maintain a clean setup.

Maintenance analyzers

• Upgrade Analyzer
  • Highlights "skipped" (outdated) packages.
  • Suggests dependency upgrades to stay up to date and ensure stability.

Interface Highlights

• Dependency Tree
  Visualize dependencies in a collapsible tree format.

• Search & Filter
  Easily find specific packages in the dependency tree.

• Action Management
  Apply analyzer suggested actions with just a few clicks.

• Dependency Information
  View details about a selected dependency - version, framework & total references.

• Overview Report
  Displays dependencies ordered by reference count, from most to least referenced.
  (Might be enhanced in the future)

Supported Files

redun-pendancy currently supports the following files:

• .sln (.NET solution files)

Planned Features

The following features are planned for future updates to redun-pendancy:

• CLI mode
• Maven support (pom.xml)
• NPM support (package.json)
• Python support (requirements.txt)
• Support for "Legacy .NET project files" (< Visual Studio 2017)

Developer Reference

Architecture

redun-pendancy follows a modular & extensible architecture based on clearly defined components.

Components

• Package Info
  Contains package details such as - name, version, framework, dependencies & type.
  This is the core data structure used throughout the application.

• Project Handlers
  Objects that load "project collections" and provide functionality to manage project dependencies.

• Project Readers
  Objects that parse project files into PackageInfo instances.

• Package Loaders
  Objects that parse package files to identify their dependencies.

• Package Container
  Repository that handles registration & lookup of PackageInfo instances.

• Analyzers
  Objects that examine projects & packages to generate ProjectActions and written suggestions.

• Project Actions - (Command pattern)
  Executable tasks generated by analyzers. They contain the task's description, reasoning and execution logic.
  Actions are applied by interacting with a ProjectHandler.

Project Structure

• /analysis/ - Contains analysis specific data structures and helpers.
  • /actions/ - Contains the definition of executable project tasks.
  • /analyzers/ - Includes the implementation of available project analyzers.
• /gui/ - Contains custom widgets and utility functions for Fyne.
• /handlers/ – Includes project-specific handlers (e.g., .NET, Maven).
• /models/ – Defines core/main data models used across the application.
• /helpers/ - Contains specialized collections and helpers for handling files, packages, and dependencies.
• /utils/ – Contains general-purpose utilities, collections, and application helper functions.

Dependencies

• etree for XML file parsing.
• Fyne for cross-platform GUI support.

Contributing

Contributions to improve the tool or its documentation are welcome. Feel free to:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Make your changes.
3. Submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

For more details, open the LICENSE file in the repository.