DotNet Prune

DotNetPrune analyzes candidate unused code (methods, parameters, fields, properties, types) in .NET solutions using Roslyn and displays the results in VS Code through an integrated hierarchical tree view.

---

Features

• Hierarchical Tree View: Displays findings organized by Solution → Project → File → Unused Items
• Smart File Filtering: Only processes .NET-related files (.cs, .sln, .slnx, .csproj)
• Direct Analysis Integration: Runs the FindUnused analyzer directly from VS Code
• Interactive Navigation: Click on findings to open source files and highlight relevant lines
• Solution-Aware Organization: Automatically discovers and organizes findings by solution structure
• Copy File Path: Right-click context menu on file nodes to copy file paths to clipboard

How It Works

1. Automatic Solution Discovery: The extension finds all .sln and .slnx files in your workspace
2. Integrated Analysis: Runs the bundled FindUnused analyzer tool directly
3. Hierarchical Display: Organizes findings in a logical tree structure:

   📁 MySolution.sln
     📁 MyProject
       📁 Program.cs (right-click to copy path)
         ⚠️ unused method: CalculateSum
         ⚠️ unused field: _cachedData
       📁 Utils.cs (right-click to copy path)
         ⚠️ unused class: HelperClass
   

4. File Navigation: Direct navigation to unused code locations

Usage

Running Analysis

1. Open a .NET workspace with solutions or projects
2. Use the DotNetPrune: Run Analysis command from the command palette
3. Select a solution or project file when prompted
4. View results in the DotNetPrune Activity Bar panel

Tree View Navigation

• Level 1: Solutions (.sln/.slnx files)
• Level 2: Projects within each solution
• Level 3: Source files (.cs) within each project - right-click to copy file path
• Level 4: Individual unused code findings

Commands

• DotNetPrune: Refresh Findings: Re-run analysis to refresh the tree view
• DotNetPrune: Run Analysis: Execute the FindUnused analyzer
• DotNetPrune: Clear Findings: Clear all displayed findings
• DotNetPrune: Open Finding: Navigate to the finding location in source code
• Copy File Path: Right-click on file nodes in the tree view to copy file paths to clipboard

Extension Treeviewer

Extension analyses the solution and produces a JSON array of findings. Each finding includes:

• Project (string): Project name containing the unused code
• FilePath (string): Absolute path to the source file
• Line (number): 1-based line number of the finding
• SymbolKind (string): Type of code element ("Method", "Parameter", "Type", etc.)
• ContainingType (string): Class or type containing the unused element
• SymbolName (string): Name of the unused element
• Accessibility (string): Access modifier ("public", "private", etc.)
• Remarks (string): Additional information about the finding

Technical Details

• File Type Filtering: Only processes .NET file types (.cs, .sln, .slnx, .csproj)
• Solution Association: Automatically associates projects with their parent solutions
• Direct Integration: Uses bundled FindUnused.dll tool for analysis
• Real-time Processing: Processes analyzer output directly without intermediate files

Extension Usage

Benefits

• Clean Codebase Visualization: Easily identify and remove unused code
• Solution-Level Overview: Understand unused code distribution across entire solutions
• Efficient Navigation: Quick access to unused code locations
• Integrated Workflow: No need to run external tools or manage report files
• Smart Organization: Findings are organized exactly as they appear in your solution structure

Development

Building the Extension

npm install
npm run compile
npm run package

Running the Analyzer Directly

dotnet run --project FindUnused/FindUnused.csproj -- /path/to/YourSolution.sln

Next Steps

• Update the analyzer to handle different dotnet project types.
• Optimize the analyzer for large solutions.