The Problem with Missing Dependencies

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 16 views

Introduction

In the realm of software development, maintaining a clean and organized codebase is crucial for ensuring reproducibility, efficiency, and scalability. One of the key aspects of code quality is dependency management, which involves identifying and managing the dependencies required by a project. However, many codebases suffer from missing or unneeded dependencies, leading to issues with reproducibility and maintainability. In this article, we propose the addition of fawltydeps, a dependency checker, as a linter to address this problem.

The Problem with Missing Dependencies

Missing dependencies can have severe consequences on a project's reproducibility and maintainability. When dependencies are missing or unneeded, it can lead to:

Inconsistent results: Missing dependencies can cause inconsistencies in the output of a project, making it difficult to reproduce results.
Increased maintenance costs: Unneeded dependencies can lead to increased maintenance costs, as developers need to spend time identifying and removing unnecessary dependencies.
Security risks: Missing dependencies can expose a project to security risks, as outdated or vulnerable dependencies can be exploited by attackers.

Introducing `fawltydeps`

fawltydeps is a dependency checker that helps identify missing or unneeded dependencies in a project. Developed by the team behind the talk at FOSDEM 2025, fawltydeps uses a combination of static analysis and dynamic testing to identify dependencies that are not being used or are missing from a project.

Benefits of Using `fawltydeps`

The benefits of using fawltydeps as a linter are numerous:

Improved reproducibility: By identifying missing or unneeded dependencies, fawltydeps helps ensure that a project's output is consistent and reproducible.
Reduced maintenance costs: By identifying unnecessary dependencies, fawltydeps helps reduce maintenance costs by allowing developers to remove unused dependencies.
Enhanced security: By identifying outdated or vulnerable dependencies, fawltydeps helps ensure that a project is secure and protected from potential attacks.

How `fawltydeps` Works

fawltydeps works by analyzing a project's code and dependencies to identify missing or unneeded dependencies. The tool uses a combination of static analysis and dynamic testing to identify dependencies that are not being used or are missing from a project.

Static Analysis

fawltydeps uses static analysis to examine a project's code and identify dependencies that are not being used. This involves analyzing the project's code to identify import statements, function calls, and other dependencies that are not being used.

Dynamic Testing

fawltydeps uses dynamic testing to test a project's dependencies and identify missing or unneeded dependencies. This involves running a project's code and testing its dependencies to identify any issues.

Adding `fawltydeps` as a Linter

To add fawltydeps as a linter, we propose the following steps:

Integrate fawltydeps with existing linters: Integrate fawltydeps with existing linters, such as flake8 or pylint, to provide a seamless experience for developers.
Provide configuration options: Provide configuration options for fawltydeps to allow developers to customize its behavior and settings.
Integrate with project templates: Integrate fawltydeps with project templates to ensure that new projects are created with fawltydeps enabled.

Alternatives to `fawltydeps`

While fawltydeps is a powerful tool for identifying missing or unneeded dependencies, there are alternative tools available that can also help with dependency management. Some of these alternatives include:

pip-compile: A tool for managing dependencies in Python projects.
poetry: A tool for managing dependencies in Python projects.
npm: A package manager for JavaScript projects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, fawltydeps is a powerful tool for identifying missing or unneeded dependencies in a project. By adding fawltydeps as a linter, we can enhance code quality and reproducibility, reduce maintenance costs, and enhance security. We propose integrating fawltydeps with existing linters, providing configuration options, and integrating with project templates to ensure a seamless experience for developers.

Additional Resources

For more information on fawltydeps and its benefits, please refer to the following resources:

Talk at FOSDEM 2025: A talk by the developers of fawltydeps at FOSDEM 2025.
Getting started docs: Documentation for getting started with fawltydeps.
Publicity terminal-cast: A terminal-cast demonstrating the use of fawltydeps.

Future Work

In the future, we plan to:

Improve fawltydeps performance: Improve the performance of fawltydeps to make it more efficient and scalable.
Add support for more languages: Add support for more languages to make fawltydeps more versatile and widely applicable.
Integrate with other tools: Integrate fawltydeps with other tools and frameworks to provide a seamless experience for developers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about fawltydeps =====================================================

Q: What is `fawltydeps`?

A: fawltydeps is a dependency checker that helps identify missing or unneeded dependencies in a project. It uses a combination of static analysis and dynamic testing to identify dependencies that are not being used or are missing from a project.

Q: Why do I need `fawltydeps`?

A: You need fawltydeps to ensure that your project's dependencies are up-to-date and consistent. Missing or unneeded dependencies can lead to inconsistent results, increased maintenance costs, and security risks.

Q: How does `fawltydeps` work?

A: fawltydeps works by analyzing a project's code and dependencies to identify missing or unneeded dependencies. It uses a combination of static analysis and dynamic testing to identify dependencies that are not being used or are missing from a project.

Q: What are the benefits of using `fawltydeps`?

A: The benefits of using fawltydeps include:

Improved reproducibility: By identifying missing or unneeded dependencies, fawltydeps helps ensure that a project's output is consistent and reproducible.
Reduced maintenance costs: By identifying unnecessary dependencies, fawltydeps helps reduce maintenance costs by allowing developers to remove unused dependencies.
Enhanced security: By identifying outdated or vulnerable dependencies, fawltydeps helps ensure that a project is secure and protected from potential attacks.

Q: How do I integrate `fawltydeps` with my project?

A: To integrate fawltydeps with your project, you can follow these steps:

Install fawltydeps: Install fawltydeps using pip: pip install fawltydeps.
Run fawltydeps: Run fawltydeps on your project using the command: fawltydeps your_project.
Review the results: Review the results of fawltydeps to identify missing or unneeded dependencies.

Q: Can I customize `fawltydeps`?

A: Yes, you can customize fawltydeps by using configuration options. You can specify the dependencies to check, the languages to support, and the output format.

Q: Is `fawltydeps` compatible with other tools?

A: Yes, fawltydeps is compatible with other tools and frameworks. You can integrate fawltydeps with your existing toolchain to provide a seamless experience for developers.

Q: What are the system requirements for `fawltydeps`?

A: The system requirements for fawltydeps are:

Python 3.6 or later: fawltydeps requires Python 3.6 or later to run.
pip: fawltydeps requires pip to install dependencies.
gcc: fawltydeps requires gcc to compile dependencies.

Q: How do I report issues with `fawltydeps`?

A: To report issues with fawltydeps, you can use the following channels:

GitHub issues: Report issues on the fawltydeps GitHub page.
Mailing list: Join the fawltydeps mailing list to discuss issues and feature requests.
IRC: Join the fawltydeps IRC channel to discuss issues and feature requests.

Q: Can I contribute to `fawltydeps`?

A: Yes, you can contribute to fawltydeps by:

Reporting issues: Report issues on the fawltydeps GitHub page.
Submitting patches: Submit patches to fix issues or add new features.
Joining the development team: Join the fawltydeps development team to contribute to the project.

Q: What is the future of `fawltydeps`?

A: The future of fawltydeps is bright! We plan to:

Improve fawltydeps performance: Improve the performance of fawltydeps to make it more efficient and scalable.
Add support for more languages: Add support for more languages to make fawltydeps more versatile and widely applicable.
Integrate with other tools: Integrate fawltydeps with other tools and frameworks to provide a seamless experience for developers.