Detecting and Removing Dead Code in iOS Apps

2023/08/10

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The article discusses the importance of detecting and removing dead code in iOS apps. Dead code refers to code that is no longer used or executed, and it can have negative impacts on app size, compile time, complexity, and developer productivity. The author explains that dead code increases the line count of a codebase, which is correlated to the number of bugs. Additionally, having dead code in an iOS app can also have performance implications, as it takes up memory. The article introduces Emerge, a framework that helps reduce the complexity of apps and infrastructure by finding dead code through static analysis. The author also mentions Reaper, a new iOS framework by Emerge, which goes beyond static analysis and detects unused code at runtime. The article provides examples of different types of dead code, such as unreachable code, reachable but impossible at runtime code, and dynamically reachable code. Emerge and Reaper are highlighted as tools that can help developers identify and remove dead code, leading to better and simpler apps.