opensearch-project/OpenSearch

[Feature Request] Automate detection of unused dependencies

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#19,364 opened on Sep 22, 2025

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 (3 comments) (0 reactions) (1 assignee)Java (1,505 forks)batch import
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Description

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe

This repository has a lot of subprojects, each with its own set of dependencies. This leads to a lot of maintenance in keeping these dependencies up to date. We use dependabot to automate updates but that does not eliminate manual work. See #19347 for a case where a dependency was unused. It would be great to automate detection of unused dependencies so they can be removed in order to reduce maintenance overhead.

Describe the solution you'd like

See #5652 for one possible solution for detecting unused dependencies

Related component

Build

Contributor guide

Research direction
Study existing unused dependency detection tools (e.g., #5652). Understand the build system (Gradle) and subproject structure. Propose a method to automate detection of unused dependencies across all subprojects. Consider integration with Dependabot or similar.
Tech stack
java
Domain
build system
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
JavaBuild systems
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
55