--- name: smell description: "Detect software architecture bad smells, algorithmic complexity hotspots, and anti-patterns in a codebase. Produces a detailed markdown report identifying violations of architectural principles, design patterns, code quality, and performance complexity. Triggers on: smell, code smell, architecture smell, find anti-patterns, detect bad smells, complexity analysis, 代码坏味道, 架构坏味道, 反模式, 找出坏味道, 复杂度分析." user-invocable: true --- # Smell — Architecture Bad Smell Detector Analyze a codebase to find violations of software architecture principles, anti-patterns, code "bad smells," and algorithmic complexity hotspots. Produce a comprehensive, actionable markdown report. **Knowledge base:** This skill encodes architectural patterns, anti-patterns, code smells, and algorithmic complexity heuristics drawn from industry research and practice, including the classic code smells catalog by Martin Fowler / Kent Beck (as organized on refactoring.guru: Bloaters, Object-Orientation Abusers, Change Preventers, Dispensables, Couplers). --- ## The Job 1. Understand the scope — ask what part of the project to analyze (full project, specific module, or recent changes) 2. Scan the codebase using `find`, `grep`, and `Agent` (Explore subagent) to gather evidence 3. Identify architectural smells and anti-patterns 4. Generate a detailed markdown report saved to `tasks/smell-report-[timestamp].md` 5. Present a summary of findings to the user --- ## Step 1: Scope Clarification Ask the user: ``` What scope should I analyze? A. Entire project (thorough, may take time) B. Specific module/directory: [please specify] C. Only recently changed files (git diff) D. Only architectural-level issues (skip low-level code smells) ``` If the user doesn't specify, default to option A for small projects (< 100 files) or C for large projects. --- ## Step 2: Evidence Gathering **Use the Explore subagent** (`Agent` with `subagent_type: "Explore"`) to scan the codebase for architectural patterns and anti-patterns. Run multiple parallel explorations: ### Exploration Commands Run these in parallel to gather evidence efficiently: 1. **Project Structure Scan:** Map the directory tree, identify the architectural style (layered, modular monolith, microservices, etc.) 2. **Dependency Analysis:** Find import/include patterns, check for circular dependencies, identify coupling hotspots 3. **Module/Component Scan:** Identify God Objects (files > 500 lines), check cohesion, check single responsibility violations 4. **Pattern Detection:** Look for known anti-pattern signatures (static cling, service locator abuse, leaky abstractions) 5. **Testing Scan:** Check test coverage patterns, test file locations, test-to-code ratios 6. **Naming & Clarity Scan:** Flag misleading names, overly generic names (Manager, Helper, Util), inconsistent naming conventions 7. **Complexity Scan:** Detect algorithmic complexity hotspots — nested loops, N+1 queries, repeated scans, sort-in-loop, expensive recomputation in render paths ### Key Heuristics | Category | Smell | Detection Heuristic | |----------|-------|-------------------| | **Architecture** | Big Ball of Mud | No clear directory structure; everything in root or one flat folder; no separation of concerns | | **Architecture** | Violated Layer Boundaries | Inner layers importing outer layers; infrastructure code in domain/core layer | | **Architecture** | Missing Architecture | No `src/`, `lib/`, `core/` separation; SQL inline with UI code; HTTP handlers mixed with business logic | | **Architecture** | Distributed Monolith | Microservices sharing a database; services that can't deploy independently | | **Architecture** | Anemic Domain Model | Model/entity classes with only getters/setters and no behavior; all logic in services | | **Architecture** | CQRS Without Need | Separate read/write models for simple CRUD; unnecessary complexity | | **Architecture** | Over-Layered Architecture | Excessive layers/tiers that add pass-through code with no real value | | **Architecture** | Over-Abstraction | So many indirections/interfaces/generics that you get lost following the code | | **Architecture** | Futuristic Architecture | Speculative flexibility for requirements that may never come (predicting the future) | | **Architecture** | Technology-Enthusiast Architecture | Shiny/unproven tech adopted in production because it's new, not because it fits | | **Architecture** | Overkill Architecture | Heavyweight architecture/tech thrown at a simple problem | | **Architecture** | Cloud/Visio Architecture | Diagrams disconnected from the actual code and runtime reality | | **Coupling** | Circular Dependencies | Module A imports B, B imports A; detected via import graph analysis | | **Coupling** | Content Coupling | One module directly accesses another's internal/private members | | **Coupling** | Common Coupling | Excessive global variables/shared mutable state; singleton abuse | | **Coupling** | Stamp Coupling | Passing large data structures when only a few fields are needed | | **Cohesion** | God Object | Single class/module > 500 lines; > 20 public methods; handles unrelated concerns | | **Cohesion** | Shotgun Surgery | A single change requires touching 5+ files across unrelated modules | | **Cohesion** | Feature Envy | Method calls foreign class methods more than its own class methods | | **Cohesion** | Data Clumps | Same group of 3+ parameters appearing together in multiple method signatures | | **Design** | Leaky Abstractions | Implementation details (DB queries, HTTP calls) exposed through interfaces | | **Design** | Static Cling | Excessive use of static methods; static state that prevents testability | | **Design** | Service Locator Abuse | DI container passed around instead of proper constructor injection | | **Design** | Violated SOLID | SRP violations, OCP violations (switch/if-else chains on types), ISP violations (fat interfaces) | | **Design** | Switch Statements | Same `switch`/if-else chain on a type code appearing in multiple places; should be polymorphism | | **Design** | Refused Bequest | Subclass inherits methods/fields it doesn't use or overrides them to throw/no-op | | **Design** | Alternative Classes w/ Different Interfaces | Two classes do the same thing but have differently-named methods | | **Design** | Parallel Inheritance Hierarchies | Creating a subclass in one hierarchy forces a matching subclass in another | | **Design** | Speculative Generality | Unused abstract classes, hooks, params, or generics "for future needs" (YAGNI) | | **Design** | Incomplete Library Class | Wrapping/patching a third-party class because it lacks needed methods | | **Cohesion** | Divergent Change | One module changed for many unrelated reasons (opposite of Shotgun Surgery) | | **Cohesion** | Data Class | Class with only fields + getters/setters, no behavior (anemic data bag) | | **Cohesion** | Lazy Class | Class/module that does too little to justify its existence | | **Coupling** | Inappropriate Intimacy | Two classes access each other's private/internal parts too much | | **Coupling** | Message Chains | Long call chains `a.getB().getC().getD()` (Law of Demeter violation) | | **Coupling** | Middle Man | Class that only delegates every call to another class | | **Code** | Temporary Field | Instance field set/used only in certain circumstances, empty otherwise | | **Code** | Duplicated Code | Identical/similar logic appearing in 3+ places; copy-paste patterns | | **Code** | Long Method | Methods > 50 lines; deep nesting (> 3 levels) | | **Code** | Long Parameter List | Methods with > 4 parameters | | **Code** | Primitive Obsession | Using strings/ints instead of domain types (e.g., `string email` instead of `Email` type) | | **Code** | Magic Numbers/Strings | Hardcoded literals without named constants | | **Code** | Comments as Deodorant | Excessive comments explaining bad code instead of refactoring | | **Code** | Dead Code | Unused imports, unreachable code, commented-out blocks | | **Testing** | No Tests | Modules with zero test coverage | | **Testing** | Test-Implementation Coupling | Tests that assert internal implementation details instead of behavior | | **Testing** | Slow Tests | Tests doing real I/O, database calls, network requests without mocking | | **Naming** | Vague Names | `Manager`, `Handler`, `Processor`, `Helper`, `Util`, `Service`, `Data`, `Info` used excessively without context | | **Naming** | Inconsistent Naming | Snake_case and camelCase mixed; different patterns for same concept | | **Readability** | Deep Nesting (Arrow Anti-Pattern) | Loops/conditionals nested > 3 levels deep; rightward-drifting "arrow" shape hard to trace | | **Complexity** | Nested Loops (O(n^2)+) | Loop inside loop; forEach inside for; map inside map; nested iteration suggesting polynomial complexity | | **Complexity** | Repeated Linear Scan | `includes()`/`indexOf()`/`.find()` inside a loop; O(n*m) membership check on list instead of Set/Map | | **Complexity** | Sort-in-Loop | `.sort()` or `sorted()` called inside iterative code; repeated O(n log n) when sort-once suffices | | **Complexity** | N+1 Query Pattern | Database/API/HTTP call inside a loop; `fetch`/`query`/`execute`/`findMany` per iteration instead of batch | | **Complexity** | Render-Path Recompute | `.filter().map().sort()` chains in component render body; expensive transforms without memoization | | **Complexity** | Pairwise Comparison | Nested iteration comparing every element with every other; O(n^2) when sort+two-pointer would be O(n log n) | | **Complexity** | Unnecessary Recompute | Same expensive computation repeated without caching; missing `useMemo`/`memo`/lazy eval | | **Complexity** | Wrong Data Structure | Array used where Set/Map would give O(1) lookup; List where Queue/Heap/Stack is natural fit | --- ## Step 3: Report Generation Generate the report in this structure: ```markdown # Architecture Smell Report **Project:** [project-name] **Scope:** [scope description] **Date:** [date] **Analyzer:** smell skill (Ducc) --- ## Executive Summary [2-3 paragraph summary: architectural style detected, overall health assessment, and top 3-5 critical issues] --- ## Architectural Style Detected [Identify the architectural style: Layered, Modular Monolith, Microservices, Hexagonal, Clean Architecture, or Big Ball of Mud] ### Style Expectations vs. Reality | Expectation | Reality | Status | |-------------|---------|--------| | [e.g., Clear layer separation] | [what was found] | ✅/⚠️/🔴 | --- ## Findings by Category ### 🔴 Critical Issues (Must Fix) [Issues that fundamentally undermine architecture] ### 🟡 Warnings (Should Fix) [Issues that degrade maintainability but don't block function] ### 🔵 Suggestions (Nice to Fix) [Minor improvements that would increase quality] --- ## Detailed Findings ### Finding #1: [Title] - **Category:** [Architecture/Coupling/Cohesion/Design/Code/Testing/Naming/Complexity] - **Severity:** 🔴 Critical / 🟡 Warning / 🔵 Suggestion - **Anti-Pattern:** [Name of anti-pattern] - **Location:** [file:line references] - **Principle Violated:** [SOLID/DRY/KISS/etc.] - **Description:** [What was found and why it's a problem] - **Evidence:** [Code snippet or structure description] - **Recommendation:** [Specific fix, with refactoring approach] --- ## Dependency Graph Analysis [Summary of module dependencies, circular dependencies found, coupling hotspots] --- ## Module Health Scorecard | Module | Lines | God Object Risk | Coupling | Cohesion | Test Coverage | Health | |--------|-------|----------------|----------|----------|---------------|--------| | [name] | [N] | [Low/Med/High] | [Low/Med/High] | [Low/Med/High] | [% or N/A] | 🟢/🟡/🔴 | --- ## Smell Distribution | Category | Count | Critical | Warning | Suggestion | |----------|-------|----------|---------|------------| | Architecture | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | | Coupling | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | | Cohesion | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | | Design | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | | Code | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | | Testing | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | | Naming | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | | Complexity | [N] | [N] | [N] | [N] | --- ## Refactoring Roadmap ### Immediate Actions (This Sprint) 1. [Actionable fix 1] 2. [Actionable fix 2] ### Short-Term (1-3 Months) 1. [Structural improvement 1] 2. [Structural improvement 2] ### Long-Term (3-12 Months) 1. [Architectural transformation 1] 2. [Architectural transformation 2] --- ## Appendix: Anti-Pattern Reference [A condensed reference of anti-patterns checked, with brief descriptions] ``` --- ## Step 4: Save and Present Save the report to `tasks/smell-report-[YYYY-MM-DD-HHmm].md` and present a brief summary to the user. --- ## Anti-Pattern Knowledge Base This section documents the architectural anti-patterns and bad smells the skill knows about. ### Architectural Anti-Patterns #### Big Ball of Mud The most common de-facto architecture. A haphazardly structured, sprawling system with no perceivable architecture. Characterized by: - Promiscuous sharing of information between distant elements - Global or duplicated important state - Structure eroded beyond recognition or never defined - Repeated expedient repair ("duct tape and bailing wire") - Forces: Time pressure, cost, inexperience, complexity, change, scale - **Remedy:** Define architecture boundaries, refactor incrementally, apply SHEARING LAYERS, KEEP IT WORKING #### Distributed Monolith Microservices that must be deployed together. Symptoms: - Services share a database - Synchronous chains of service calls - Changes require coordinated deployments - **Remedy:** Decouple data stores, introduce async messaging, enforce bounded contexts #### Anemic Domain Model Domain objects with only getters/setters (data bags), all logic in services. Violates: - "Tell, Don't Ask" principle - Rich Domain Model pattern from DDD - **Remedy:** Move behavior into domain objects, use domain services only for cross-aggregate operations #### God Object A class that knows too much or does too much. Characteristics: - > 500 lines or > 20 public methods - Handles unrelated concerns - Difficult to test in isolation - Single Responsibility Principle violation - **Remedy:** Extract cohesive groups of methods into dedicated classes #### Leaky Abstractions Abstractions that expose implementation details. Signs: - Interface methods named after implementation (e.g., `SaveToPostgres`, `FetchFromRedis`) - Consumers catching implementation-specific exceptions - Configuration details exposed through abstractions - **Remedy:** Design interfaces from the consumer's perspective, hide implementation details #### Static Cling Excessive use of static methods/state. Problems: - Untestable (can't mock static calls) - Hidden dependencies - Thread-safety issues with static state - **Remedy:** Use dependency injection, convert stateless statics to instance methods #### Service Locator Abuse Using a service locator instead of dependency injection. Issues: - Hidden dependencies (dependencies not visible in constructor) - Runtime errors instead of compile-time errors - Testing difficulty - **Remedy:** Use constructor injection, register dependencies at composition root #### Violated Layer Boundaries (Clean/Onion/Hexagonal Architecture) In layered architectures: - **Clean Architecture:** Outer layers (frameworks) leaking into inner layers (use cases, entities) - **Onion Architecture:** Infrastructure concerns in domain core - **Hexagonal Architecture:** Business logic coupled to specific adapters instead of ports - **Remedy:** Apply dependency inversion, define clear port interfaces #### CQRS Overuse Applying CQRS to simple CRUD. Signs: - Separate read/write models for trivial data access - Event sourcing when events don't add business value - Unnecessary complexity - **Remedy:** Use CQRS only when read/write models genuinely differ or have different scaling needs #### Vertical Slice Contamination In Vertical Slice Architecture: - Cross-slice coupling (one feature directly calling another) - Shared service classes undermining slice independence - **Remedy:** Use events/messages for cross-slice communication, duplicate simple logic if needed ### Top Ten Software Architecture Mistakes A set of architecture-level anti-patterns describing over- and under-engineering. The common thread: **architecture disconnected from real needs and reality.** The opposite extreme (too little architecture) is equally a smell. #### Over-Layered / Multitier Architecture "Layers on layers on layers." Adding tiers beyond what the problem needs: - Each layer just forwards calls to the next with no transformation or value - Simple read requires touching 6+ classes across 4 layers - **Remedy:** Collapse pass-through layers; keep only layers that carry real responsibility #### Over-Abstraction Abstraction piled on until the code is impossible to follow: - Excessive interfaces, generics, factories, and indirection for single implementations - You can't tell what actually runs without stepping through many hops - **Remedy:** Inline single-implementation abstractions; abstract only at real variation points (rule of three) #### Futuristic Architecture Solution built for imagined future requirements that no one can actually predict: - Extensibility points, plugin systems, config knobs nothing uses - Most speculative flexibility is wasted effort — closely related to Speculative Generality and YAGNI - **Remedy:** Build for today's known requirements; add flexibility when a real second case arrives #### Technology-Enthusiast Architecture New/shiny technology put into production because the architect liked it: - Unproven tech adopted without validating it fits the problem or scales - Chasing trends over stability - **Remedy:** Evaluate tech against actual requirements; prefer proven tools; prototype before committing #### Overkill Architecture A simple problem solved with a disproportionate amount of architecture and technology: - Microservices, event sourcing, k8s for a CRUD app with a handful of users - **Remedy:** Match architecture weight to problem size (KISS); start simple, evolve when justified #### Cloud / Visio Architecture "Architecture" that exists only in nice diagrams, disconnected from the code and runtime reality: - Diagrams don't match what's actually deployed; boxes and arrows with no code correspondence - **Remedy:** Keep architecture docs grounded in and verified against the real system > **Note on the opposite extreme:** total *lack* of architecture (no boundaries, no structure) is equally a smell — see [Big Ball of Mud](#big-ball-of-mud) and Missing Architecture. Both under- and over-engineering are failures. ### Coupling & Cohesion Smells #### Circular Dependencies Module A → Module B → Module A. Detected via: - Import graph analysis - "Cannot access before initialization" errors - **Remedy:** Extract shared interface/common module, apply dependency inversion #### Content Coupling One module directly modifying another's internal state. Signs: - Direct field access across module boundaries - `friend`/package-private abuse - **Remedy:** Use public APIs, encapsulate internal state #### Common Coupling (Global State) Multiple modules depending on shared global mutable state: - Global variables, singletons with mutable state - Ambient context (e.g., `CurrentUser` static property) - **Remedy:** Parameterize, use dependency injection, make state explicit #### Stamp Coupling Passing entire data structures when only a few fields needed: - Functions receiving large DTOs but using one field - **Remedy:** Create focused parameters or smaller interfaces (ISP) #### Shotgun Surgery A single change requires modifications across many files: - Adding a field touches 5+ files in different modules - **Remedy:** Consolidate related behavior, apply Single Responsibility #### Feature Envy A method that uses another class's methods more than its own: - Method calls `other.foo()`, `other.bar()`, `other.baz()` with few self-calls - **Remedy:** Move the method to the class it envies #### Data Clumps Same group of fields appearing together in multiple places: - `(street, city, zip)` appearing in 5 method signatures - **Remedy:** Extract into a value object #### Divergent Change One module/class is repeatedly changed for many *unrelated* reasons (the opposite of Shotgun Surgery): - "I always change these three methods for DB changes, and those two for UI changes" in the same class - **Remedy:** Split the class along its axes of change (Single Responsibility) #### Inappropriate Intimacy Two classes are too entangled with each other's internals: - Reaching into another class's private fields, tight bidirectional references - **Remedy:** Move methods/fields to the class they belong to, extract a shared class, or replace with delegation #### Message Chains Long navigation chains like `a.getB().getC().getD().doThing()`: - Client coupled to the whole object graph; violates the Law of Demeter - **Remedy:** Hide delegation — add a method on the first object that returns what the client needs #### Middle Man A class that delegates almost all of its work to another class: - Most methods just forward calls; adds indirection without value - **Remedy:** Remove the middle man and let clients talk to the real object (inline the delegation) #### Parallel Inheritance Hierarchies Every time you add a subclass to one hierarchy, you must add one to another: - `Shape`/`ShapeRenderer`, `Employee`/`EmployeePermission` growing in lockstep - **Remedy:** Merge hierarchies or make one hierarchy reference the other instead of mirroring it ### Code-Level Smells #### Long Method - Methods > 50 lines (or whatever suits the language) - Deep nesting > 3 levels - Multiple levels of abstraction mixed - **Remedy:** Extract methods at same abstraction level, compose #### Long Parameter List - Methods with > 4 parameters - Boolean flags controlling behavior - **Remedy:** Introduce parameter object, split method, remove flag arguments #### Duplicated Code - Identical or near-identical logic in 3+ places - Copy-paste with slight variations - **Remedy:** Extract shared method, apply Template Method or Strategy pattern #### Primitive Obsession Using primitives instead of domain types: - `string` for Email, PhoneNumber, URL - `int` for Money, Age, Quantity - `decimal` without Currency context - **Remedy:** Create value objects with validation and behavior #### Magic Numbers/Strings - Hardcoded literals without explanation - `if (status == 3)` instead of `if (status == Status.COMPLETED)` - **Remedy:** Extract named constants or enums #### Comments as Deodorant - Comments that explain what code does (code should be self-documenting) - Commented-out code blocks - "TODO" comments accumulating without resolution - **Remedy:** Refactor to make code clear, delete dead code, track TODOs as issues #### Deep Nesting (Arrow Anti-Pattern) Loops and conditionals nested so deeply the code drifts rightward into an "arrow" shape: - `if { if { for { if { ... } } } }` — hard to trace which conditions hold at any point - Usually > 3 levels of indentation in one function - **Remedy:** Guard clauses / early returns, extract nested blocks into methods, invert conditions, replace conditional with polymorphism #### Dead Code - Unused imports, variables, functions - Unreachable branches - Commented-out code in version control - **Remedy:** Delete it (git history preserves it if needed) #### Data Class A class that is only fields plus getters/setters, with no meaningful behavior: - A "data bag" other classes reach into and manipulate from outside - Closely related to Anemic Domain Model at the class level - **Remedy:** Move the behavior that operates on the data into the class ("Tell, Don't Ask") #### Lazy Class A class/module that no longer does enough to justify its existence: - Left over after refactoring, or an abstraction that never grew - **Remedy:** Inline it into its caller or collapse the hierarchy #### Speculative Generality Abstractions, hooks, parameters, or generics added for hypothetical future needs: - Unused abstract base classes, unused parameters, "just in case" configuration - Violates YAGNI - **Remedy:** Remove unused abstraction; add it when a real second use case appears #### Temporary Field An instance field that is only set/used in certain circumstances and empty otherwise: - Fields populated only during one algorithm, confusing readers the rest of the time - **Remedy:** Extract the field + the methods that use it into their own class (Extract Class / introduce a Method Object) ### Testing Smells #### No Tests - Modules with zero test coverage - Business logic without unit tests - **Remedy:** Write characterization tests first, then add behavior tests #### Test-Implementation Coupling - Tests asserting internal method calls, private state, or implementation details - Tests breaking on refactoring without behavior changes - **Remedy:** Test through public APIs, assert behavior not implementation #### Test Environment Dependency - Tests depending on file system, network, database, system clock without mocking - Non-deterministic tests (flaky tests) - **Remedy:** Use test doubles, control environment, use DI ### Complexity Smells (Algorithmic Anti-Patterns) Complexity smells indicate code whose runtime grows inefficiently with input size. These are not mere "micro-optimizations" — they are algorithmic choices that cause real performance degradation at scale. #### Nested Loops (O(n^2) and Worse) Two or more loops nested inside each other, producing polynomial complexity. - **Detection:** `for`/`while` inside another `for`/`while`; `forEach`/`map` inside `forEach`/`map`; loop containing another loop (any depth) - **Impact:** O(n^2) for double-nested, O(n^3) for triple; explodes with moderate data sizes - **Remedy:** - Build a Map/Set index for the inner collection → O(n+m) - Sort + two-pointer approach → O(n log n) - Group/bucket data before iterating - Sweep-line for interval/range problems - **Correctness checks:** Does order matter? Are there duplicate keys? Is the original picking first/last/all matches? #### N+1 Query Pattern A database query, API call, or I/O operation inside a loop body. - **Detection:** `fetch()`/`axios()`/`query()`/`execute()`/`findMany()`/`findOne()`/`findUnique()`/`select()`/`where()` inside any loop construct - **Impact:** 1 + N round-trips instead of 1; network latency multiplied by item count - **Remedy:** - Batch fetch by IDs: `SELECT * FROM x WHERE id IN (...)` then join in memory - Use ORM eager-loading / `include` / `preload` / DataLoader - Bulk API endpoints accepting arrays - Preserve: auth filters, tenancy isolation, ordering, pagination, error semantics - **Correctness checks:** Don't fetch records the original per-item logic wouldn't authorize; preserve missing-record behavior #### Repeated Linear Scan (Missing Index) Linear search (`includes`, `indexOf`, `.find`, `in_array`) inside a loop, where a Set/Map would give O(1) lookup. - **Detection:** `.includes()` / `.indexOf()` / `.find()` / `.findIndex()` / `in_array()` / `contains()` inside a loop body - **Impact:** O(n*m) instead of O(n+m) — each iteration scans the entire collection - **Remedy:** Build a `Set` (for membership) or `Map` (for key→value lookup) once before the loop - **Correctness checks:** Does equality semantics change after Set conversion? JavaScript object identity vs. value equality; Python hashability #### Sort-in-Loop Sorting inside a loop body, repeating O(n log n) work unnecessarily. - **Detection:** `.sort()` / `sorted()` / `sort()` inside any iterative block - **Impact:** O(k * n log n) instead of O(n log n) — sort repeated k times - **Remedy:** - Sort once outside the loop - Maintain a heap (PriorityQueue) if incremental top-K is needed - Use binary search/insertion into sorted collection - **Correctness checks:** Is each intermediate sorted state externally observable? Does comparator depend on loop-local state? #### Render-Path Recompute (UI Complexity) Expensive data transformation (filter→map→sort chains) inside UI component render bodies, recomputed on every render. - **Detection:** `.filter().map().sort().reduce()` chains inside React/Vue/Svelte component function bodies; inside `function Component()` or `const Component = () =>` in JSX/TSX - **Impact:** Re-derivation on every state change even if inputs unchanged; jank with large collections - **Remedy:** - `useMemo` / `computed` / `derived` with correct dependency arrays - Move derivation to selectors, loaders, or server-side - Virtualize long lists (windowing) - Stabilize callbacks and object props only when child renders are affected - **Correctness checks:** Dependency arrays must include every semantic input; memoization must not hide mutations of mutable inputs #### Pairwise Comparison Comparing every element with every other element using double-nested iteration. - **Detection:** Two nested loops iterating the same or similar collections, comparing pairs - **Impact:** O(n^2) for pair matching, overlap detection, conflict checking, nearest-neighbor - **Remedy:** - Sort + two-pointer for pair/range matching - Sweep-line for interval overlaps - Spatial hashing or grid bucketing for proximity - Union-find for connectivity - **Correctness checks:** Order stability; tie-breaking in equality cases #### Unnecessary Recompute (Missing Memoization) Same pure computation repeated with same inputs without caching. - **Detection:** Identical function calls with same arguments in hot paths; repeated expensive transforms; recursive calls without memoization - **Impact:** Linear/polynomial wasted work; especially bad with recursive Fibonacci-style patterns (O(2^n) → O(n) with memo) - **Remedy:** Add memoization/caching with proper invalidation; use `lru_cache`/`memoize`/`useMemo` as appropriate #### Wrong Data Structure Using a suboptimal data structure for the access pattern. - **Detection:** - Array/List used for frequent membership tests → should be Set - Array/List used for key-value lookups → should be Map/Object - Array used as queue with `shift()`/`pop(0)` (O(n) per dequeue) → should use proper Queue - Sorted insertion into array (O(n) per insert) → should use Heap - **Remedy:** Replace with the data structure whose complexity matches the access pattern: - Set → O(1) has/add/delete - Map → O(1) get/set - Heap → O(log n) push/pop for priority - Queue/Deque → O(1) enqueue/dequeue #### What NOT to Flag - **Cold paths:** Complexity that only runs on startup, config loading, or tiny N (< 100) is rarely worth fixing - **Intentional tradeoffs:** Clear, readable O(n) code where O(n log n) would add complexity with no measurable gain - **Already optimized:** Map/Set already in use; batch loading already implemented; memoization already present ### Design Principle Violations #### SOLID Violations Checklist - **S (SRP):** Class/module has multiple reasons to change → God Object smell - **O (OCP):** switch/if-else chains on type codes → Strategy/Polymorphism needed - **L (LSP):** Subclass changes behavior of base class unexpectedly → Check pre/post conditions - **I (ISP):** Fat interfaces with methods clients don't use → Split interfaces - **D (DIP):** High-level modules depending on low-level details → Introduce abstractions #### Other Principle Violations - **DRY Violation:** Same knowledge repeated in multiple places - **KISS Violation:** Over-engineered solutions; premature abstractions - **YAGNI Violation:** Code for hypothetical future requirements; unused abstractions #### Object-Orientation Abusers (from Fowler / refactoring.guru) ##### Switch Statements (Type-Code Conditionals) Repeated `switch`/if-else chains that branch on a type code or enum: - The same conditional structure duplicated in several places - Adding a new type forces editing every switch (OCP violation) - **Remedy:** Replace conditional with polymorphism (Strategy/State), or Replace Type Code with Subclasses ##### Refused Bequest A subclass inherits methods/fields it doesn't need: - Overrides inherited methods to throw, no-op, or do something unrelated - Signals the inheritance relationship is wrong - **Remedy:** Push down unused members, or replace inheritance with delegation ##### Alternative Classes with Different Interfaces Two classes perform the same role but expose differently-named methods: - `sort()` vs `arrange()`, `getUser()` vs `fetchUser()` for interchangeable classes - **Remedy:** Unify the interface (rename methods, extract a common superclass/interface) ##### Incomplete Library Class A third-party/library class lacks methods you need and can't be modified: - Scattered helper functions or copy-paste wrappers around the library - **Remedy:** Introduce a Foreign Method or wrap it in an adapter/local extension class > Other refactoring.guru smells are documented in their thematic sections above: > **Divergent Change**, **Data Class**, **Lazy Class**, **Speculative Generality**, > **Temporary Field**, **Parallel Inheritance Hierarchies**, **Inappropriate Intimacy**, > **Message Chains**, and **Middle Man**. --- ## Edge Cases & Fallback | Scenario | Handling | |----------|----------| | User doesn't specify scope | Default to recent changes (`git diff`) for repos > 200 files, full analysis otherwise | | Project has no clear architecture | Report "Big Ball of Mud" with evidence, recommend incremental refactoring | | Empty/monorepo project | Report that architecture analysis requires code; ask user to specify module | | Language not supported | Report general structural observations; note language-specific checks are limited | | Report file path conflicts | Append `-2`, `-3`, etc. to filename | | User wants a quick check | Run only Critical-level scans, skip Code and Naming categories | | User wants only one category | Focus analysis on that category, skip others | --- ## Report Output Example ``` 🔍 Architecture Smell Analysis Complete Project: goal-workflow Style: Modular Monolith (with some layering violations) Files Analyzed: 47 Health: 🟡 Fair Critical: 3 | Warnings: 6 | Suggestions: 9 🔴 Critical Issues: 1. Anemic Domain Model — `models/` classes have only getters/setters, all logic in `services/`. Violates DDD Rich Domain Model principle. 2. N+1 Query Pattern — `services/order.ts:142` fetches user per order in loop; should batch-load users by IDs (O(n*m) → O(n+m)). 3. Static Cling — `util/ApiClient.ts` uses all static methods, making consumer code untestable. 🟡 Warnings: 1. God Object — `services/workflow.ts` at 847 lines handles too many concerns 2. Nested Loop O(n^2) — `analytics.ts:89` pairwise comparison of events; sort+two-pointer would be O(n log n) 3. Leaky Abstraction — `repositories/user.ts` exposes MongoDB query syntax 4. Duplicated Code — validation logic duplicated across 4 controllers 5. Circular Dependency — `auth` ↔ `user` modules depend on each other 6. Magic Numbers — ~23 hardcoded values without named constants Full report: tasks/smell-report-2026-05-27-1530.md ```