Static analysis for Dart + Flutter

Find unused code. Measure the hard parts.

Hyena resolves your Dart AST to trace declaration reachability, then measures function-level complexity. Run it from the terminal, emit a report, or call the analyzers from Dart.

Run your first analysis Read the docs

v1.2.1 · Dart SDK 3.10+ · MIT licensed · local-first

hyena / report

$ hyena_dart analyze lib --no-color

HYENA CODE ANALYSIS REPORT
────────────────────────────────
Target: lib

DEAD CODE
Total declarations: 204
Unused entities:     0
✓ No dead code detected

COMPLEXITY
Files:                 17
Functions:             251
Threshold violations: 5

dart pub global activate hyena_dart

Safe AI / MCP

Introduced in v1.1.2

One bounded tool for AI-assisted review.

Start hyena_mcp with one absolute project root. An MCP client receives exactly one read-only tool for relative Dart paths and selected checks.

One analysis surface.hyena_analyze(path, checks) returns schema-versioned findings.
No execution path.No HTTP server, shell, target execution, writes, fixes, or outbound network code.
Bounded, not sandboxed.Path checks and hard limits apply; untrusted workspaces still need OS isolation.

Configure Safe AI / MCP

mcp.jsonstdio

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hyena": {
      "command": "hyena_mcp",
      "args": [
        "--root",
        "/absolute/project"
      ]
    }
  }
}

tool call

hyena_analyze({
  "path": "lib",
  "checks": "both"
})

The short path

From install to report in three commands.

Use the defaults first. Add a config only when generated files, public exports, or your team's complexity limits need different treatment.

01 / Install

Activate the CLI

Install the published executable into your Dart global cache.

dart pub global activate hyena_dart

02 / Prepare

Resolve your package

Dead-code analysis needs analyzer resolution for every included file.

dart pub get

03 / Analyze

Choose a file or directory

Analyze the package, a subdirectory, or one Dart file while iterating.

hyena_dart analyze .

Analysis surface

Two passes, one report.

Dead-code analysis follows resolved references from roots. Complexity analysis parses each function, method, constructor, and closure into a small set of reviewable metrics.

How analysis works

Reachability-based dead code

Reports declarations that cannot be reached from entry points, inherited implementations, top-level references, and public API roots.

Function-level complexity

Measures control-flow paths, nesting, parameters, physical LOC, Halstead volume, and a normalized maintainability index.

Predictable exclusions

Custom glob patterns apply on top of built-in exclusions for common generated Dart outputs and generated directories.

Adoption controls

Keep exceptions explicit. Gate only what is new.

Source suppressions and a versioned baseline are applied before reporting and exit-code policy, so existing debt does not need a broad exclusion.

01 / Source

Suppress one declaration

Keep an intentional exception next to the code and scope it to a declaration or rule.

// hyena:ignore dead-code

02 / Baseline

Record accepted findings

Commit stable, line-independent fingerprints for findings the project accepts today.

--write-baseline=hyena-baseline.json

03 / CI

Fail on new findings

Apply the baseline, then return exit code 1 only for the selected finding categories.

--fail-on=dead-code,complexity

See baseline and CI examples

Output

Read it now or pass it on.

Every command can write to stdout or a file. The selected reporter changes presentation, not the analysis itself.

Default

Console

Compact summaries and the first 20 findings, with optional ANSI color.

Automation

JSON + SARIF

Structured metrics for custom policies and SARIF 2.1 for code-scanning systems.

Review

Markdown

Tables and collapsible file sections that fit issue and pull-request workflows.

HTML

A standalone report with summary cards and detailed violation tables.

Operational notes

Know what the result means.

Hyena is a focused analyzer, not a replacement for the Dart compiler, lints, tests, or runtime coverage.

Resolve first. Dead-code analysis stops if an included Dart file has a resolution error.
Thresholds are strict. A value equal to its configured limit is allowed; only greater values are violations.
Exports are conservative by default. Directly importable libraries, parts, and every conditional branch are treated as reachable.
Dynamic dispatch stays conservative. Unresolved dynamic calls retain same-named members when the runtime target cannot be proven.

Documentation

Start with the defaults. Tune with evidence.

Getting started Configuration