Speculative Generality.

There’s an unused class, method, field or parameter.

##Signs and Symptoms

There’s an unused class, method, field or parameter.

##Reasons for the Problem

Sometimes code is created “just in case” to support anticipated future features that never get implemented. As a result, code becomes hard to understand and support.

##Payoff

Slimmer code.
Easier support.

← Previous

Lazy Class

Data Clumps

For AI agents

Use CodeBust in your coding agent

Give your AI coding agent this catalog as tools — so it can name the smell, find the static-analysis detectors, and apply the right refactoring or pattern while it writes code, instead of guessing.

Claude Code plugin

claude plugin marketplace add codebust
claude plugin install codebust

Any MCP client (.mcp.json)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codebust": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "codebust-mcp"] }
  }
}

No database, no API key — the server bundles the corpus and speaks MCP over stdio. Tools: search_patterns, get_pattern, get_refactoring, find_smell_treatment, get_test_smell, get_ai_smell, list_examples, suggest_pattern.

Speculative Generality.

##Signs and Symptoms

##Reasons for the Problem

##Treatment

##Payoff