Code Smells
Checklist of code smells to identify during refactoring. Both generic C issues and ikigai-specific violations.
Generic C Code Smells
Function-Level
| Smell |
Signal |
Action |
| Long function |
>50 lines |
Extract functions by responsibility |
| Deep nesting |
>3 levels |
Extract inner logic, use early returns |
| Long parameter list |
>4 params |
Introduce parameter object (struct) |
| Magic numbers |
Literal values in logic |
Define named constants |
| Duplicate code |
Copy-pasted blocks |
Extract shared function |
| Comments explaining what |
// increment counter |
Rename to be self-documenting |
| Dead code |
Unreachable branches |
Delete it |
| Complex conditionals |
if (a && b || c && !d) |
Extract to named boolean or function |
Structural
| Smell |
Signal |
Action |
| God struct |
Struct with 10+ fields |
Split by responsibility |
| Feature envy |
Function uses another module's data extensively |
Move function to that module |
| Primitive obsession |
Passing raw char*, int everywhere |
Introduce domain types |
| Shotgun surgery |
One change requires editing many files |
Consolidate related code |
| Divergent change |
One file changes for unrelated reasons |
Split by responsibility |
ikigai-Specific Violations
Naming
| Violation |
Example |
Fix |
Missing ik_ prefix |
config_load() |
ik_cfg_load() |
| Wrong abbreviation |
ik_configuration_load() |
ik_cfg_load() (use approved abbrev) |
| Inconsistent module prefix |
ik_config_load() vs ik_cfg_parse() |
Pick one, use consistently |
Missing _ptr suffix |
bool *visible; (raw pointer) |
bool *visible_ptr; |
Missing g_ prefix |
volatile sig_atomic_t shutdown; |
g_shutdown |
Error Handling
| Violation |
Example |
Fix |
| Unchecked res_t |
ik_cfg_load(...); use(cfg); |
TRY(ik_cfg_load(...)) or check is_err() |
| Wrong mechanism |
if (!ptr) return ERR(...) for OOM |
OOM → PANIC(), not res_t |
| assert for runtime |
assert(file_exists(path)) |
External input → res_t, not assert |
| Missing LCOV marker |
if (!ptr) PANIC("OOM"); |
Add // LCOV_EXCL_BR_LINE |
| Error on wrong context |
ERR(tmp, ...) before talloc_free(tmp) |
Use parent context for errors |
Memory (talloc)
| Violation |
Example |
Fix |
| malloc instead of talloc |
char *buf = malloc(size); |
talloc_array(ctx, char, size) |
| Missing parent |
talloc_new(NULL) in non-main |
Pass parent context from caller |
| Orphaned allocation |
talloc(ctx, ...) never freed/stolen |
Attach to proper parent or free |
| Hidden allocation |
Function mallocs internally |
Accept TALLOC_CTX* parameter |
Dependency Injection
| Violation |
Example |
Fix |
| Global state |
static config_t *g_config; |
Pass config as parameter |
| Hidden I/O |
load_from_disk() inside init |
Load externally, pass data in |
| Service locator |
get_service("db") |
Pass db_t* parameter |
| Constructor does work |
init() opens files, connects |
Accept opened resources as params |
Style
| Violation |
Example |
Fix |
| Block comment |
/* comment */ |
// comment |
| Primitive type |
int count; |
int32_t count; |
| Wrong include order |
System before project headers |
Project headers first |
| static helper function |
static void helper() {...} |
Inline at call site |
Investigation Workflow
-
Scan for patterns - Use grep/search for smell signals
-
Triage by impact - Fix high-frequency smells first
-
Verify with tests - Ensure refactoring doesn't break behavior
-
One smell at a time - Don't mix refactoring types in one commit
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