File Reference Count CLI

A command-line tool for counting file references in code. It analyzes file dependencies in your project, helping you detect the high frequently referenced files.

Features

• Supports multiple file types: .ts, .tsx, .js, .jsx
• Automatically detects import and require statements
• Supports relative path imports
• Supports path aliases (via tsconfig.json paths)
• Supports index files (e.g., index.ts, index.js)
• Provides file reference count statistics

Local Development

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/file-reference-count-cli.git
cd file-reference-count-cli

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Compile TypeScript

npm run build

4. Create local link

npm link

Now you can use the file-ref-count command in any project. To remove the local link, use:

npm unlink file-ref-count-cli

Usage

file-ref-count <directory> > output.csv

This command analyzes all supported file types in the specified directory and outputs the number of references for each file.

Examples

Default Output Format

$ file-ref-count ./src > output.csv

By default, the tool outputs a simple format with file paths and their reference counts:

filePath,referenceCount
app/components/base/icons/IconBase.tsx,698
utils/classnames.ts,569
app/components/workflow/types.ts,494
app/components/base/button/index.tsx,263
app/components/base/toast/index.tsx,172

Detailed Output Format (-d option)

$ file-ref-count ./src -d > output.json

With the -d option, the tool provides detailed information including the files that reference each file:

[
  {
    "filePath": "src/components/Button.tsx",
    "referenceCount": 3,
    "referencedBy": [
      "src/pages/Home.tsx",
      "src/components/Form.tsx",
    ]
  },
  {
    "filePath": "src/utils/helpers.ts",
    "referenceCount": 2,
    "referencedBy": [
      "src/services/api.ts",
      "src/hooks/useData.ts"
    ]
  }
]

Path Aliases Support

The tool supports resolving path aliases defined in your tsconfig.json file. Here's how it works:

1. Configuration Example

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "paths": {
      "@components/*": ["src/components/*"],
      "@utils/*": ["src/utils/*"]
    }
  }
}

2. Import Resolution

When analyzing files, the tool will:

• Match import paths against your tsconfig.json paths configuration
• Resolve aliased imports to their actual file paths
• Count references correctly for aliased imports

For example, an import like import { Button } from '@components/Button' will be resolved to src/components/Button.ts (or other supported extensions).

Use Cases

1. Finding High-Impact Files

   • Identify frequently referenced files that might need extra attention during code reviews
   • Locate core utility files that multiple components depend on
   • Understand which components are most reused across your project

2. Refactoring Planning

   • Assess the impact of planned changes by understanding file dependencies
   • Identify potential bottlenecks in your codebase
   • Make informed decisions about code splitting and modularization

Tech Stack

• TypeScript
• Node.js
• Jest (for testing)

License

MIT