readdepends

Readdepends is a hypothetical open-source tool and library designed to model and analyze read dependencies within software projects and data processing pipelines. It focuses on identifying which components read which inputs to produce outputs, supporting reproducibility, optimization, and provenance tracking.

The tool supports both static analysis and dynamic tracing. Static analysis inspects source code and configuration to infer input reads such as file I/O, database queries, and API calls. Dynamic tracing records actual reads during execution, enabling exploration of runtime behavior in test or production runs. Readdepends can aggregate results across languages and environments, producing a unified view of how data moves through a system.

Key features include dependency graph generation, visualization exports (such as DOT or JSON), and integrations with continuous integration and data lineage platforms. It emphasizes modular architecture with a parser layer for different languages, an analyzer for read extraction, a graph generator for relationships, and a storage layer for graphs and metadata. Security and privacy considerations are addressed through configurable data-minimization options and access controls.

Common use cases involve optimizing incremental builds and caching by pinpointing which inputs trigger which outputs, enabling robust data provenance and audit trails, aiding debugging, and supporting compliance efforts in regulated environments. An example workflow includes scanning a codebase and data workflows to produce a read-dependency graph, exporting it for visualization, and using the results to guide caching strategies and reproducibility checks.

See also: data provenance, build systems, dependency graphs.