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This report presents the forensic synthetic code analysis of jrnl-org/jrnl, a Python project with 7,269 GitHub stars. SynthScan v2.0 examined 18,523 lines of code across 178 source files, recording 136 pattern matches distributed across 10 syntactic categories. The overall adjusted score of 8.0 places this repository in the Low AI signal band.
The scanner applied 160+ deterministic lexical heuristics, multi-line block detectors, abstract syntax tree depth profilers, and a cross-file Jaccard similarity matrix to construct a statistically normalised synthetic code estimate. All matches are individually weighted by severity coefficient and contextual multiplier before summation, and the resulting headline score is temporally discounted to account for the repository's development history relative to the commercial emergence of large language model coding tooling (November 2022 onward).
This chart maps the temporal evolution of the adjusted synthetic code score across successive scan runs. An upward trajectory indicates ongoing incorporation of AI-generated code or expanding LLM-assisted scaffolding; a stable or declining trajectory may reflect active human refactoring, code removal, or the adoption of stricter authorship policies. The dashed secondary line (right axis) independently tracks total raw pattern hit count, which can diverge from the normalised score when codebase size changes significantly between scans.
Classifies detected patterns by their diagnostic confidence and structural impact. CRITICAL patterns (coefficient 10) represent definitive synthetic signatures — hallucinated imports, explicit LLM attribution metadata — virtually never produced by human authors. HIGH (5) indicates strong structural tells such as cross-file repetition or cross-linguistic idioms. MEDIUM (2) covers recognisable conversational padding and AI-specific vocabulary. LOW (1) captures subtle indicators like tautological comments and generic boilerplate that require density to carry independent signal.
This horizontal bar chart decomposes the repository's raw synthetic code score by top-level directory, allowing you to pinpoint precisely which modules or components carry the highest AI authorship density. Directories with disproportionately high scores relative to their size warrant targeted manual review: concentrated AI signatures often trace back to mass-generated configuration layers, auto-ported test suites, LLM-scaffolded boilerplate classes, or entire subsystems authored under heavy copilot assistance. Use this view to prioritise your human code-review effort.
The scanner identified 136 distinct pattern matches across 10 syntactic categories. Each entry below represents a discrete location in the source code where the engine recorded a statistically significant AI authorship indicator. Expand any category row to inspect the individual file paths, line numbers, code snippets, and the lexical context (CODE, COMMENT, or STRING) in which each match was detected.
Reading the findings table: The Severity column indicates the diagnostic confidence level (CRITICAL / HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW). The Context column identifies whether the match occurred inside executable code, an inline comment, or a string literal — comment-context matches receive a ×1.5 weight because LLMs systematically over-annotate. The ⚡ bolt icon marks clustered matches: three or more patterns within a 10-line window, each receiving an additional ×1.5 density multiplier as dense clusters constitute far stronger evidence of synthetic authorship than isolated hits.
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | jrnl/color.py | 33 | def highlight_tags_with_background_color( | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/controller.py | 97 | def _perform_actions_on_search_results(**kwargs): | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/controller.py | 252 | def _print_entries_found_count(count: int, args: "Namespace") -> None: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/controller.py | 369 | def _change_time_search_results( | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/config.py | 210 | def cmd_requires_valid_journal_name(func: Callable) -> Callable: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/output.py | 121 | def _add_extra_style_args_if_needed(args: dict, msg: Message): | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/override.py | 41 | def _get_key_and_value_from_pair(pairs: dict) -> tuple: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/encryption/__init__.py | 22 | def determine_encryption_method(config: str | bool) -> Type["BaseEncryption"]: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/util.py | 43 | def get_journal_frequency_nested(journal: "Journal") -> NestedDict: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/util.py | 56 | def get_journal_frequency_one_level(journal: "Journal") -> Counter: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/fancy_exporter.py | 108 | def check_provided_linewrap_viability( | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/Journal.py | 413 | def increment_change_counts_by_edit(self, mod_entries: Entry) -> None: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/DayOneJournal.py | 180 | def _get_and_remove_uuid_from_entry(self, entry: Entry) -> Entry: | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_time.py | 11 | def test_default_hour_is_added(): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_time.py | 17 | def test_default_minute_is_added(): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_config_file.py | 20 | def test_find_alt_config_not_exist(request): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_editor.py | 19 | def test_read_template_file_with_no_file_raises_exception(mock_open, mock_getcwd): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_editor.py | 29 | def test_read_template_file_with_valid_file_returns_text(mock_file, mock_getcwd): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_editor.py | 33 | def test_get_template_path_when_exists_returns_correct_path(): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_editor.py | 41 | def test_get_template_path_when_doesnt_exist_returns_correct_path(mock_absolute_paths): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_journals_folder_journal.py | 42 | def test_get_day_files_expected_filtering(inputs_and_outputs): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_os_compat.py | 72 | def test_split_args_on_windows(args): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_os_compat.py | 88 | def test_split_args_on_not_windows(args): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_output.py | 12 | def test_print_msg_calls_print_msgs_as_list_with_style(print_msgs): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_output.py | 19 | def test_print_msg_calls_print_msgs_with_kwargs(print_msgs): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 163 | def test_limit_shorthand_alone(): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 195 | def test_today_in_history_alone(): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 297 | def test_deserialize_multiword_strings(self, input_str): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 303 | def test_deserialize_multiple_datatypes(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_override.py | 61 | def test_override_dot_notation(minimal_config): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_override.py | 108 | def test_sequential_delimiters(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_path.py | 41 | def test_expand_path_actually_expands_mac_linux(path): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_path.py | 51 | def test_expand_path_actually_expands_windows(path): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_path.py | 63 | def test_expand_path_expands_into_correct_value_mac_linux(paths): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_path.py | 76 | def test_expand_path_expands_into_correct_value_windows(paths): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_path.py | 83 | def test_expand_path_expands_into_random_env_value_mac_linux(_, random_test_var): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_path.py | 92 | def test_expand_path_expands_into_random_env_value_windows(_, random_test_var): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_install.py | 13 | def test_initialize_autocomplete_runs_without_readline(): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_export.py | 37 | def test_export_to_nonexisting_folder(self, mock_open): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_controller.py | 21 | def test_display_search_results_pretty_short(export_format): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_controller.py | 39 | def test_display_search_results_builtin_plugins( | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/given_steps.py | 26 | def we_enter_editor_docstring(editor_method, editor_state, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 88 | def output_should_not_contain_docstring(cli_run, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 93 | def output_should_not_contain(expected_output, cli_run): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 98 | def output_should_be_docstring(cli_run, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 241 | def assert_dir_contains_files(cache_dir, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 248 | def assert_dir_contains_n_files(cache_dir, number): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 253 | def journal_directory_should_contain(config_on_disk, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 260 | def journal_directory_should_not_exist(config_on_disk, journal_name): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 35 | def output_should_match_docstring(cli_run, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 53 | def output_should_contain_docstring(which_output_stream, cli_run, it_should, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 116 | def output_should_contain_date(date, cli_run): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 121 | def output_should_contain_version(cli_run, toml_version): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 133 | def output_should_be_columns_wide(cli_run, width): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 164 | def config_var_on_disk_docstring(config_on_disk, journal_name, it_should, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 199 | def config_var_in_memory_docstring( | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 283 | def directory_should_not_exist(config_on_disk, it_should, journal_name): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 292 | def content_of_file_should_be(file_path, cache_dir, docstring): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 326 | def assert_output_is_valid_language(cli_run, language_name): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 338 | def assert_parsed_output_item_count(node_name, number, parsed_output): | CODE |
| 7 more matches not shown… | ||||
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | jrnl/exception.py | 9 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/exception.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/color.py | 14 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/controller.py | 28 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/controller.py | 30 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/controller.py | 31 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/override.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/encryption/__init__.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/messages/Message.py | 11 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/jrnl_importer.py | 14 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/calendar_heatmap_exporter.py | 19 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/calendar_heatmap_exporter.py | 20 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/calendar_heatmap_exporter.py | 21 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/util.py | 8 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/text_exporter.py | 16 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/text_exporter.py | 17 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/json_exporter.py | 11 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/json_exporter.py | 12 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/dates_exporter.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/dates_exporter.py | 11 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/fancy_exporter.py | 16 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/fancy_exporter.py | 17 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/yaml_exporter.py | 16 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/yaml_exporter.py | 17 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/xml_exporter.py | 11 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/xml_exporter.py | 12 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/tag_exporter.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/tag_exporter.py | 11 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/markdown_exporter.py | 15 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/markdown_exporter.py | 16 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/__init__.py | 1 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/__init__.py | 2 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/__init__.py | 3 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/__init__.py | 4 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/__init__.py | 5 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/FolderJournal.py | 14 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/Entry.py | 15 | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 153 | assert cli_as_dict("--file 'lorem ipsum.txt'") == expected_args( | CODE |
| LOW⚡ | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 154 | filename="lorem ipsum.txt" | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 221 | assert cli_as_dict("lorem ipsum dolor sit amet") == expected_args( | CODE |
| LOW | tests/unit/test_parse_args.py | 221 | assert cli_as_dict("lorem ipsum dolor sit amet") == expected_args( | CODE |
| LOW | tests/data/journals/basic_folder/2020/08/29.txt | 2 | Lorem @ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent malesuada | CODE |
| LOW | tests/data/journals/basic_folder/2020/08/29.txt | 16 | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam eu ligula eget | CODE |
| LOW | tests/data/journals/basic_folder/2020/08/29.txt | 16 | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam eu ligula eget | CODE |
| LOW | tests/data/journals/basic_folder/2020/08/31.txt | 3 | vitae tempus. Donec eleifend nec mi non volutpat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, | CODE |
| LOW | tests/data/journals/basic_folder/2020/08/31.txt | 3 | vitae tempus. Donec eleifend nec mi non volutpat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, | CODE |
| LOW | docs/formats.md | 13 | Any of these formats can be used with a search (e.g. `jrnl -contains "lorem ipsum" | CODE |
| LOW | .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yaml | 59 | placeholder: "example: `jrnl --debug lorem ipsum`" | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | jrnl/controller.py | 388 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/calendar_heatmap_exporter.py | 35 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/text_exporter.py | 60 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/yaml_exporter.py | 28 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/markdown_exporter.py | 26 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/DayOneJournal.py | 43 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/DayOneJournal.py | 191 | CODE | |
| LOW | tests/conftest.py | 18 | CODE | |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 338 | CODE | |
| LOW | tests/lib/then_steps.py | 366 | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | jrnl/path.py | 45 | # Create the directory if needed. | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | jrnl/journals/FolderJournal.py | 48 | # Create a list of dates of modified entries. Start with diff_entry_dates | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/dates_exporter.py | 29 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/plugins/markdown_exporter.py | 96 | CODE | |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/Journal.py | 236 | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | jrnl/time.py | 60 | except Exception as e: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/main.py | 60 | except Exception as e: | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | jrnl/keyring.py | 21 | def set_keyring_password(password: str, journal_name: str = "default") -> None: | CODE |
| LOW | jrnl/journals/DayOneJournal.py | 172 | def _update_old_entry(self, entry: Entry, new_entry: Entry) -> None: | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/lib/fixtures.py | 94 | # Check if we need more mocks | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | .github/lock.yml | 21 | the conversation. | COMMENT |