A maintained ctags implementation
This report summarizes scanner evidence for universal-ctags/ctags, a C project with 7,307 GitHub stars. SynthScan examined 305,389 lines of code across 2602 source files, recording 870 pattern matches distributed across 13 syntactic categories. The legacy adjusted pattern signal is 2.8 (Low pattern signal); it is not an authorship estimate.
Use the findings to ask whether maintainers can explain intent, verify dependencies, simplify unnecessary scaffolding, and focus review effort. Risk Payload v1 adds ownership, supply-chain, over-engineering, and review-effort vectors when available. These are prompts for human verification, not probabilities, security findings, or measured maintenance costs.
Use each vector to guide manual verification of the underlying findings.
Payload schema: 1.0.0 · Engine: 2.0.0 · Scoring: heuristic-density-v1 · Scan date: 2026-10-31.
Can maintainers explain intent, assumptions, and trade-offs? 818 finding(s).
Are imports declared and package/API names verified? 49 finding(s).
Are wrappers, guards, and repeated structures necessary? 5 finding(s).
Which changes need focused human review? 870 finding(s).
This chart tracks the legacy adjusted pattern score across scan runs. Changes can reflect source changes, scan coverage, or detector/scoring versions; they do not measure AI adoption or prove that a team refactored code. Compare runs only when their scoring versions are compatible. The dashed line tracks the raw pattern-hit count.
Groups findings by configured severity weight. Severity is not a confidence estimate, security rating, or proof that a package is missing. Verify imports against the project's manifests and inspect each finding in its local design context.
This horizontal bar chart shows where configured pattern scores accumulate across directories. Treat the bars as locations to inspect, not as evidence of authorship or code quality. Use the file-level findings to decide whether a directory needs a focused ownership, dependency, complexity, or review check.
The scanner identified 870 distinct pattern matches across 13 syntactic categories. Each entry below represents a discrete location in the source code where the engine recorded a detector match to inspect in context. 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 configured finding weight (CRITICAL / HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW). The Context column identifies whether the match occurred inside executable code, an inline comment, or a string literal — legacy comment-context matches receive a ×1.5 score weight. The ⚡ bolt icon marks clustered matches: three or more patterns within a 10-line window, each receiving an additional ×1.5 density multiplier under the legacy scoring model.
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | appveyor.yml | 1 | version: 1.0.{build} | COMMENT |
| LOW | .readthedocs.yaml | 21 | # install: | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/units.py | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env python3 | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/units.py | 281 | subprocess.run([SHELL, script, 'shrink', | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/enumstr.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/gencxxtypedumper.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/news.bash | 1 | #!/bin/bash | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/man-test.py | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env python3 | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/debuggen/rust.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/debuggen/typescript.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/debuggen/libdebuggen.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/validators/tsc-common.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/validators/g++-common.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/validators/gfortran-common.sh | 1 | #!/bin/sh | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/benchmark/benchmark.sh | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env bash | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1 | # Uncrustify_d-0.72.0_f | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 21 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 41 | disable_processing_nl_cont = false # true/false | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 81 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 141 | # Add or remove space after assignment '=' in enum. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 221 | # Add or remove space before a reference sign '&'. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 241 | sp_before_byref_func = ignore # ignore/add/remove/force | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 561 | # Add or remove space between ')' and '{' of a function call in object | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 721 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 741 | # Default: remove | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 841 | # | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 901 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 941 | # Default: 8 | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 961 | indent_param = 0 # unsigned number | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1041 | # Whether to indent the stuff after a leading class initializer colon. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1081 | # for function definitions, only if indent_func_def_param is false | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1101 | indent_template_param = false # true/false | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1161 | indent_case_brace = 4 # number | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1181 | # <=0: Subtract from brace indent | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1241 | # followed by a newline, the next line is indent one tab. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1261 | indent_oc_block = false # true/false | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1301 | # reach this minimum indent. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1321 | # false: only indent 1 level, don't add the indent for the open brace, only add | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1601 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1621 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 1661 | nl_class_init_args = ignore # ignore/add/remove/force | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2041 | # Whether one-line method definitions inside a class body should be treated | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2061 | nl_after_func_body_one_liner = 0 # unsigned number | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2081 | # | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2121 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2141 | nl_inside_namespace = 0 # unsigned number | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2161 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2201 | # (Java) Add or remove newline after an annotation statement. Only affects | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2281 | # Whether to fully split long 'for' statements at semi-colons. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2321 | # Use a negative number for absolute thresholds. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2341 | align_constr_value_gap = 0 # unsigned number | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2361 | # 0: Don't align (default). | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2401 | # The span for aligning on '=' in assignments. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2421 | # 1: Align with each other, ignoring regular assignments | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2441 | # The threshold for aligning class member definitions. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2461 | # The gap for aligning struct/union member definitions. | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2481 | # 2: Align the function type name with the other type names | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2501 | # | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2521 | # 0: Ignore (default). | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 2561 | COMMENT | |
| 732 more matches not shown… | ||||
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH | Units/parser-javascript.r/js-signature.d/input.js | 37 | print(c.hello()); | CODE |
| HIGH | Units/parser-javascript.r/js-naked-blocks.d/input.js | 10 | print(v1); | CODE |
| HIGH | Units/parser-javascript.r/js-naked-blocks.d/input.js | 11 | print(v2); | CODE |
| HIGH | …-javascript.r/js-class-related-unterminated.d/input.js | 57 | print(d.dyn1); | CODE |
| HIGH | …-javascript.r/js-class-related-unterminated.d/input.js | 59 | print(d.dyn1); | CODE |
| HIGH | …its/parser-javascript.r/js-scope-resolution.b/input.js | 3 | print("hello") | CODE |
| HIGH | …its/parser-javascript.r/js-scope-resolution.b/input.js | 10 | print("extended") | CODE |
| HIGH | …its/parser-javascript.r/js-scope-resolution.b/input.js | 21 | print("dummy") | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | docs/_ext/ctags_optlib_highlighter.py | 2 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-comments.d/input.py | 2 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-dot-in-import.d/input.py | 1 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-dot-in-import.d/input.py | 2 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-dot-in-import.d/input.py | 3 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-dot-in-import.d/input.py | 4 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-dot-in-import.d/input.py | 6 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-dot-in-import.d/input.py | 7 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/typehint.d/input.py | 1 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 1 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 2 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 2 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 3 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 4 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 4 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 5 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 6 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 7 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 9 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 9 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 9 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 9 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 10 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 12 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 12 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 12 | CODE | |
| LOW | Units/parser-python.r/python-import.d/input.py | 12 | CODE | |
| LOW | …rser-python.r/pep604-bar-operator-for-union.d/input.py | 1 | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | parsers/x-cpreprocessor.h | 89 | /* Don't forget to set useCort true in your parser. | COMMENT |
| LOW | parsers/cxx/cxx_token.h | 21 | // DON'T FORGET TO RUN misc/gencxxtypedumper.sh after updating the elements. | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-rdoc.r/run-as-guest.d/input.rb | 46 | # RDoc::Markup is extensible at runtime: you can add \new markup elements to | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-rdoc.r/run-as-guest.d/input.rb | 58 | # the +convert+ method, so you can use the same RDoc::Markup converter to | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-cxx.r/bug852368.cpp.d/input.cpp | 30 | let me know if you need more details. | CODE |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-cxx.r/bug849591.cpp.d/input.cpp | 54 | Let me know if you need any clarification with this issue. | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | misc/units.py | 4 | # units.py - Units test harness for ctags | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | misc/units.py | 329 | # TODO: use more robust way | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | misc/packcc/tests/uncrustify.cfg | 3034 | # Whether to apply special formatting for Qt SIGNAL/SLOT macros. Essentially, | COMMENT |
| LOW | Tmain/errors-about-parser-specific-extras.d/run.sh | 20 | # not an error, just set all extras to false. | COMMENT |
| LOW | Tmain/errors-about-parser-specific-extras.d/run.sh | 27 | # About --extras-Robot=, not an error, just set all extras to false. | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | misc/packcc/benchmark/inputs/json.json | 3797 | "about": "Reprehenderit est deserunt pariatur ut exercitation nulla proident qui incididunt exercitation magna aliqu | CODE |
| LOW | misc/packcc/benchmark/inputs/json.json | 6002 | "about": "Esse irure adipisicing deserunt cupidatat consequat consectetur minim magna cupidatat exercitation veniam. | CODE |
| LOW | misc/packcc/benchmark/inputs/json.json | 6047 | "about": "Culpa exercitation Lorem ipsum fugiat dolore quis nostrud occaecat voluptate ea ut consequat sint. Incidid | CODE |
| LOW | misc/packcc/benchmark/inputs/json.json | 8882 | "about": "Proident incididunt Lorem ipsum minim nisi culpa. Aute irure laboris incididunt eiusmod sit mollit nisi el | CODE |
| LOW | parsers/jscript.c | 3711 | if (strcmp(scope_str, "placeholder") == 0) | CODE |
| LOW | parsers/jscript.c | 3736 | return "placeholder"; | CODE |
| LOW | parsers/jscript.c | 3751 | return "placeholder"; | CODE |
| LOW | parsers/bibtex.c | 285 | * author="John Doe"} | COMMENT |
| LOW | optlib/scss.c | 223 | true, 'P', "placeholder", "placeholder classes", | CODE |
| LOW | main/lregex.c | 647 | { '\0', "placeholder", NULL, placeholder_ptrn_flag_eval, | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | docs/conf.py | 5 | # This file is execfile()d with the current directory set to its | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-perl.r/package.pm.d/input.pm | 1 | # This file is intended to test package keyword support along with | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-rdoc.r/run-as-guest.d/input.rb | 635 | # # This method is in the default category | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-rdoc.r/run-as-guest.d/input.rb | 666 | # # ---------------------------------------- | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-rdoc.r/run-as-guest.d/input.rb | 670 | # # ---------------------------------------- | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | Units/parser-sql.r/sharp-comment.d/input.sql | 2 | # ------------------------------------------------------------------ | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | misc/units.py | 132 | CODE | |
| LOW | misc/units.py | 341 | CODE | |
| LOW | misc/units.py | 424 | CODE | |
| LOW | misc/units.py | 1069 | CODE | |
| LOW | misc/man-test.py | 67 | CODE | |
| LOW | misc/man-test.py | 168 | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | misc/enumstr.sh | 21 | # Usage: | COMMENT |
| LOW | misc/packcc/benchmark/benchmark.sh | 8 | # Usage: | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | misc/units.py | 253 | def run_result_internal_error(msg, f, colorized, *args): | CODE |
| LOW | Units/parser-javascript.r/github-issue-3641.d/input.js | 1 | function definedWithFunctionBefore() {}; | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | parsers/cpreprocessor.c | 533 | * This section handles preprocessor directives. It strips out all | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | docs/conf.py | 17 | # Check if we run on RTD or locally | COMMENT |