When implementing dependency analysis algorithms, ensure comprehensive tracking of both direct and transitive dependencies to avoid missing critical relationships. Many bugs arise from incomplete dependency graphs that fail to account for indirect connections.
Key algorithmic considerations:
Implement proper transitive closure when analyzing dependency chains
Account for indirect mutations and reactive updates that propagate through multiple levels
Use graph traversal algorithms (DFS/BFS) to identify all reachable dependencies, not just immediate ones
Example scenarios:
In reactivity systems: if A depends on B and B depends on C, changes to C should invalidate A
In usage analysis: when checking if rules are used, consider nested relationships and child dependencies
In mutation tracking: indirect mutations through function calls or property access chains should be detected
This prevents common issues where dependency analysis algorithms miss edge cases due to incomplete graph traversal or failure to consider multi-hop relationships in the dependency graph.
