Unused Private Method

ID

python.unused_private_method

Severity

low

Remediation Complexity

trivial

Remediation Risk

low

Remediation Effort

low

Resource

Dead Code

Language

Python

Tags

CWE:561, dead-code, reliability

Description

Reports a class method whose name is private by Python convention (one or two leading underscores, but not a dunder protocol method) and which is never called from inside the same compilation unit.

class Klass:
    def __init__(self):
        self._used()

    def _used(self):       # OK
        return 0

    def _dead(self):       # FLAW — never called
        return 1

Dunder methods (init, eq, etc.) are excluded — they are protocol methods. Decorated methods are excluded — decorators frequently register the method through reflection.

Rationale

A private method that is never called is dead code or a renamed-elsewhere bug.

Remediation

  • Delete the method.

  • Rename / inline the caller if you accidentally created two helpers with the same intent.

References