godepq
A small Go command-line tool that inspects Go import trees. It can list imported packages, find dependency paths between packages, filter by regex, and export Graphviz DOT graphs to visualize how dependencies flow. Useful for tracing why a package is included in a binary or understanding large codebase imports.
Why this was rejected
- ✕Clear overlap with existing free and paid tools (go mod why, golangci-lint depguard, Sourcegraph, CodeSee) that already solve dependency tracing/visualization and PR feedback, reducing willingness to pay for a narrowly-scoped Go-only tool.
- ✕Aged, minimal CLI with no API or service layer; substantial new work would be required to build a differentiated hosted product, risking weak value vs widely adopted incumbents within 3 months.
MIT permits commercial SaaS use and sublicensing with only attribution required.
How it could be fixed
Build a GitHub App that runs on PRs to block or warn on forbidden transitive imports with exact path explanations, auto-generated DOT/PNG graphs, and a policy engine (allow/deny rules per directory/module). Add multi-repo dashboards, audit trails, SSO, and enterprise features to differentiate from generic code search tools and basic go mod why; keep the CLI as an agent and monetize the hosted policy/analytics layer.
Alternative uses
- →Internal codebase audits to map and reduce unwanted dependencies in Go monorepos.
- →Onboarding and training aid for new engineers to understand service/module boundaries.