Duplicate Code: Identical EmptyCard and InitialCard Widget Classes

Summary

Two widget classes (EmptyCard and InitialCard) contain identical code with only their class names differing. These 17-line files are exact duplicates and represent unnecessary code duplication.

Duplication Details

Pattern: Identical Widget Classes

• Severity: Medium

• Occurrences: 2 instances

• Locations:

  • lib/ui/widgets/empty_card.dart (lines 1-17)
  • lib/ui/widgets/initial_card.dart (lines 1-17)

• Code Sample:

// Both files contain the exact same structure:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

class EmptyCard extends StatelessWidget {  // InitialCard in the other file
  const EmptyCard({
    Key? key,
  }) : super(key: key);

  `@override`
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Center(
      child: Column(
        mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
        children: const [],
      ),
    );
  }
}

Diff Analysis

The only difference between these files is the class name:

• EmptyCard vs InitialCard
• Constructor name: const EmptyCard({ vs const InitialCard({

Impact Analysis

• Maintainability: Any changes to the widget structure must be duplicated across both files
• Bug Risk: If one widget needs updates, developers might forget to update the other
• Code Bloat: 17 unnecessary lines of duplicated code
• Confusion: Two separate classes serve the same purpose with no functional difference

Refactoring Recommendations

Option 1: Single Parameterized Widget (Recommended)

Create a single PlaceholderCard widget that serves both purposes:

// lib/ui/widgets/placeholder_card.dart
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

class PlaceholderCard extends StatelessWidget {
  const PlaceholderCard({
    Key? key,
  }) : super(key: key);

  `@override`
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Center(
      child: Column(
        mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
        children: const [],
      ),
    );
  }
}

Then update usage sites:

• Replace EmptyCard() with PlaceholderCard() in lib/ui/pages/home.dart:77
• Replace InitialCard() with PlaceholderCard() in lib/ui/pages/home.dart:75

Benefits:

• Eliminates duplicate code
• Single source of truth for placeholder UI
• Easier to maintain and extend

Estimated effort: 15 minutes

Option 2: Type Aliases (Alternative)

If semantic distinction is important, create one implementation and alias:

// lib/ui/widgets/placeholder_card.dart
class PlaceholderCard extends StatelessWidget { /* implementation */ }

// lib/ui/widgets/empty_card.dart
export 'placeholder_card.dart' show PlaceholderCard as EmptyCard;

// lib/ui/widgets/initial_card.dart
export 'placeholder_card.dart' show PlaceholderCard as InitialCard;

Note: This maintains backward compatibility but doesn't truly eliminate duplication.

Option 3: Add Distinguishing Content

If these widgets should be different, add actual content to distinguish them:

// Empty state: Show "No issues found" message
// Initial state: Show loading indicator or welcome message

Implementation Checklist

• Review duplication findings
• Choose refactoring approach (recommend Option 1)
• Create unified PlaceholderCard widget
• Update import statements in home.dart
• Replace EmptyCard and InitialCard usage
• Delete duplicate files
• Update widget barrel export in lib/ui/widgets/widgets.dart
• Run tests to verify no functionality broken
• Consider adding actual content to distinguish states

Analysis Metadata

• Analyzed Files: 29 Dart files
• Detection Method: Manual code review and diff analysis
• Commit: eaf30ea
• Analysis Date: 2026-02-23
• Lines Duplicated: 17 lines (100% identical)

AI generated by Duplicate Code Detector

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