GoViz: Production-Ready Go Dependency Analysis

Building a comprehensive CLI tool for Go dependency management with AI assistance

🎯 The Problem

Modern Go development with AI tools creates new challenges:

  • Dependency Sprawl: AI suggests packages without long-term analysis
  • Security Blind Spots: Generated code may include vulnerable patterns
  • Compliance Gaps: License compatibility often overlooked
  • Hidden Technical Debt: Accumulating unseen maintenance burdens

Solution: GoViz provides the governance layer that AI-assisted development needs.

🎬 Live Demos

🌳 Dependency Visualization

GoViz Tree Demo

🔒 Security Analysis

GoViz Security Demo

🚀 Key Features

# Comprehensive dependency analysis
goviz analyze --format json

# Visual dependency mapping
goviz generate --format png

# Health assessment with recommendations
goviz doctor

# License compliance checking
goviz licenses

# Security vulnerability scanning
goviz security

Output Formats: DOT, PNG, SVG, JSON, YAML, ASCII Tree

🤖 AI-Assisted Development: Lessons Learned

✅ What AI Excelled At

  • Rapid Prototyping: Complete CLI structure in minutes
  • Boilerplate Generation: Complex parsing logic generated instantly
  • Pattern Recognition: Proper Go conventions and error handling
  • Test Generation: Comprehensive edge cases

⚠️ Where Human Oversight Was Critical

  • Security Review: AI doesn’t always consider security implications
  • Architecture Consistency: Required refactoring for pattern uniformity
  • Dependency Choices: AI tends toward “dependency optimism”
  • Production Readiness: Error handling and performance optimization

🛡️ Security & Production Considerations

Security Hardening

// AI Initial Suggestion (Dangerous)
cmd := exec.Command("sh", "-c", userInput)

// Production Version (Secure)
cmd := exec.Command("dot", "-Tpng", validatedInput, "-o", sanitizedOutput)

Performance Optimization

  • Concurrent dependency processing
  • Memory-efficient file handling
  • Proper resource cleanup

CI/CD Integration

  • Automated vulnerability scanning
  • License compliance checking
  • JSON/YAML output for pipeline integration

📊 Impact & Metrics

Development Speed: 10x faster initial implementation
Security Review: +40% additional validation time required
Code Quality: Consistent patterns through human oversight
Test Coverage: AI-generated edge cases improved reliability

🎯 Key Takeaways

For AI-Assisted Development

  1. Use AI for speed, humans for quality
  2. Security-first mindset is non-negotiable
  3. Architecture consistency requires human oversight
  4. Build governance tools to monitor AI decisions

For Go Development

  1. Dependency management is critical in AI era
  2. Visualization helps stakeholder communication
  3. Automated compliance checking saves time
  4. Production-ready means comprehensive error handling

🔮 Looking Forward

As AI tools evolve, projects like GoViz become essential for:

  • Dependency Oversight: Monitoring AI-suggested packages
  • Security Compliance: Continuous vulnerability tracking
  • License Management: Automated compatibility checking
  • Team Governance: Maintaining quality standards

🚀 Installation & Usage

# Quick Install
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mehmetymw/goviz/main/install.sh | bash

# Verify Installation
goviz --version

# Get Started
goviz generate --help

Repository: github.com/mehmetymw/goviz

Built with ❤️ and careful AI collaboration for the Go community