Configuring Removal

Configure PreEmptive Protection™ DashO™ Removal from four pages in the DashO user interface: Removal - Options, Removal - Exclude, Removal - Classes, and Method Call Removal. Use them to remove unused code and unneeded attributes, keep specific items, remove specific classes, and remove calls to specific methods.

To learn how Removal works, see Removal and Method Call Removal.

Prerequisites

• A DashO project in Standard Mode. The Removal pages are only available in Standard Mode.

Configure Removal Options

1. In the navigation tree, select Removal. 
2. In Unused Classes, choose how DashO removes unused classes.
3. In Unused Members, choose how DashO removes unused methods and fields.
4. Under Debug Information, select each item to remove.
5. Under Attributes, select each item to remove.
6. Save your project and build it to apply the changes. 

Removal Options Settings

Note: If you use String Encryption, enable Unused Members Removal. Choose Remove if not public for libraries and Remove for everything else. For more information, see Use Removal with String Encryption.

Remove Deprecation Metadata

When you select Deprecated under Attributes, DashO removes both the JVM Deprecated attribute and the java.lang.Deprecated annotation. Other annotations stay unchanged.

To keep the annotation, set preserveDeprecatedAnnotation="true" on the <attributes> element in your project file. The default is false. 

<attributes
    types="Deprecated"
    preserveDeprecatedAnnotation="true"/>

Warning: Selecting Deprecated removes the java.lang.Deprecated annotation too. If any code or tool reads that annotation, enable compatibility mode.

Exclude Items from Removal

Use the Removal - Exclude page to keep individual methods, fields, classes, or entire packages from being removed. The page uses the DashO rules editor. For details on creating, editing, and previewing rules, see Graphical Rules Editor.

1. In the navigation tree, go to Removal > Exclude.
2. Create rules for the items you want DashO to keep. For more information, see Graphical Rules Editor.
3. Save your project and build it to apply the changes.

Note: DashO still removes a class you exclude here if it matches a rule on the Removal - Classes page.

Remove Specific Classes

Use the Removal - Classes page to remove classes regardless of whether your code uses them, such as unit tests or samples.

1. In the navigation tree, go to Removal > Classes.
2. Create rules for the classes or packages to remove. For more information, see Graphical Rules Editor.
3. Save your project and build it to apply the changes.

Warning: DashO removes classes that match these rules even if you also exclude them on the Removal - Exclude page. If other input classes reference a removed class, your application may fail at runtime.

Configure Method Call Removal

Use the Method Call Removal page to remove calls to specific methods. See Method Call Removal for how it works and how it changes your program's behavior.

1. In the navigation tree, go to Removal > Method Calls.
2. Add a rule for each method whose calls you want to remove. Enter the class name, method name, and signature. 
3. Save your project and build it to apply the changes.

Note: Method Call Removal rules don't support regular expressions in class names, method names, or signatures. Enter exact values. DashO stores these settings in the <methodCallRemoval> element of your project file.

Examples and Use Cases

Limitations and Troubleshooting

Related Articles

• Removal
• Method Call Removal
• Graphical Rules Editor