Fix Cyclic Module Dependencies

This skill detects and resolves cyclic module dependencies that arise during UI5 modernization. When modernization phases convert global namespace access to proper sap.ui.define imports, new dependency edges are added to the module graph. If these edges create a circular import (A imports B, B imports A), the UI5 AMD loader returns undefined for the back-edge module.

The fix: replace the back-edge sap.ui.define dependency with a lazy sap.ui.require("path/to/Module") (synchronous form) at each call site. This retrieves the already-loaded module from the loader cache without creating a dependency edge.

Linter Rule

Rule ID	Message Pattern	This Skill's Action
(none — structural)	Runtime: module is undefined despite correct import path	Detect cycle in dependency graph, convert back-edge to lazy sap.ui.require()

This skill is NOT triggered by a UI5 linter rule. It addresses a structural problem in the module dependency graph that the linter does not check. It is triggered as the final fix phase in the modernization workflow, or standalone when a developer encounters undefined modules at runtime.

When to Use

• In modernization workflow: As Phase 3, Step 3.3 (final step) after ALL other Phase 3 steps (3.1 globals/pseudo-modules + 3.2 blind-spots) complete. Multiple steps add sap.ui.define edges that can create cycles — running once at the end operates on the final dependency graph.
• Standalone: When a module returns undefined at runtime despite a correct import path in the sap.ui.define array. This is the classic symptom of a cyclic dependency.
• After manual refactoring: When a developer adds a new sap.ui.define dependency and gets an unexpected undefined.

Sources of Cycles

Three modernization operations add new sap.ui.define dependency edges that can introduce cycles:

1. fix-js-globals Case 1c — Global Namespace Reads

Converting var Helper = com.example.app.utils.Helper; to a sap.ui.define dependency. If Helper already imports the current module, adding the reverse edge creates a 2-node cycle.

2. fix-js-globals Case 10 — jQuery.sap.declare/require Modernization

Wrapping legacy jQuery.sap.declare / jQuery.sap.require code in sap.ui.define. The jQuery.sap.require calls become sap.ui.define dependencies, potentially creating cycles that the legacy synchronous loader handled differently.

3. modernize-test-starter — Test File Dependencies

Test files that previously accessed modules via the global namespace chain now get proper sap.ui.define imports. Test utility files that reference each other, or test files that import app modules which import test utilities, can create cycles.

Background — Why Cycles Break the UI5 Loader

The UI5 AMD loader resolves sap.ui.define dependencies via depth-first traversal. When it encounters a cycle:

1. Loader starts loading Module A
2. A depends on B → loader starts loading B
3. B depends on A → but A isn't finished yet
4. Loader returns undefined for A's factory result (the back-edge)
5. B's factory receives undefined where it expected A's exports
6. Any call to the undefined module causes TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined

2-node cycles (A↔B) are guaranteed to break — the loader must pick one to load first, and the other always gets undefined.

Longer chains (A→B→C→A) may or may not break at runtime, depending on which module the loader visits first and which edge becomes the back-edge. They are latent bugs that can surface under different load orders, lazy loading, or Test Starter isolation.

Why sap.ui.require (synchronous) Breaks the Cycle

The synchronous form sap.ui.require("path/to/Module") does NOT create a loader dependency edge. It reads from the module cache without triggering a load.

Critical caveat: sap.ui.require(path) (single-string sync form) returns undefined if the target module's factory has not yet executed. The module's factory executes only when some static sap.ui.define chain has already pulled it in. So sap.ui.require is safe only when the target module is reachable via a static-only path from the active entry point (Component or controller) that fires before the lazy call site.

When you remove a static edge A → B and replace it with var B = sap.ui.require("B") inside a function in A, you must verify B remains reachable from every entry-point controller that loads A. Otherwise B stays defined-but-unevaluated in Component-preload.js, and the lazy require returns undefined.

Three forms of sap.ui.require — know the difference:

• sap.ui.require("path/to/B") — sync cache read. Does NOT trigger load. Returns undefined if B not in cache.
• sap.ui.require(["path/to/B"], function(B) {...}) — async load + callback. DOES trigger load.
• sap.ui.requireSync("path/to/B") — sync load + return. DOES trigger load. Deprecated.

Key distinction:

• sap.ui.define(["path/to/B"], function(B) {...}) — creates a loader edge A→B (cycle risk)
• var B = sap.ui.require("path/to/B") inside a function body — no loader edge (safe, IF B is already in cache)

Detection Algorithm

Automated Detection Script

A bundled script automates the entire detection phase (graph building, verification, cycle detection, usage counting, and hub identification). Run it first:

node <skill-dir>/scripts/detect-cycles.js <project-root>

The script:

1. Discovers the project namespace from manifest.json
2. Scans all .js files (app source + tests), strips comments, parses sap.ui.define arrays
3. Builds the dependency graph (internal project modules only)
4. Verifies graph completeness with fallback analysis
5. Detects 2-node cycles and longer chains (Tarjan's SCC)
6. Counts usages and identifies which side gets lazy treatment (2-node) or which hub to fix (3+ node)

Output is JSON to stdout. Use this output to drive the fix phase — no need to build the graph manually.

If the script is unavailable or you need to understand the algorithm details, the manual procedure is documented below and in references/dependency-graph-analysis.md.

Manual Procedure

Step 1 — Discover Project Namespace

Read manifest.json to get the project namespace:

// manifest.json → sap.app.id → e.g. "com.example.myapp"
// Convert to slash notation: "com/example/myapp"

This namespace identifies which dependencies are internal project modules (vs. sap/* framework deps that never cause cycles).

Step 2 — Build Dependency Graph

Parse all .js files in the project (app source AND test files). For each file:

1. Strip comments before any parsing. Remove // single-line and /* */ multi-line comments while preserving string contents (single-quoted, double-quoted, and template literal strings must not be corrupted). This prevents matching sap.ui.define inside commented-out code (e.g., // sap.ui.define - in a log message).

2. Find sap.ui.define using a regex that allows arbitrary whitespace and newlines between all tokens:

   /sap\s*\.\s*ui\s*\.\s*define\s*\(/
   

   Critical: The simpler regex sap\.ui\.define\s*\( will MISS files where sap.ui.define is split across lines (e.g., sap.ui\n\t.define( or sap.ui.\ndefine(). These multi-line patterns exist in real codebases and missing even one module can hide entire cycle chains.

3. Extract the dependency array: Starting from the ( after define, skip whitespace, find [, then find the matching ] respecting bracket depth. Extract all string literals from within the brackets.

4. Filter to internal project modules only (matching the project namespace). Framework dependencies (sap/*) never cause project-level cycles. Include test-resources/-prefixed paths — these are test module dependencies (e.g., test-resources/com/example/myapp/test/unit/Helper) and can participate in cycles.

5. Build a directed graph: node = module path (relative to base dir, without .js), edge = dependency. For test files, the module ID uses the test-resources/ prefix as it appears in sap.ui.define arrays.

Important exclusions:

• Framework dependencies (sap/*, sap/ui/*, etc.) — never cause project-level cycles
• sap.ui.require calls in function bodies — these are NOT dependency edges
• String literals (extend names, fragment paths, log messages) — not dependencies

Step 2b — Verify Graph Completeness

After building the graph, verify that every referenced dependency was also successfully parsed. A missing module can hide entire cycle chains.

For every module referenced as a dependency in the graph that has NO entry as a graph node (0 internal deps extracted):

1. Check if the source file exists. If not, it may live in a different base directory or be generated at build time — skip with an info note.

2. If the file exists, run a fallback analysis:

   • Scan the file (after comment stripping) for internal namespace strings that appear inside [...] array brackets
   • If internal dependency strings are found inside arrays but the primary parser extracted nothing, the file likely uses an unrecognized sap.ui.define pattern
   • Flag as ERROR and merge the suspected dependencies into the graph before cycle detection

3. Also check files where sap.ui.define was found but the first argument was not an array (e.g., a string module name as first arg). Run the same fallback analysis.

This verification step catches modules with unusual sap.ui.define formatting that the primary regex handles but the array extraction might miss. Without it, the graph is incomplete and cycles go undetected.

Step 3 — Detect 2-Node Cycles

For every edge A→B in the graph, check if B→A also exists. Collect unique pairs (deduplicated — A↔B and B↔A are the same cycle).

Step 4 — Detect Longer Chains (3+ Nodes)

Run Tarjan's strongly-connected-components (SCC) algorithm on the dependency graph. Any SCC with 3 or more nodes represents a longer cycle chain.

See references/dependency-graph-analysis.md for the full algorithm pseudocode and extraction procedure.

Fix Strategy for 2-Node Cycles

Decision: Which Side Gets Lazy Treatment

For each 2-node cycle A↔B, the decision has two phases: runtime reachability (correctness) then usage counts (convenience).

Phase 1 — Runtime Reachability Check (NEW — prevents undefined at runtime)

1. Identify entry points for the cycle pair: Component.js + every controller that statically imports A or B (directly or transitively).
2. For each entry point, walk the static-only dep graph and check which of {A, B} is reachable.
3. Choose the lazy side based on coverage:
   • If A is reachable from every entry point that uses B's behavior → safe to make A lazy in B.
   • If B is reachable from every entry point that uses A's behavior → safe to make B lazy in A.
   • If both sides have full coverage → proceed to Phase 2 (usage counts as tiebreaker).
   • If NEITHER side has full coverage from all relevant entry points → the cycle break requires ALSO adding a static dep to one or more controllers (see "Append-to-Controller Remedy" below).

Phase 2 — Usage Count Tiebreaker (existing logic)

When both sides are equally safe from a reachability standpoint:

1. Count usages: How many times does A's code body reference B? How many times does B's code body reference A? (Exclude string literals, comments, and the sap.ui.define array itself.)
2. Fewer usages wins: The side with fewer usages of the other module gets the lazy treatment (fewer call sites to modify = less code churn).
3. Tiebreaker 1: The module with more total sap.ui.define dependencies keeps its normal import. It is likely an "orchestrator" module; the other is more "utility-like".
4. Tiebreaker 2: The module whose path sorts alphabetically first keeps its normal import.

Transformation Steps

To make B lazy in A (i.e., A no longer statically imports B):

Step 1 — Remove B from A's dependency array:

// Before:
sap.ui.define(["path/to/B", "path/to/C"], function(B, C) {

// After:
sap.ui.define(["path/to/C"], function(C) {

Remove the dependency string AND the corresponding function parameter at the same positional index. Verify remaining parameters still align with remaining deps.

Step 2 — Add lazy require at each usage site:

At every location in A's code where B is referenced, add a sap.ui.require call inside the enclosing function body:

// Before:
someMethod: function() {
    B.doSomething();
    // ... later ...
    B.doSomethingElse();
}

// After:
someMethod: function() {
    var B = sap.ui.require("path/to/B");
    B.doSomething();
    // ... later ...
    B.doSomethingElse();
}

One sap.ui.require per function — if multiple functions use B, each needs its own declaration.

Declaration keyword: Match the surrounding code style. If the file uses const/let, use const for the lazy require (the module reference is never reassigned). If the file uses var, use var. Examples:

• const B = sap.ui.require("path/to/B"); — modern style
• var B = sap.ui.require("path/to/B"); — legacy style

Step 3 — Clean up artifacts:

• If removing B's dep leaves a var B = B; self-assignment, delete that line
• If B was imported but had zero code references (unused dep), just remove from deps and params — no lazy require needed

Special Case: Module Already Partially Lazy

If A already has some sap.ui.require("path/to/B") calls (from a previous partial fix), and ALSO has B in its sap.ui.define array, remove B from sap.ui.define and ensure all remaining usage sites have lazy requires. Don't duplicate existing lazy require calls.

Longer Chains (3+ Nodes) — Hub-Based Auto-Fix

Longer chains are also auto-fixed using a hub-based approach. Instead of tracing individual cycle paths, identify the hub module within each strongly connected component (SCC) and make its cycle-creating dependencies lazy. One hub fix can eliminate many chains simultaneously.

Why Hub-Based?

A hub module sits at the center of multiple cycle paths. For example, a ModelManager might participate in 7 different 3–5 node cycles. Rather than fixing 7 edges in 7 files, converting 2 deps in ModelManager to lazy requires breaks all 7 cycles at once.

Hub Identification Algorithm

For each SCC with 3+ nodes:

1. Compute cycle participation score for each node in the SCC:

   • Count how many of the node's sap.ui.define deps are also in the SCC (outgoing SCC edges)
   • Score = outgoing SCC edge count (more outgoing edges = more cycles broken by making those deps lazy)

2. Select the hub: The node with the highest score. Tiebreaker: the node with more total sap.ui.define dependencies (it is the orchestrator module). Final tiebreaker: alphabetical by module path.

3. Identify cycle-creating deps: From the hub's sap.ui.define array, find which deps are members of the same SCC. These are the deps that participate in cycles.

4. Apply the same transformation as 2-node cycles: Remove each cycle-creating dep from the hub's sap.ui.define array, add lazy sap.ui.require at each usage site.

5. Re-run SCC detection: If cycles remain (possible when an SCC has multiple independent hubs), repeat from step 1 on the remaining SCCs.

Decision: Which Hub Deps to Make Lazy

Not all of a hub's deps within the SCC need to be made lazy — only those that create back-paths. However, in practice it is safest to make all SCC-internal deps of the hub lazy. This guarantees all cycles through the hub are broken, and the cost is minimal (lazy sap.ui.require at a few call sites).

If a hub's SCC-internal dep has zero code usages (unused import), just remove it — no lazy require needed.

Fallback: Report to MODERNIZATION-ISSUES.md

If the hub-based fix cannot be applied (e.g., a module references the cycle-creating dep at the top level outside any function body, where lazy sap.ui.require would return undefined), report the chain in MODERNIZATION-ISSUES.md:

### Cyclic Dependency Chain (unfixable automatically)

- **SCC nodes**: A, B, C, D
- **Hub identified**: A (3 outgoing SCC edges, 4 incoming)
- **Blocking reason**: A references B at module top level (line 15), outside any function body. Lazy `sap.ui.require` at this location may return `undefined` because B is not yet loaded during A's module initialization.
- **Suggested manual fix**: Restructure A to defer the B reference into a function body, or extract the top-level initialization into a separate non-cyclic module.

Before/After Examples

Example 1 — 2-Node Cycle with 1 Usage (ModuleA ↔ ModuleB)

ModuleA imports ModuleB, ModuleB imports ModuleA. ModuleB only uses ModuleA at 1 call site.

Before (broken — cycle causes ModuleA to be undefined in ModuleB):

// ModuleB.js
sap.ui.define([
    "com/example/myapp/utils/ModuleA",
    "sap/ui/thirdparty/jquery"
], function(ModuleA, jQuery) {
    var ModuleB = {
        handleStatus: function(aSelectedItems, sId) {
            ModuleA.processStatus(aSelectedItems, sId);  // ModuleA is undefined!
        }
    };
    return ModuleB;
});

After (fixed — lazy require at call site):

// ModuleB.js
sap.ui.define([
    "sap/ui/thirdparty/jquery"
], function(jQuery) {
    var ModuleB = {
        handleStatus: function(aSelectedItems, sId) {
            var ModuleA = sap.ui.require("com/example/myapp/utils/ModuleA");
            ModuleA.processStatus(aSelectedItems, sId);  // Works: ModuleA loaded from cache
        }
    };
    return ModuleB;
});

Example 2 — 2-Node Cycle with Multiple Usages (Orchestrator ↔ Helper)

Orchestrator imports Helper (5 usages), Helper imports Orchestrator (25 usages). Decision: make Helper lazy in Orchestrator (fewer sites to patch).

Before (broken):

// Orchestrator.js
sap.ui.define([
    "com/example/myapp/utils/Helper",
    "com/example/myapp/utils/Validator",
    // ... other deps
], function(Helper, Validator, ...) {
    var Orchestrator = {
        openDialog: function() {
            Helper.openDialog();  // Helper could be undefined
        },
        refreshAll: function() {
            Helper.refreshAll();
        }
        // ... 3 more Helper usage sites
    };
    return Orchestrator;
});

After (fixed):

// Orchestrator.js
sap.ui.define([
    "com/example/myapp/utils/Validator",
    // ... other deps (Helper removed)
], function(Validator, ...) {
    var Orchestrator = {
        openDialog: function() {
            var Helper = sap.ui.require("com/example/myapp/utils/Helper");
            Helper.openDialog();
        },
        refreshAll: function() {
            var Helper = sap.ui.require("com/example/myapp/utils/Helper");
            Helper.refreshAll();
        }
        // ... each function gets its own lazy require
    };
    return Orchestrator;
});

Example 3 — Unused Dependency Removal (ModuleX → ModuleY)

ModuleX imports ModuleY but never references it in code. No cycle fix needed — just remove the dead import.

Before:

// ModuleX.js
sap.ui.define([
    "com/example/myapp/utils/ModuleY",
    "com/example/myapp/utils/ModuleZ"
], function(ModuleY, ModuleZ) {
    // ModuleY never used anywhere in the file body

After:

// ModuleX.js
sap.ui.define([
    "com/example/myapp/utils/ModuleZ"
], function(ModuleZ) {

Example 4 — Longer Chain Auto-Fixed via Hub (ModelManager Hub)

ModelManager participates in 7 cycle chains through its deps FilterHelper and ChartHelper:

• ModelManager → FilterHelper → Formatter → ModelManager
• ModelManager → FilterHelper → MessageHelper → ModelManager
• ModelManager → ChartHelper → ReportHelper → ModelManager
• ... and 4 more chains

Hub analysis: ModelManager has 2 outgoing SCC edges (FilterHelper, ChartHelper) and multiple incoming edges. It is the hub.

Before (broken — ModelManager is undefined for downstream importers):

// ModelManager.js
sap.ui.define(["sap/ui/thirdparty/jquery",
    "com/example/myapp/utils/FilterHelper",
    "com/example/myapp/utils/Payload",
    "com/example/myapp/utils/ChartHelper",
    "sap/base/Log"
],
function (jQuery, FilterHelper, oPayload, ChartHelper, Log) {
    var ModelManager = {
        // ... 1 usage of FilterHelper, 2 usages of ChartHelper
        getFilterConfig: function() {
            var oFilterConfig = FilterHelper;  // undefined due to cycle!
        },
        getChartType: function() {
            var oChartType = ChartHelper.getAnnotationType();  // undefined!
        }
    };
    return ModelManager;
});

After (fixed — both SCC-internal deps made lazy):

// ModelManager.js
sap.ui.define(["sap/ui/thirdparty/jquery",
    "com/example/myapp/utils/Payload",
    "sap/base/Log"
],
function (jQuery, oPayload, Log) {
    var ModelManager = {
        getFilterConfig: function() {
            var FilterHelper = sap.ui.require("com/example/myapp/utils/FilterHelper");
            var oFilterConfig = FilterHelper;
        },
        getChartType: function() {
            var ChartHelper = sap.ui.require("com/example/myapp/utils/ChartHelper");
            var oChartType = ChartHelper.getAnnotationType();
        }
    };
    return ModelManager;
});

Result: Removing 2 deps from 1 file broke all 7 cycle chains simultaneously. Note: var oFilterConfig = FilterHelper; is a common legacy pattern (aliasing the module reference). The skill preserves existing code patterns — it only transforms the import mechanism, not the surrounding code.

Implementation Steps

1. Run the detection script to build the dependency graph and detect all cycles:

   node <skill-dir>/scripts/detect-cycles.js <project-root>
   

   The JSON output contains twoNodeCycles (with usage counts and lazy-side decisions) and longerChains (with hub identification). If the script is unavailable, follow the manual procedure in the Detection Algorithm section.

2. Review the script output: Check warnings and errors arrays for graph completeness issues. Address any errors before proceeding.

3. Fix each 2-node cycle (from twoNodeCycles[]):

   • The script's lazySide field tells you which module to patch
   • Remove the cyclic dep from that module's sap.ui.define array + function parameter
   • Add var Module = sap.ui.require("path/to/Module") at each usage site within function bodies
   • Clean up artifacts (var X = X; lines, unused deps)

4. Fix longer chains via hub approach (from longerChains[]):

   • The script's hub and hubInternalDeps fields identify which module and deps to make lazy
   • For each hub-internal dep: check all usage sites in the hub's code — if ALL usages are inside function bodies, apply lazy require transformation (same as step 3)
   • If any usage is at module top level (outside a function body), report to MODERNIZATION-ISSUES.md instead
   • Re-run SCC detection on the updated graph — repeat if cycles remain

5. Verify — re-run cycle detection: Run the detection script again on the modified codebase to confirm zero cycles remain:

   node <skill-dir>/scripts/detect-cycles.js <project-root>
   

   The output should show twoNodeCycles: [] and longerChains: []. If cycles persist, return to step 3/4. Then run npx @ui5/linter --details as a secondary check for regressions in other linter rules.

6. Verify static coverage — detect unsafe lazy requires: After cycles are cleared, run the static-coverage post-check:

   node <skill-dir>/scripts/detect-unsafe-lazy.js <project-root>
   

   This script checks that every sap.ui.require("M") call in the codebase has its target M reachable via a static-only sap.ui.define chain from every entry-point controller that loads the calling file. If any findings exist, apply the "Append-to-Controller Remedy" below. Re-run until output shows unsafeCount: 0. The skill cannot mark "done" until BOTH detect-cycles.js reports 0 cycles AND detect-unsafe-lazy.js reports 0 unsafe lazy requires.

Append-to-Controller Remedy

When detect-unsafe-lazy.js reports uncovered entry points, the fix is to append the lazy target to the sap.ui.define dep array of each uncovered controller. This is a load-only side-effect import — no factory parameter needed if the controller doesn't reference the module directly:

// Before — Detail.controller.js does NOT statically import DialogHelper
sap.ui.define([
    "com/example/myapp/utils/ActionHandler",
    "sap/ui/core/mvc/Controller"
], function(ActionHandler, Controller) {
    // ActionHandler has lazy require to DialogHelper
    // DialogHelper is NOT in cache when this controller's route activates
    // → sap.ui.require("DialogHelper") returns undefined → crash

// After — append DialogHelper as load-only dep
sap.ui.define([
    "com/example/myapp/utils/ActionHandler",
    "sap/ui/core/mvc/Controller",
    "com/example/myapp/utils/DialogHelper"   // load-only, no factory param
], function(ActionHandler, Controller /* no DialogHelper param */) {
    // DialogHelper is now evaluated before any function in ActionHandler fires
    // → sap.ui.require("DialogHelper") returns the module object ✓

Rules for the append-to-controller fix:

• Append at end of dep array
• No corresponding factory parameter (unless the controller also uses the module directly)
• If staticUncovered lists more than 3 controllers, consider adding the dep to BaseController.js or Component.js instead (single patch, broader coverage)
• Re-run detect-unsafe-lazy.js after each fix to confirm the finding is resolved

Notes — Critical Rules

1. Lazy require INSIDE function body: Place var B = sap.ui.require("path/to/B") inside the function that uses B, not at module top level. At define-time, B may not be in the cache yet. At function-call-time (runtime), B is in the cache only if some static path from the active entry point has already loaded it. This is why the static-coverage check (step 6) is essential.

2. One require per function: Each function body that uses the lazy-required module needs its own var B = sap.ui.require(...) declaration. The variable is function-scoped — it cannot be shared across functions.

3. Only internal project modules: Framework dependencies (sap/*) never cause project-level cycles. Only process dependencies whose path contains the project namespace.

4. String literals are NOT usages: Log messages (Log.error("path/to/Module/method")), .extend() class names, fragment paths, and sFileName/sMethodName assignments are strings, not code references. Do not count them as usages. Do not modify them.

5. Commented-out code is NOT a usage: Lines inside // or /* */ blocks do not count as usages and should not receive lazy require treatment.

6. Parameter alignment: When removing a dependency at index N in the array, remove the function parameter at the same positional index N. If there are fewer parameters than dependencies (trailing side-effect imports without params), only adjust if the removed dep had a corresponding parameter.

7. Existing lazy requires are NOT dependency edges: If a file already contains sap.ui.require("path/to/X") calls in function bodies, those do NOT create loader dependency edges. Only sap.ui.define array entries are edges. Do not double-count.

8. Idempotent: Running this skill twice on the same codebase is safe. On the second run, the cycles are already broken (the back-edge was removed from sap.ui.define), so no changes are made.

9. Test files included: The dependency graph must include test files (test/unit/, test/integration/, test/opa/). Test files can participate in cycles, especially after modernize-test-starter adds sap.ui.define dependencies.

10. Do not touch sap.ui.require async callbacks: The async form sap.ui.require(["path/to/B"], function(B) {...}) is a different pattern and creates a loader edge. This skill only uses the synchronous single-string form.

11. Multi-line sap.ui.define patterns: Real codebases contain sap.ui.define split across lines (e.g., sap.ui\n\t.define(, sap.ui.\ndefine(). The regex MUST allow arbitrary whitespace/newlines between sap, ., ui, ., define, and (. Using a simpler regex like sap\.ui\.define\s*\( will miss these files entirely. Missing one module can hide an entire cycle chain.

12. Strip comments before parsing: Always remove // and /* */ comments (respecting string literals) before searching for sap.ui.define. Files may contain sap.ui.define in comments (e.g., // sap.ui.define - as a section marker) that would produce false matches.

13. Verify graph completeness: After building the graph, check that every referenced dependency was also parsed. Run fallback analysis on files where the primary parser found nothing — they may use unrecognized sap.ui.define patterns. Merge any discovered dependencies into the graph before cycle detection.

Related Skills

• fix-js-globals: Case 1c (global namespace reads → imports) and case 10 (jQuery.sap.declare wrapping) are the primary sources of new dependency edges that create cycles. Run fix-cyclic-deps AFTER fix-js-globals completes.
• modernize-test-starter: Test file modernization adds sap.ui.define dependencies that can create cycles between test utilities or between test and app modules.
• modernize-ui5-app: Parent workflow that orchestrates phase ordering. This skill runs as Phase 3, Step 3.3 (final step) after all other Phase 3 steps complete.