Code age

What it means

Code age describes how long a file, line, module, or dependency has remained unchanged. It can reveal long-lived legacy areas and help teams distinguish stable foundations from neglected code. Age must specify whether it is based on last modification, introduction, ownership change, or release exposure.

Example

A payment adapter has not changed in four years but remains on every request path. The team reviews its current dependencies and tests before calling it safe or obsolete.

Limitations

Old code may be stable, well understood, and valuable. Recently changed code can still carry substantial risk, especially after a rushed migration. Repository history may be incomplete after moves or imports, so preserve lineage where possible.

How to use the signal

Treat age as a prompt to inspect current use, tests, and ownership, not as evidence that an untouched component is obsolete.

Weave can pair code age with current pull request impact, incidents, and rework. Let version control and service ownership establish age, then use Weave to decide whether an old area needs attention now.