Ignore Django test lifecycle methods in test files

README.md

@@ -196,6 +196,11 @@ A comment on the first decorator line is still accepted.
 `unittest` lifecycle methods (`setUp`, `tearDown`, `setUpClass`, `tearDownClass`, `asyncSetUp`, `asyncTearDown`, `setUpModule`, `tearDownModule`) declared in test files are ignored by default, alongside the existing pytest hooks.
 Declarations with those names outside test files are still reported as unused code.
 
+## Ignoring Django test lifecycle methods
+Django test lifecycle methods (`setUpTestData`, the `django.test.TestCase` class method invoked by the framework, and the internal hooks `_pre_setup`, `_post_teardown`, `_fixture_setup`, `_fixture_teardown`) declared in test files are ignored by default.
+Declarations with those names outside test files are still reported as unused code.
+Django helpers that your test code invokes itself are not suppressed, so an unreferenced `assertContains`, `assertNumQueries`, `settings`, `modify_settings`, or `captureOnCommitCallbacks` is still reported.
+
 ## Contributing
 
 Create a feature branch from `main`, open a pull request targeting `main`, and
@@ -294,6 +299,7 @@ A checked entry is implemented on `main` and is included in the next release; pu
     - Features:
         - Audit runtime and development dependencies for known vulnerabilities in CI on every pull request and weekly.
         - Declare the package development status as Beta.
+        - Ignore Django test lifecycle methods in test files.
 - **v2.6.0** `2026-11-08`:
     - Features:
         - Add support for Python 3.13, 3.14 and 3.15.

deadcode/visitor/ignore.py

@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@
     'setUpModule',
     'tearDownModule',
 }
+DJANGO_METHOD_NAMES = {
+    'setUpTestData',
+    '_pre_setup',
+    '_post_teardown',
+    '_fixture_setup',
+    '_fixture_teardown',
+}
 # Built-in interface markers: abstract and overriding definitions are never reported, no option needed.
 IGNORED_INTERFACE_DECORATOR_NAMES: set[str] = {
     '@abstractmethod',
@@ -111,17 +118,24 @@ def _ignore_import(filename: Path, import_name: str) -> bool:
 def _ignore_function(filename: Path, function_name: str) -> bool:
     # Class-level lifecycle methods such as `def setUpClass(cls)` have no decorator and a first argument other
     # than `self`, so `visit_FunctionDef` classifies them as functions and they must be suppressed here as well.
+    # Django lifecycle methods are declared the same way.
     return (
         function_name in PYTEST_FUNCTION_NAMES
         or function_name in UNITTEST_METHOD_NAMES
         or function_name in UNITTEST_FUNCTION_NAMES
+        or function_name in DJANGO_METHOD_NAMES
         or function_name.startswith('test_')
     ) and _is_test_file(filename)
 
 
 def _ignore_method(filename: Path, method_name: str) -> bool:
     return _is_special_name(method_name) or (
-        (method_name in PYTEST_METHOD_NAMES or method_name in UNITTEST_METHOD_NAMES or method_name.startswith('test_'))
+        (
+            method_name in PYTEST_METHOD_NAMES
+            or method_name in UNITTEST_METHOD_NAMES
+            or method_name in DJANGO_METHOD_NAMES
+            or method_name.startswith('test_')
+        )
         and _is_test_file(filename)
     )
 

docs/features.md

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ for every row.
 | Per-rule fixing | `### Rules` | `deadcode/actions/remove_file_parts_from_content.py` | `tests/fix/test_unused_imports.py`, `tests/fix/test_assign.py` | 3 |
 | `# noqa` comments | `## Ignoring checks with noqa comments` | `deadcode/visitor/noqa.py` | `tests/noqa/test_noqa_comments.py` | 3 |
 | Unittest lifecycle methods | `## Ignoring unittest lifecycle methods` | `deadcode/visitor/ignore.py` | `tests/visitor/test_unittest_lifecycle_methods.py` | 3 |
+| Django test lifecycle methods | `## Ignoring Django test lifecycle methods` | `deadcode/visitor/ignore.py` | `tests/visitor/test_django_lifecycle_methods.py` | 3 |
 | FastAPI guide | `## Using deadcode on a FastAPI project` | `deadcode/actions/parse_arguments.py` | `tests/documented_examples/test_fastapi.py`, `tests/documented_examples/test_fastapi_documentation.py` | 3 |
 | Pre-commit hook | `## Pre-commit hook` | `.pre-commit-hooks.yaml` | `tests/documented_examples/test_pre_commit_hook_configuration.py` | 3 |
 | Wildcard imports and `__all__` | `## Known limitations` | `deadcode/visitor/module_exports.py` | `tests/visitor/test_wildcard_imports.py` | 3 |

tests/documented_examples/test_documented_features.py

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     'Per-rule fixing',
     '# noqa comments',
     'Unittest lifecycle methods',
+    'Django test lifecycle methods',
     'FastAPI guide',
     'Pre-commit hook',
     'Wildcard imports and __all__',

tests/visitor/test_django_lifecycle_methods.py

@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from deadcode.cli import main, print_main
+
+SOURCE = b"""
+from unittest import TestCase
+
+
+class MyTests(TestCase):
+    def setUpTestData(cls):
+        pass
+
+    def _pre_setup(self):
+        pass
+
+    def _post_teardown(self):
+        pass
+
+    def _fixture_setup(self):
+        pass
+
+    def _fixture_teardown(self):
+        pass
+
+    def test_something(self):
+        pass
+"""
+
+SOURCE_WITH_UNUSED_HELPER = (
+    SOURCE
+    + b"""
+    def unused_helper(self):
+        pass
+"""
+)
+
+SOURCE_WITH_DECORATED_SET_UP_TEST_DATA = b"""
+from django.test import TestCase
+
+
+class MyTests(TestCase):
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpTestData(cls):
+        pass
+
+    def test_something(self):
+        pass
+"""
+
+SOURCE_WITHOUT_TEST_CASE_BASE = b"""
+class TestMySuite:
+    def setUpTestData(cls):
+        pass
+
+    def _pre_setup(self):
+        pass
+"""
+
+SOURCE_WITH_USER_INVOKED_HELPERS = b"""
+class MyTests:
+    def assertContains(self):
+        pass
+
+    def assertNumQueries(self):
+        pass
+
+    def settings(self):
+        pass
+
+    def modify_settings(self):
+        pass
+
+    def captureOnCommitCallbacks(self):
+        pass
+"""
+
+
+def test_django_lifecycle_methods_in_test_file_are_not_reported(virtual_file_system):
+    # Having
+    virtual_file_system.files = {'/project/tests/test_sample.py': SOURCE}
+
+    # When
+    result = main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result is None
+
+    # When
+    result = print_main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result == 0
+
+
+def test_django_lifecycle_declared_without_classmethod_is_not_reported(virtual_file_system):
+    # Having
+    virtual_file_system.files = {'/project/tests/test_sample.py': SOURCE_WITHOUT_TEST_CASE_BASE}
+
+    # When
+    result = main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result is None
+
+    # When
+    result = print_main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result == 0
+
+
+def test_django_test_case_class_method_set_up_test_data_is_not_reported(virtual_file_system):
+    # Having
+    virtual_file_system.files = {'/project/tests/test_sample.py': SOURCE_WITH_DECORATED_SET_UP_TEST_DATA}
+
+    # When
+    result = main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result is None
+
+    # When
+    result = print_main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result == 0
+
+
+def test_django_lifecycle_methods_outside_test_file_are_still_reported(virtual_file_system):
+    # Having
+    virtual_file_system.files = {'/project/sample.py': SOURCE}
+
+    # When
+    output = main(['/project/sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert output is not None
+    assert 'DC02 Function `setUpTestData` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `_pre_setup` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `_post_teardown` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `_fixture_setup` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `_fixture_teardown` is never used' in output
+
+    # When
+    result = print_main(['/project/sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result == 1
+
+
+def test_unrelated_unused_method_in_test_file_is_still_reported(virtual_file_system):
+    # Having
+    virtual_file_system.files = {'/project/tests/test_sample.py': SOURCE_WITH_UNUSED_HELPER}
+
+    # When
+    output = main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert output is not None
+    assert len(output.splitlines()) == 1
+    assert output.endswith('DC04 Method `unused_helper` is never used')
+
+
+def test_user_invoked_django_helpers_in_test_file_are_still_reported(virtual_file_system):
+    # Having
+    virtual_file_system.files = {'/project/tests/test_sample.py': SOURCE_WITH_USER_INVOKED_HELPERS}
+
+    # When
+    output = main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert output is not None
+    assert 'DC04 Method `assertContains` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `assertNumQueries` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `settings` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `modify_settings` is never used' in output
+    assert 'DC04 Method `captureOnCommitCallbacks` is never used' in output
+
+    # When
+    result = print_main(['/project/tests/test_sample.py', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result == 1
+
+
+def test_django_lifecycle_in_nested_test_directory_returns_no_findings(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    # Having
+    test_directory = tmp_path / 'app' / 'tests'
+    test_directory.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (test_directory / 'test_models.py').write_bytes(SOURCE)
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+
+    # When
+    result = main(['app', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result is None
+
+    # When
+    result = print_main(['app', '--no-color'])
+
+    # Then
+    assert result == 0