Show HN: CLI tool for detecting non-exact code duplication with embedding models

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Detecting subtle, semantic code similarity

"I built Slopo to solve one specific problem: finding similar code that is hardest to detect by other tools, coding AI agents, and humans." – rkochanowski
"Similar code is often not a clone to refactor, and this is a trade‑off." – rkochanowski
Interest in extending language support

"If it did PHP I would love to run it over WordPress. What would it take to add that?" – realxrobau
"PHP support can be easily added, I will release a new version soon." – rkochanowski
Potential workflow integration and concerns

"I can imagine putting this into a pre push hook to keep things clean after an initial sweep." – hdz
"Nice idea. I can see this being useful before refactors, especially when the duplication is semantic rather than copy paste." – murats
"I think that this is pretty cool, but is there any reason why we would want to remove similar/possible duplicate code?" – SpyCoder77

🚀 Project Ideas

Detects semantic code clones across many languages, surfacing hidden duplication before refactors.
Integrates with CI pipelines to flag risky duplication, saving developer time.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Developers and teams maintaining large codebases, especially those using CI/CD
Core Feature	Semantic similarity detection using embeddings, configurable thresholds
Tech Stack	Rust backend, Python inference, Docker, GitHub Actions
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Revenue-ready: Subscription (tiered per pipeline runs)

Solves the exact pain point raised by rkochanowski and users wanting pre‑push hooks.
Community can request language support, e.g., PHP, expanding adoption.

Provides AI‑driven detection of refactor‑worthy duplicates and auto‑generates pull‑requests.
Offers context‑aware suggestions that prioritize semantic over literal clones.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Individual developers and small teams seeking automated code quality improvements
Core Feature	Web UI + API that ingests repository, runs clone detection, suggests refactors, opens PRs
Tech Stack	Node.js backend, GPT‑4 API for suggestion, GitHub API for PR creation, PostgreSQL
Difficulty	High
Monetization	Revenue-ready: Pay‑per‑repo monthly ($5–$15)

Directly answers the question of why remove duplicates by showing refactor ROI.
Would be a natural extension of Slopo’s embedding approach, appealing to HN readers.

Shows real‑time similarity scores for selected code blocks, highlighting hidden duplicates.
Provides quick actions to view, compare, or auto‑refactor duplicates within the editor.

Key	Value
Target Audience	IDE‑centric developers who want on‑the‑fly duplicate insight
Core Feature	Extension that runs local embeddings on the fly, surfaces matches in margin, supports configurable ignore patterns
Tech Stack	TypeScript, Rust compiled to WASM for embedding, VS Code Extension API
Difficulty	Low
Monetization	Hobby