Automating Header Dependency Checks in C/C++

C/C++ projects often accumulate unnecessary header includes that slow compilation and cause fragile dependencies across platforms. Unlike languages with strict module systems, C/C++ requires developers to manually enforce proper include patterns—a task that becomes increasingly error-prone as codebases grow. Tools like include-tidy address this by automating the detection of missing and unnecessary headers, which is especially valuable for large projects where compilation times already measure in hours.