https://github.com/philips/lualint

lua linter
https://github.com/philips/lualint

Last synced: 6 months ago
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lua linter

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/philips/lualint
• Owner: philips
• License: other
• Created: 2012-04-25T00:25:19.000Z (almost 14 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2023-06-30T11:38:31.000Z (over 2 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-04-08T18:54:39.249Z (10 months ago)
• Language: Lua
• Size: 152 KB
• Stars: 85
• Watchers: 3
• Forks: 19
• Open Issues: 4
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

          
lualint performs luac-based static analysis of global variable usage in Lua

source code.

`Usage: lualint [-r|-s] filename.lua [ [-r|-s] [filename.lua] ...]`

## Description

lualint uses luac's bytecode listing. It reports all accesses to undeclared

global variables, which catches many typing errors in variable names. For

example:

    local really_aborting

    local function abort() os.exit(1) end

    if not os.getenv("HOME") then

      realy_aborting = true

      abortt()

    end

    reports:

    /tmp/example.lua:4: *** global SET of realy_aborting

    /tmp/example.lua:5: global get of abortt

It is primarily designed for use on LTN7-style modules, where each source file

only exports one global symbol. (A module contained in the file "foobar.lua"

should only export the symbol "foobar".)

A "relaxed" mode is available for source not in LTN7 style. It only detects

reads from globals that were never set. The switch "-r" puts lualint into

relaxed mode for the following files; "-s" switches back to strict.

Required packages are tracked, although not recursively. If you call

"myext.process()" you should require "myext", and not depend on other

dependencies to load it. LUA_PATH is followed as usual to find requirements.

Some (not strictly LTN7) modules may wish to export other variables into the

global environment. To do so, use the declare function:

    declare "xpairs"

    function xpairs(node)

      [...]

Similarly, to quiet warnings about reading global variables you are aware may

be unavailable:

    lint_ignore "lua_fltk_version"

    if lua_fltk_version then print("fltk loaded") end

One way of defining these is in a module "declare.lua":

    function declare(s)

    end

    declare "lint_ignore"

    function lint_ignore(s)

    end

(Setting declare is OK, because it's in the "declare" module.) These functions

don't have to do anything, or in fact actually exist! They can be in dead code:

    if false then declare "xpairs" end

This is because lualint only performs a rather primitive and cursory scan of

the bytecode. Perhaps declarations should only be allowed in the main chunk.

## TODO

The errors don't come out in any particular order.

Should switch to RiciLake's parser, which should do a much better job of this

and allow detection of some other common situations.

## CREDITS

JayCarlson (nop@nop.com)

This is all Ben Jackson's (ben@ben.com) fault, who did some similar tricks in

MOO.