bslint - BrighterScript Lint

brighterscript is a Roku BrightScript compiler featuring many diagnostics out of the box: syntax check, function calls validation, script imports verification...

bslint is:

• a CLI tool to lint your code without compiling your project,
• a brighterscript plugin offering additional insights on your code.

Installation

You need Node 10+ and npm or yarn:

# if you don't have a package.json
npm init -y

# install modules
npm install brighterscript @rokucommunity/bslint

Important: add the plugin to your bsconfig.json file in the root of your project, or create a minimal bsconfig.json like that:

{
    "plugins": [ "@rokucommunity/bslint" ]
}

Otherwise, you will only see issues coming from the brighterscript compiler.

Command line interface (CLI)

The bslint command will run the BrighterScript compiler without publishing step, only outputing the diagnostics.

Note: the CLI can be used without adding the bslint plugin; you will only get the default brighterscript diagnostics.

npx bslint --help

# lint with default options
npx bslint

# lint and fix basic code-style issues (see below)
npx bslint --fix

# lint and attempt to identify unused components and scripts (see below)
npx bslint --checkUsage

or add a npm script in package.json, e.g.:

{
    ...
    "scripts": {
        "lint": "bslint"
    }
    ...
}

and call npm run lint.

Plugin configuration

bslint can be configured using a bslint.json file in the root of your project.

Note: bslint.json is not the same file as bsconfig.json!

{
    "rules": {},
    "globals": [],
    "ignores": []
}

Where each value is optional:

• rules: see below
• globals: a list of tokens which should always be considered as safe (ex. _brs_)
• ignores: a list of files or globs of files to omit from linting

If you are using brighterscript with the Visual Studio Code plugin, you might want to mention your configuration file in brighterscript's bsconfig.json as follow:

{
    "plugins": [ "@rokucommunity/bslint" ],
    "lintConfig": "path/to/bslint.json"
}

Ignores

Unlike brighterscripts's diagnosticFilter which hides issues, bslint will completely skip ignored files when running the extra linting rules.

Note: it won't remove issues reported by the compiler itself!

Format should follow "glob search" rules, as implemented in minimatch module.

Examples:

• "lib/**/*": ignore everything under any lib folder,
• "**/lib/**/*": same with explicit initial wildcard (added automatically if missing)
• "specific-script.brs": ignore specific file name
• "*.test.brs": partial match of file name

Rules

Linting rules can be set in a bslint.json file in the root of your project.

Rules are organised in 3 categories:

• "Code style": how the code should look like for consistency
• "Strictness": requirement to ensure code safety
• "Code flow": tracks the code flow to identify risky patterns

Default rules:

{
    "rules": {
        "inline-if-style": "then",
        "block-if-style": "no-then",
        "condition-style": "no-group",
        "named-function-style": "auto",
        "anon-function-style": "auto",
        "aa-comma-style": "no-dangling",
        "no-print": "off",
        "no-todo": "off",
        "todo-pattern": "TODO|todo|FIXME",
        "no-stop": "warn",
        "eol-last": "always",

        "type-annotations": "off",

        "color-format": "off",
        "color-case": "off",
        "color-alpha": "off",
        "color-alpha-defaults": "off",
        "color-cert": "off",

        "assign-all-paths": "error",
        "unsafe-path-loop": "error",
        "unsafe-iterators": "error",
        "unreachable-code": "info",
        "case-sensitivity": "warn",
        "unused-variable": "warn",
        "unused-parameter": "warn",
        "consistent-return": "error",

        "no-assocarray-component-field-type": "off",
        "no-array-component-field-type": "off",
        "no-regex-duplicates": "off"
    }
}

Code style rules

• inline-if-style: validation of inline if/then statements.

  • never: do not allow,
  • no-then: do not use then keyword
  • then: always use then keyword (default)
  • off: do not validate

• block-if-style: validation of regular block if/then statements.

  • no-then: do not use then keyword (default)
  • then: always use then keyword
  • off: do not validate

• condition-style: validation of if/while statements conditions: should the condition be wrapped around parenthesis?

  • no-group: do not wrap with parenthesis (default)
  • group: always wrap with parentheses
  • off: do not validate

• named-function-style, anon-function-style: validation of function style (function/sub)

  • no-function: always use sub
  • no-sub: always use function
  • auto: use sub for Void functions, otherwise use function (default)
  • off: no not validate

• aa-comma-style: validation of commas in Associative Array (AA) literals

  • always: enforce the presence of commas, always
  • no-dangling: enforce the presence of commas but don't leave one dangling (default)
  • never: enforce that optional commas aren't used
  • off: do not validate

• no-print: prevent usage of print statements in code (error | warn | info | off)

• no-todo: prevent usage of todo comments in code (error | warn | info | off)

• todo-pattern: string regex pattern to determine what a TODO is. default is TODO|todo|FIXME (do not include surrounding / characters).

• no-stop: prevent usage of STOP statements in the code (error | warn | info | off)

• eol-last: enforces at least one newline (or absence thereof) at the end of non-empty files

  • always: enforces that files end with a newline (default)
  • never enforces that files do not end with a newline
  • off: do not validate

• color-format: ensures that all the color values follow the same prefix formatting. Can also use to prevent any colors values from being defined in the code-base (brs or bs files), except for values in a stand-alone file (ie. theme file).

  • hash-hex: enforces all color values are type string or template string and use a # prefix
  • quoted-numeric-hex: enforces all color values are type string or template string and use a 0x prefix
  • never: enforces that no color values can be defined in the code-base (brs or bs files). Useful if you define colors in a separate stand-alone file. To use this option you would list your stand-alone file in the ignore list or diagnosticFilters.
  • off: do not validate (default)

• color-case: ensures that all color values follow the same case. Requires that color-format is set to hash-hex or quoted-numeric-hex.

  • lower: enforces all color values that are type string or template string and all lowercase. ie. #11bbdd
  • upper: enforces all color values that are type string or template string and all uppercase. ie. #EEAA44
  • off: do not validate (default)

• color-alpha: defines the usage of the color alpha value. ie. #xxxxxxFF. Requires that color-format is set to hash-hex or quoted-numeric-hex.

  • always: enforces all color values that are type string or template string define an alpha value
  • allowed: allows color values that are type string or template string to define an alpha value
  • never: enforces that none of the color values that are type string or template string define an alpha value
  • off: do not validate (default)

• color-alpha-defaults: enforces default color-alpha values. ie. #xxxxxxFF or #xxxxxx00. Requires that color-alpha is not set to off and color-format is set to hash-hex or quoted-numeric-hex.

  • allowed: allows both types of defaults to be used
  • only-hidden: only allows opacity 0% (hidden) from being used
  • never: enforces that no defaults can be used
  • off: do not validate (default)

• color-cert: enforces Roku's broadcast safe color 6.4 certification requirement. Requires that color-format is set to hash-hex or quoted-numeric-hex.

  • always: ensures all white and black color-format values either match or are darker/ lighter than the minimum recommended values. For white the maximum value is #EBEBEB and for black the minimum value is #161616
  • off: do not validate (default)

• no-assocarray-component-field-type: Using 'assocarray' type in component markup can result in inefficient copying of data during transfer to the render thread. Use 'node' field types for more efficient transfer of data between component boundaries by avoiding expensive data cloning (error | warn | info | off)

• no-array-component-field-type: Using 'array' type in component markup can result in inefficient copying of data during transfer to the render thread. Use 'node' field types for more efficient transfer of data between component boundaries by avoiding expensive data cloning(error | warn | info | off)

• no-regex-duplicates: Avoid creating multiple roRegex objects with the same pattern as it leads to less performant code. (error | warn | info | off)

Strictness rules

• type-annotations: validation of presence of as type annotations, for function arguments and return values.

  • all: enforce both arguments and return type annotations
  • return: enforce return type annotations
  • args: enforce arguments type annotations
  • off: do not validate (default)

Code flow rules

Valid values for the rules severity are: error | warn | info | off.

• assign-all-paths: a variable is not assigned in all the possible code paths,

  if a then
      b = "something"
  end if
  print b ' error

• unsafe-path-loop: loops are considered as unsafe code paths: assignment in a loop may not happen.

  for i = 0 to n
      b = "something"
  end if
  print b ' b may not have been assigned

• unsafe-iterators: loop iterator variable should not be used outside a loop

  for i = 0 to n
      b = "something"
  end if
  print i ' value could be invalid

• case-sensitivity: inform of inconsistent variable casing

• unused-variable: inform of variable being set but never used

• unused-parameter: inform of function parameter never being used

• unreachable-code: inform of unreachable code

  return
  print "is unreachable"

• consistent-return: verifies consistency of sub/function returned values (missing return, missing value, returned value while function is as void,...)

Automatic fixing (experimental)

Running bslint with --fix parameter will attempt to fix common code-style issues:

• Using wrong sub or function keyword,
• Using/missing the optional then keyword,
• Using/missing parenthesis around if/while conditions.
• Adding/removing Associative Array (AA) literals' commas where needed.
• Case sensitivity (align with first occurence)
• Adding/removing newlines the end of non-empty files.

Usage checking (approximative)

Running bslint with --checkUsage parameter will attempt to identify unused components and scripts:

• Starting from main.brs the scripts and components are "walked",
• All the literal strings are matched (case insensitive) with XML component names,
• All the component included scripts are walked,
• All the component's explicit children (under <children> tag) are walked,
• Any script/component not walked will produce a warning.

Changelog

Click here to view the changelog