# sphinx-linter
[](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/sphinx-linter)
[](https://github.com/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter/actions?query=event%3Arelease+workflow%3ACI)
[](https://app.codecov.io/gh/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter)
[](https://github.com/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter/blob/main/LICENSE)
A lightweight Python linter for **Sphinx-style docstrings**.
It validates structure, field consistency, and alignment between documentation and code.
---
## Overview
Sphinx-style docstrings are widely used across Python projects, but existing tools such as
[pydocstyle](https://www.pydocstyle.org), [pydoclint](https://jsh9.github.io/pydoclint/),
and [ruff](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/) focus primarily on general docstring formatting, PEP 257 compliance, and style
enforcement.
It is designed to **complement**, not overlap with, these tools.
It targets **Sphinx-specific field list conventions** and performs **semantic consistency checks**
that go beyond what other linters cover.
Specifically, it focuses on:
- Enforcing **Sphinx field list syntax** (`:param:`, `:type:`, `:return:`, `:raises:`, etc.)
- Verifying **alignment** between documented fields and function signatures or type hints
- Validating **section order, duplication, type hints syntax and completeness**
- Producing **concise, CI-friendly reports** with structured rule codes
---
## Installation
Requires **Python ≥ 3.9**.
*No dependencies beyond the Python standard library.*
```bash
pip install sphinx-linter
```
---
## Quick Start
To use the standalone script, download the `sphinxlinter.py` script from
following [link](https://github.com/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter/archive/refs/heads/main.zip) and run it with Python:
```bash
python sphinxlinter.py path/to/source/
```
- Run in the current directory: `sphinxlinter .`
- Or use the short alias: `spxl .`
Run on specific files or directories:
```bash
spxl path/to/file.py path/to/package/
```
Directories are scanned recursively for `.py` files, ignoring virtual environments and cache folders.
---
## Command Line Usage
| Argument / Option | Description |
|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| `[FILES]` | Files or directories to lint. |
| `--help` | Show help message and exit. |
| `--enable` | Enable specific rule codes (or `ALL`). |
| `--disable` | Disable specific rule codes (overrides `--enable`). |
| `--ignore` | Exclude directories (e.g. `venv`, `.cache`). |
| `--statistics` | Show per-rule violation counts. |
| `--quiet` | Suppress all output except summary. |
---
## Output Format
Example:
```text
src/module.py:42: [DOC102] Invalid parameter type syntax ('List[int]')
src/module.py:10: [DOC101] Parameter documented but not in signature ('unused_param')
```
**Format:**
`filename:line: [CODE] message`
**Categories:**
- `DOC0xx`: Structure and formatting issues
- `DOC1xx`: Parameter issues
- `DOC2xx`: Return issues
- `DOC3xx`: Raises issues
- `DOC4xx`: Variable issues
---
## Violation Codes
### DOC0xx — Structure
| Code | Description | Purpose |
|--------|--------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| DOC001 | Invalid docstring section | Detects unsupported Sphinx fields. |
| DOC002 | Malformed section | Ensures valid field list syntax. |
| DOC003 | Missing blank line after docstring | Improves readability. |
| DOC004 | Missing blank line between summary and sections | Enforces structure consistency. |
| DOC005 | Too many consecutive blank lines | Prevents unnecessary whitespace. |
| DOC006 | Trailing empty lines | Keeps docstrings compact. |
| DOC007 | Misplaced section | Enforces section order and grouping. |
| DOC008 | One-line docstring should end with a period | Complies with [PEP 257](https://peps.python.org/pep-0257/#one-line-docstrings). |
| DOC009 | Docstring must not use more than 3 double quotes | Promotes consistent quoting. |
---
**DOC008**: This rule differs from Ruff’s similar rule [
`missing-trailing-period`](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/missing-trailing-period),
which enforces a trailing period on the first line of both one-line and multi-line docstrings. By contrast, the rule
**DOC008** only enforces a trailing period on *one-line* docstrings, following the recommendation
in [PEP 257](https://peps.python.org/pep-0257/#one-line-docstrings).
**DOC009**: Unlike Ruff [
`triple-single-quotes`](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/triple-single-quotes/#triple-single-quotes-d300),
this rule only checks that multi-line docstrings do not start or end with more than three double quotes.
---
### DOC1xx — Parameters
| Code | Description | Purpose |
|--------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| DOC101 | Parameter documented but not in signature | Detects undocumented or extra parameters. |
| DOC102 | Invalid parameter type syntax | Enforces valid Python type hints. |
| DOC103 | Parameter type already in signature | Avoids redundant type info. |
| DOC104 | Parameter type mismatch with annotation | Ensures consistency with annotations. |
| DOC105 | Duplicated parameter | Prevents repetition. |
---
### DOC2xx — Returns
| Code | Description | Purpose |
|--------|--------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| DOC201 | Return documented but function has no return statement | Detects unnecessary return sections. |
| DOC202 | Invalid return type syntax | Enforces valid type expressions. |
| DOC203 | Return type already in signature | Avoids redundancy. |
| DOC204 | Return type mismatch with annotation | Validates against function annotations. |
| DOC205 | Duplicated return section | Prevents duplication. |
---
### DOC3xx — Raises
| Code | Description | Purpose |
|--------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| DOC302 | Invalid exception type syntax | Ensures valid Python exception syntax. |
| DOC305 | Duplicated exception type | Prevents redundant entries. |
---
### DOC4xx — Variables
| Code | Description | Purpose |
|--------|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| DOC402 | Invalid variable type syntax | Enforces valid Python type hints. |
| DOC403 | Variable name contains invalid whitespace | Ensures valid identifiers. |
| DOC405 | Duplicated variable | Prevents repetition. |
---
## How It Works
The tool statically analyzes Python source code using the built-in AST module:
1. Parses `FunctionDef`, `AsyncFunctionDef`, `ClassDef`, and `Module` nodes.
2. Extracts Sphinx-style docstring fields.
3. Validates structure, syntax, and consistency with annotations.
The tool prints findings to stdout and never modifies source files.
**CI Integration:**
Treat any output as a failure signal in your build pipeline.
---
## Development
**Setup**
```bash
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install --group=test --group=lint
```
**Run Tests**
```bash
pytest tests/
pytest --cov sphinxlinter
```
**Run Linter**
```bash
ruff check .
```
---
## License
Licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
Raw data
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"description": "# sphinx-linter\n\n[](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/sphinx-linter)\n[](https://github.com/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter/actions?query=event%3Arelease+workflow%3ACI)\n[](https://app.codecov.io/gh/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter)\n[](https://github.com/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter/blob/main/LICENSE)\n\nA lightweight Python linter for **Sphinx-style docstrings**. \nIt validates structure, field consistency, and alignment between documentation and code.\n\n---\n\n## Overview\n\nSphinx-style docstrings are widely used across Python projects, but existing tools such as\n[pydocstyle](https://www.pydocstyle.org), [pydoclint](https://jsh9.github.io/pydoclint/),\nand [ruff](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/) focus primarily on general docstring formatting, PEP 257 compliance, and style\nenforcement.\n\nIt is designed to **complement**, not overlap with, these tools. \nIt targets **Sphinx-specific field list conventions** and performs **semantic consistency checks**\nthat go beyond what other linters cover.\n\nSpecifically, it focuses on:\n\n- Enforcing **Sphinx field list syntax** (`:param:`, `:type:`, `:return:`, `:raises:`, etc.)\n- Verifying **alignment** between documented fields and function signatures or type hints\n- Validating **section order, duplication, type hints syntax and completeness**\n- Producing **concise, CI-friendly reports** with structured rule codes\n\n---\n\n## Installation\n\nRequires **Python \u2265 3.9**.\n\n*No dependencies beyond the Python standard library.*\n\n```bash\npip install sphinx-linter\n```\n\n---\n\n## Quick Start\n\nTo use the standalone script, download the `sphinxlinter.py` script from\nfollowing [link](https://github.com/rmoralespp/sphinxlinter/archive/refs/heads/main.zip) and run it with Python:\n\n```bash\npython sphinxlinter.py path/to/source/\n```\n\n- Run in the current directory: `sphinxlinter .`\n- Or use the short alias: `spxl .`\n\nRun on specific files or directories:\n\n```bash\nspxl path/to/file.py path/to/package/\n```\n\nDirectories are scanned recursively for `.py` files, ignoring virtual environments and cache folders.\n\n---\n\n## Command Line Usage\n\n| Argument / Option | Description |\n|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|\n| `[FILES]` | Files or directories to lint. |\n| `--help` | Show help message and exit. |\n| `--enable` | Enable specific rule codes (or `ALL`). |\n| `--disable` | Disable specific rule codes (overrides `--enable`). |\n| `--ignore` | Exclude directories (e.g. `venv`, `.cache`). |\n| `--statistics` | Show per-rule violation counts. |\n| `--quiet` | Suppress all output except summary. |\n\n---\n\n## Output Format\n\nExample:\n\n```text\nsrc/module.py:42: [DOC102] Invalid parameter type syntax ('List[int]')\nsrc/module.py:10: [DOC101] Parameter documented but not in signature ('unused_param')\n```\n\n**Format:** \n`filename:line: [CODE] message`\n\n**Categories:**\n\n- `DOC0xx`: Structure and formatting issues\n- `DOC1xx`: Parameter issues\n- `DOC2xx`: Return issues\n- `DOC3xx`: Raises issues\n- `DOC4xx`: Variable issues\n\n---\n\n## Violation Codes\n\n### DOC0xx \u2014 Structure\n\n| Code | Description | Purpose |\n|--------|--------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| DOC001 | Invalid docstring section | Detects unsupported Sphinx fields. |\n| DOC002 | Malformed section | Ensures valid field list syntax. |\n| DOC003 | Missing blank line after docstring | Improves readability. |\n| DOC004 | Missing blank line between summary and sections | Enforces structure consistency. |\n| DOC005 | Too many consecutive blank lines | Prevents unnecessary whitespace. |\n| DOC006 | Trailing empty lines | Keeps docstrings compact. |\n| DOC007 | Misplaced section | Enforces section order and grouping. |\n| DOC008 | One-line docstring should end with a period | Complies with [PEP 257](https://peps.python.org/pep-0257/#one-line-docstrings). |\n| DOC009 | Docstring must not use more than 3 double quotes | Promotes consistent quoting. |\n\n---\n\n**DOC008**: This rule differs from Ruff\u2019s similar rule [\n`missing-trailing-period`](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/missing-trailing-period),\nwhich enforces a trailing period on the first line of both one-line and multi-line docstrings. By contrast, the rule\n**DOC008** only enforces a trailing period on *one-line* docstrings, following the recommendation\nin [PEP 257](https://peps.python.org/pep-0257/#one-line-docstrings).\n\n**DOC009**: Unlike Ruff [\n`triple-single-quotes`](https://docs.astral.sh/ruff/rules/triple-single-quotes/#triple-single-quotes-d300),\nthis rule only checks that multi-line docstrings do not start or end with more than three double quotes.\n\n---\n\n### DOC1xx \u2014 Parameters\n\n| Code | Description | Purpose |\n|--------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|\n| DOC101 | Parameter documented but not in signature | Detects undocumented or extra parameters. |\n| DOC102 | Invalid parameter type syntax | Enforces valid Python type hints. |\n| DOC103 | Parameter type already in signature | Avoids redundant type info. |\n| DOC104 | Parameter type mismatch with annotation | Ensures consistency with annotations. |\n| DOC105 | Duplicated parameter | Prevents repetition. |\n\n---\n\n### DOC2xx \u2014 Returns\n\n| Code | Description | Purpose |\n|--------|--------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|\n| DOC201 | Return documented but function has no return statement | Detects unnecessary return sections. |\n| DOC202 | Invalid return type syntax | Enforces valid type expressions. |\n| DOC203 | Return type already in signature | Avoids redundancy. |\n| DOC204 | Return type mismatch with annotation | Validates against function annotations. |\n| DOC205 | Duplicated return section | Prevents duplication. |\n\n---\n\n### DOC3xx \u2014 Raises\n\n| Code | Description | Purpose |\n|--------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------|\n| DOC302 | Invalid exception type syntax | Ensures valid Python exception syntax. |\n| DOC305 | Duplicated exception type | Prevents redundant entries. |\n\n---\n\n### DOC4xx \u2014 Variables\n\n| Code | Description | Purpose |\n|--------|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|\n| DOC402 | Invalid variable type syntax | Enforces valid Python type hints. |\n| DOC403 | Variable name contains invalid whitespace | Ensures valid identifiers. |\n| DOC405 | Duplicated variable | Prevents repetition. |\n\n---\n\n## How It Works\n\nThe tool statically analyzes Python source code using the built-in AST module:\n\n1. 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