Provided by: pylint_1.1.0-1_all 
NAME
pylint - python code static checker
SYNOPSIS
pylint [ OPTIONS ] [ <arguments> ]
DESCRIPTION
pylint is a Python source code analyzer which looks for programming errors, helps enforcing a coding
standard and sniffs for some code smells (as defined in Martin Fowler's Refactoring book)
Pylint can be seen as another PyChecker since nearly all tests you can do with PyChecker can also be done
with Pylint. However, Pylint offers some more features, like checking length of lines of code, checking
if variable names are well-formed according to your coding standard, or checking if declared interfaces
are truly implemented, and much more.
Additionally, it is possible to write plugins to add your own checks.
Pylint is shipped with "pylint-gui", "pyreverse" (UML diagram generator) and "symilar" (an independent
similarities checker).
OPTIONS
--version
show program's version number and exit
--help, -h
show this help message and exit
--long-help
more verbose help.
MASTER
--rcfile=<file>
Specify a configuration file.
--init-hook=<code>
Python code to execute, usually for sys.path manipulation such as pygtk.require().
--errors-only, -E
In error mode, checkers without error messages are disabled and for others, only the ERROR
messages are displayed, and no reports are done by default
--ignore=<file>[,<file>...]
Add files or directories to the blacklist. They should be base names, not paths. [current: CVS]
--persistent=<y_or_n>
Pickle collected data for later comparisons. [current: yes]
--load-plugins=<modules>
List of plugins (as comma separated values of python modules names) to load, usually to register
additional checkers. [current: none]
COMMANDS
--help-msg=<msg-id>
Display a help message for the given message id and exit. The value may be a comma separated list
of message ids.
--list-msgs
Generate pylint's messages.
--full-documentation
Generate pylint's full documentation.
--generate-rcfile
Generate a sample configuration file according to the current configuration. You can put other
options before this one to get them in the generated configuration.
MESSAGES CONTROL
--enable=<msg ids>, -e <msg ids>
Enable the message, report, category or checker with the given id(s). You can either give multiple
identifier separated by comma (,) or put this option multiple time. See also the "--disable"
option for examples.
--disable=<msg ids>, -d <msg ids>
Disable the message, report, category or checker with the given id(s). You can either give
multiple identifiers separated by comma (,) or put this option multiple times (only on the command
line, not in the configuration file where it should appear only once).You can also use
"--disable=all" to disable everything first and then reenable specific checks. For example, if you
want to run only the similarities checker, you can use "--disable=all --enable=similarities". If
you want to run only the classes checker, but have no Warning level messages displayed,
use"--disable=all --enable=classes --disable=W"
REPORTS
--output-format=<format>, -f <format>
Set the output format. Available formats are text, parseable, colorized, msvs (visual studio) and
html. You can also give a reporter class, eg mypackage.mymodule.MyReporterClass. [current: text]
--include-ids=<y_or_n>, -i <y_or_n>
Include message's id in output [current: no]
--symbols=<y_or_n>, -s <y_or_n>
Include symbolic ids of messages in output [current: no]
--files-output=<y_or_n>
Put messages in a separate file for each module / package specified on the command line instead of
printing them on stdout. Reports (if any) will be written in a file name
"pylint_global.[txt|html]". [current: no]
--reports=<y_or_n>, -r <y_or_n>
Tells whether to display a full report or only the messages [current: yes]
--evaluation=<python_expression>
Python expression which should return a note less than 10 (10 is the highest note). You have
access to the variables errors warning, statement which respectively contain the number of errors
/ warnings messages and the total number of statements analyzed. This is used by the global
evaluation report (RP0004). [current: 10.0 - ((float(5 * error + warning + refactor + convention)
/ statement) * 10)]
--comment=<y_or_n>
Add a comment according to your evaluation note. This is used by the global evaluation report
(RP0004). [current: no]
IMPORTS
--deprecated-modules=<modules>
Deprecated modules which should not be used, separated by a comma [current:
regsub,string,TERMIOS,Bastion,rexec]
--import-graph=<file.dot>
Create a graph of every (i.e. internal and external) dependencies in the given file (report RP0402
must not be disabled) [current: none]
--ext-import-graph=<file.dot>
Create a graph of external dependencies in the given file (report RP0402 must not be disabled)
[current: none]
--int-import-graph=<file.dot>
Create a graph of internal dependencies in the given file (report RP0402 must not be disabled)
[current: none]
DESIGN
--max-args=<int>
Maximum number of arguments for function / method [current: 5]
--ignored-argument-names=<regexp>
Argument names that match this expression will be ignored. Default to name with leading underscore
[current: _.*]
--max-locals=<int>
Maximum number of locals for function / method body [current: 15]
--max-returns=<int>
Maximum number of return / yield for function / method body [current: 6]
--max-branchs=<int>
Maximum number of branch for function / method body [current: 12]
--max-statements=<int>
Maximum number of statements in function / method body [current: 50]
--max-parents=<num>
Maximum number of parents for a class (see R0901). [current: 7]
--max-attributes=<num>
Maximum number of attributes for a class (see R0902). [current: 7]
--min-public-methods=<num>
Minimum number of public methods for a class (see R0903). [current: 2]
--max-public-methods=<num>
Maximum number of public methods for a class (see R0904). [current: 20]
FORMAT
--max-line-length=<int>
Maximum number of characters on a single line. [current: 80]
--max-module-lines=<int>
Maximum number of lines in a module [current: 1000]
--indent-string=<string>
String used as indentation unit. This is usually " " (4 spaces) or "" (1 tab). [current: '
']
BASIC
--required-attributes=<attributes>
Required attributes for module, separated by a comma [current: none]
--bad-functions=<builtin function names>
List of builtins function names that should not be used, separated by a comma [current:
map,filter,apply,input]
--module-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct module names [current: (([a-z_][a-z0-9_]*)|([A-
Z][a-zA-Z0-9]+))$]
--const-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct module level names [current: (([A-Z_][A-
Z0-9_]*)|(__.*__))$]
--class-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct class names [current: [A-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9]+$]
--function-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct function names [current: [a-z_][a-
z0-9_]{2,30}$]
--method-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct method names [current: [a-z_][a-z0-9_]{2,30}$]
--attr-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct instance attribute names [current: [a-z_][a-
z0-9_]{2,30}$]
--argument-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct argument names [current: [a-z_][a-
z0-9_]{2,30}$]
--variable-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct variable names [current: [a-z_][a-
z0-9_]{2,30}$]
--inlinevar-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match correct list comprehension / generator expression
variable names [current: [A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*$]
--good-names=<names>
Good variable names which should always be accepted, separated by a comma [current:
i,j,k,ex,Run,_]
--bad-names=<names>
Bad variable names which should always be refused, separated by a comma [current:
foo,bar,baz,toto,tutu,tata]
--no-docstring-rgx=<regexp>
Regular expression which should only match functions or classes name which do not require a
docstring [current: __.*__]
SIMILARITIES
--min-similarity-lines=<int>
Minimum lines number of a similarity. [current: 4]
--ignore-comments=<y or n>
Ignore comments when computing similarities. [current: yes]
--ignore-docstrings=<y or n>
Ignore docstrings when computing similarities. [current: yes]
--ignore-imports=<y or n>
Ignore imports when computing similarities. [current: no]
MISCELLANEOUS
--notes=<comma separated values>
List of note tags to take in consideration, separated by a comma. [current: FIXME,XXX,TODO]
TYPECHECK
--ignore-mixin-members=<y_or_n>
Tells whether missing members accessed in mixin class should be ignored. A mixin class is detected
if its name ends with "mixin" (case insensitive). [current: yes]
--ignored-classes=<members names>
List of classes names for which member attributes should not be checked (useful for classes with
attributes dynamically set). [current: SQLObject]
--zope=<y_or_n>
When zope mode is activated, add a predefined set of Zope acquired attributes to generated-
members. [current: no]
--generated-members=<members names>
List of members which are set dynamically and missed by pylint inference system, and so shouldn't
trigger E0201 when accessed. Python regular expressions are accepted. [current:
REQUEST,acl_users,aq_parent]
VARIABLES
--init-import=<y_or_n>
Tells whether we should check for unused import in __init__ files. [current: no]
--dummy-variables-rgx=<regexp>
A regular expression matching the beginning of the name of dummy variables (i.e.
not used). [current: _|dummy]
--additional-builtins=<comma separated list>
List of additional names supposed to be defined in builtins. Remember that you should avoid to
define new builtins when possible. [current: none]
CLASSES
--ignore-iface-methods=<method names>
List of interface methods to ignore, separated by a comma. This is used for instance to not check
methods defines in Zope's Interface base class. [current:
isImplementedBy,deferred,extends,names,namesAndDescriptions,queryDescriptionFor,getBases,getDescriptionFor,getDoc,getName,getTaggedValue,getTaggedValueTags,isEqualOrExtendedBy,setTaggedValue,isImplementedByInstancesOf,adaptWith,is_implemented_by]
--defining-attr-methods=<method names>
List of method names used to declare (i.e. assign) instance attributes. [current:
__init__,__new__,setUp]
--valid-classmethod-first-arg=<argument names>
List of valid names for the first argument in a class method. [current: cls]
--valid-metaclass-classmethod-first-arg=<argument names>
List of valid names for the first argument in a metaclass class method. [current: mcs]
EXCEPTIONS
--overgeneral-exceptions=<comma-separated class names>
Exceptions that will emit a warning when being caught. Defaults to "Exception" [current:
Exception]
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
The following environment variables are used:
* PYLINTHOME
path to the directory where data of persistent run will be stored. If not found, it defaults to
~/.pylint.d/ or .pylint.d (in the current working directory).
* PYLINTRC
path to the configuration file. If not found, it will use the first existing file among (~/.pylintrc,
/etc/pylintrc).
OUTPUT
Using the default text output, the message format is :
MESSAGE_TYPE: LINE_NUM:[OBJECT:] MESSAGE
There are 5 kind of message types :
* (C) convention, for programming standard violation
* (R) refactor, for bad code smell
* (W) warning, for python specific problems
* (E) error, for probable bugs in the code
* (F) fatal, if an error occurred which prevented pylint from doing further processing.
OUTPUT STATUS CODE
Pylint should leave with following status code:
* 0 if everything went fine
* 1 if a fatal message was issued
* 2 if an error message was issued
* 4 if a warning message was issued
* 8 if a refactor message was issued
* 16 if a convention message was issued
* 32 on usage error
status 1 to 16 will be bit-ORed so you can know which different categories has been issued by analysing
pylint output status code
SEE ALSO
/usr/share/doc/pythonX.Y-pylint/
BUGS
Please report bugs on the project's mailing list: mailto://python-projects@lists.logilab.org
AUTHOR
Logilab <python-projects@lists.logilab.org>
COPYRIGHT
Logilab S.A.
pylint 2013-4-16 pylint(1)