Linter

[maxitg]

The code consistency is currently somewhat out of whack. Tabs and spaces are used inconsistently, indentation is different, the line width is not enforced, etc.

We need a linter that would work along with CI and if not automatically fix then at least detect issues with code style and consistency.

Some lint tests we might want are:

• Flatten/ReplaceAll/Thread used without an explicit level spec (might need a different mechanism for Thread).
• Module/With/Block:
  • Missing definitions;
  • Unused definitions.
• Static WL code analysis
• Spacing issues
  • Enforce line width;
  • Check there are no tabs;
  • No spaces at the end of files;
  • No more than 2 spaces in between characters (unless followed by a comment);
  • No more than 2 empty lines at a time;
  • Empty lines present at the end of files.
• Wolfram Language code formatting
  • Indentation;
  • Check there are either always or never semicolons at the end of definitions.
• Check for broken links
• Tools from GeneralUtilities` :
  • FindDeadCode.

Linters we need:

• C++
• Wolfram Language Wolfram Language formatter #575
• Markdown Automated markdown image embedding  #449
• English
• Bash

[taliesinb]

If we incorporate macros like ModuleScope (see #461) then we should detect buried macros in the linter itself, since they don't evaluate properly (they do actually evaluate, but at runtime, which is quite slow).

[daneelsan]

May be relevant: https://github.com/WolframResearch/codeinspector

[daneelsan]

Formatter: https://github.com/WolframResearch/codeformatter