jshint
JSHint is a tool that helps to detect errors and potential problems in your JavaScript code
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:vertical_traffic_light: An extensible linter for the TypeScript language
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Quick Overview
JSHint is a static code analysis tool for JavaScript, designed to help detect errors and potential problems in JavaScript code. It's a community-driven project that aims to improve code quality and consistency across JavaScript projects.
Pros
- Highly configurable, allowing developers to customize rules according to their project needs
- Integrates well with various text editors, IDEs, and build systems
- Helps maintain consistent coding style across teams
- Regularly updated to support new JavaScript features and best practices
Cons
- Some developers find the configuration process complex and time-consuming
- Occasionally produces false positives or misses certain issues
- Competition from newer tools like ESLint has reduced its popularity
- Limited support for modern JavaScript frameworks and libraries
Code Examples
- Basic usage in Node.js:
const jshint = require('jshint');
const code = 'var x = 5;';
const options = { esversion: 6 };
const results = jshint.JSHINT(code, options);
if (!results) {
console.log(jshint.JSHINT.errors);
}
- Using JSHint with a configuration file:
// .jshintrc
{
"esversion": 6,
"node": true,
"strict": "global"
}
// script.js
'use strict';
const fs = require('fs');
function readFile(path) {
return fs.readFileSync(path, 'utf8');
}
- Ignoring specific lines:
function example() {
// jshint ignore:start
var x = 10;
// jshint ignore:end
return x;
}
Getting Started
-
Install JSHint globally:
npm install -g jshint
-
Create a
.jshintrc
file in your project root:{ "esversion": 6, "node": true }
-
Run JSHint on a file:
jshint path/to/your/file.js
-
To use JSHint in your Node.js project:
const jshint = require('jshint'); const code = 'your code here'; jshint.JSHINT(code); console.log(jshint.JSHINT.errors);
Competitor Comparisons
Find and fix problems in your JavaScript code.
Pros of ESLint
- More flexible and customizable with a plugin system
- Supports modern JavaScript features and frameworks
- Provides auto-fix capabilities for many rules
Cons of ESLint
- Steeper learning curve due to increased complexity
- Can be slower to run, especially on large codebases
Code Comparison
JSHint configuration:
{
"esversion": 6,
"node": true,
"strict": true
}
ESLint configuration:
{
"parserOptions": {
"ecmaVersion": 2018
},
"env": {
"node": true
},
"rules": {
"strict": ["error", "global"]
}
}
Summary
ESLint offers more advanced features and flexibility compared to JSHint, making it suitable for modern JavaScript development. It provides better support for new language features, frameworks, and custom rules through plugins. The auto-fix capability is a significant advantage for developers.
However, ESLint's increased complexity can lead to a steeper learning curve, especially for beginners. It may also have slightly slower performance on large codebases due to its extensive rule set and plugin system.
JSHint, while simpler and potentially faster, lacks some of the advanced features and customization options that ESLint provides. It may be sufficient for smaller projects or teams that prefer a more straightforward linting solution.
Ultimately, the choice between ESLint and JSHint depends on the project requirements, team preferences, and the level of customization needed in the linting process.
Prettier is an opinionated code formatter.
Pros of Prettier
- Opinionated code formatter that enforces consistent style across projects
- Supports multiple languages beyond JavaScript (e.g., CSS, HTML, Markdown)
- Integrates well with various editors and IDEs
Cons of Prettier
- Less flexible for customizing code style preferences
- May require more initial setup and configuration
- Can sometimes produce unexpected formatting results
Code Comparison
JSHint example:
function example(x,y){
return x+y;
}
Prettier example:
function example(x, y) {
return x + y;
}
JSHint focuses on identifying potential errors and issues in JavaScript code, while Prettier automatically formats code to a consistent style. JSHint provides more granular control over linting rules, whereas Prettier emphasizes simplicity and reduced configuration options.
Prettier is better suited for teams wanting to enforce a consistent code style across projects, while JSHint is more appropriate for those seeking detailed static analysis and error detection in JavaScript code.
Both tools can be used together in a development workflow, with JSHint handling code quality checks and Prettier managing code formatting.
🌟 JavaScript Style Guide, with linter & automatic code fixer
Pros of Standard
- Zero configuration required, works out of the box
- Enforces a consistent, opinionated style across projects
- Includes automatic fixing for many style issues
Cons of Standard
- Less flexible than JSHint for custom configurations
- May not align with personal or team preferences for some style rules
- Smaller ecosystem of plugins and integrations
Code Comparison
Standard:
function example (x) {
return x + 1
}
JSHint:
function example(x) {
return x + 1;
}
Standard enforces no semicolons and single spaces after function names, while JSHint allows for more customization in these areas.
Additional Notes
Standard aims to eliminate discussions about code style by providing a single, opinionated set of rules. It's particularly useful for teams or open-source projects that want to maintain consistency without lengthy style guides.
JSHint, on the other hand, offers more granular control over linting rules, allowing developers to tailor the tool to their specific needs or existing codebases. It's been around longer and has a larger ecosystem of plugins and integrations.
Both tools serve similar purposes but cater to different preferences in the JavaScript community. The choice between them often comes down to whether a team values customization or wants to adopt a pre-defined style guide.
:vertical_traffic_light: An extensible linter for the TypeScript language
Pros of TSLint
- Specifically designed for TypeScript, offering better support for TS-specific features
- More extensive rule set, including many TypeScript-specific rules
- Supports custom rules and plugins for greater flexibility
Cons of TSLint
- Slower performance compared to JSHint, especially on larger projects
- Steeper learning curve due to more complex configuration options
- Discontinued in favor of ESLint with TypeScript support
Code Comparison
TSLint configuration example:
{
"rules": {
"no-unused-variable": true,
"no-console": [true, "log", "error"]
}
}
JSHint configuration example:
{
"unused": true,
"devel": false
}
Additional Notes
TSLint is specifically tailored for TypeScript projects, while JSHint is primarily for JavaScript. TSLint offers more granular control over linting rules, but JSHint is simpler to set up and use. It's worth noting that TSLint has been deprecated, and the TypeScript team now recommends using ESLint with TypeScript-specific plugins for new projects.
A JavaScript checker and optimizer.
Pros of Closure Compiler
- Advanced optimization capabilities, including dead code elimination and minification
- Supports type checking and static analysis for improved code quality
- Integrates well with other Google tools and frameworks
Cons of Closure Compiler
- Steeper learning curve and more complex setup compared to JSHint
- Slower compilation times, especially for large projects
- Requires specific coding patterns and annotations for optimal results
Code Comparison
JSHint example:
// jshint esversion: 6
const greeting = name => {
console.log(`Hello, ${name}!`);
};
greeting('World');
Closure Compiler example:
/**
* @param {string} name
*/
const greeting = function(name) {
console.log('Hello, ' + name + '!');
};
greeting('World');
JSHint focuses on linting and identifying potential issues, while Closure Compiler provides more advanced optimization and type checking. JSHint is easier to set up and use for quick code quality checks, whereas Closure Compiler offers more powerful features at the cost of increased complexity and setup time. The code examples demonstrate the different approaches: JSHint uses simple directives, while Closure Compiler relies on JSDoc annotations for type information and optimization hints.
Adds static typing to JavaScript to improve developer productivity and code quality.
Pros of Flow
- Static type checking for JavaScript, catching type-related errors early
- Integrates well with React and other Facebook technologies
- More comprehensive type system compared to JSHint's limited type checking
Cons of Flow
- Steeper learning curve due to its more complex type system
- Requires additional setup and configuration compared to JSHint
- May have slower performance for large codebases due to type checking
Code Comparison
Flow example:
// @flow
function add(a: number, b: number): number {
return a + b;
}
JSHint example:
// jshint esversion: 6
function add(a, b) {
"use strict";
return a + b;
}
Flow provides static type checking, while JSHint focuses on code quality and style issues. Flow requires type annotations and offers more robust type inference, whereas JSHint relies on comments for configuration and provides basic linting.
Both tools aim to improve code quality, but Flow emphasizes type safety, while JSHint focuses on identifying potential errors and enforcing coding standards. Flow is better suited for large-scale projects requiring strong type checking, while JSHint is simpler to set up and use for general JavaScript linting.
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JSHint, A Static Code Analysis Tool for JavaScript
[ Use it online ⢠Docs ⢠FAQ ⢠Install ⢠Contribute ⢠Blog ⢠Twitter ]
JSHint is a community-driven tool that detects errors and potential problems in JavaScript code. Since JSHint is so flexible, you can easily adjust it in the environment you expect your code to execute. JSHint is publicly available and will always stay this way.
Our goal
The project aims to help JavaScript developers write complex programs without worrying about typos and language gotchas.
Any code base eventually becomes huge at some point, so simple mistakes â that would not show themselves when written â can become show stoppers and add extra hours of debugging. So, static code analysis tools come into play and help developers spot such problems. JSHint scans a program written in JavaScript and reports about commonly made mistakes and potential bugs. The potential problem could be a syntax error, a bug due to an implicit type conversion, a leaking variable, or something else entirely.
Only 15% of all programs linted on jshint.com pass the JSHint checks. In all other cases, JSHint finds some red flags that could've been bugs or potential problems.
Please note, that while static code analysis tools can spot many different kind of mistakes, it can't detect if your program is correct, fast or has memory leaks. You should always combine tools like JSHint with unit and functional tests as well as with code reviews.
Reporting a bug
To report a bug simply create a new GitHub Issue and describe your problem or suggestion. We welcome all kinds of feedback regarding JSHint including but not limited to:
- When JSHint doesn't work as expected
- When JSHint complains about valid JavaScript code that works in all browsers
- When you simply want a new option or feature
Before reporting a bug, please look around to see if there are any open or closed tickets that discuss your issue, and remember the wisdom: pull request > bug report > tweet.
Who uses JSHint?
Engineers from these companies and projects use JSHint:
- Mozilla
- Wikipedia
- Disqus
- Medium
- Yahoo!
- SmugMug
- jQuery UI (Source)
- jQuery Mobile (Source)
- Coursera
- RedHat
- SoundCloud
- Nodejitsu
- Yelp
- Find My Electric
- Voxer
- EnyoJS
- QuickenLoans
- Cloud9
- CodeClimate
- Zendesk
- Codacy ref
- Spotify
And many more!
License
JSHint is licensed under the MIT Expat license.
Prior to version 2.12.0 (release in August 2020), JSHint was partially licensed under the non-free JSON license. The 2020 Relicensing document details the process maintainers followed to change the license.
The JSHint Team
JSHint is currently maintained by Rick Waldron, Caitlin Potter, Mike Pennisi, and Luke Page. You can reach them via admin@jshint.org.
Previous Maintainers
Originating from the JSLint project in 2010, JSHint has been maintained by a number of dedicated individuals. In chronological order, they are: Douglas Crockford, Anton Kovalyov, and Mike Sherov. We appreciate their long-term commitment!
Thank you!
We really appreciate all kinds of feedback and contributions. Thanks for using and supporting JSHint!
Top Related Projects
Find and fix problems in your JavaScript code.
Prettier is an opinionated code formatter.
🌟 JavaScript Style Guide, with linter & automatic code fixer
:vertical_traffic_light: An extensible linter for the TypeScript language
A JavaScript checker and optimizer.
Adds static typing to JavaScript to improve developer productivity and code quality.
Convert
designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot