---
name: "Lintian::Output"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "lintian"
version: "2.104.0"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Lintian::Output"
---

# Lintian::Output(3)

Lintian messaging handling

## NAME

Lintian::Output - Lintian messaging handling

## SYNOPSIS

```
    use Lintian::Output;
    my $out = Lintian::Output->new;
    $out->verbosity(-1);
    $out->msg("Something interesting");
    $out->v_msg("Something less interesting");
    $out->debug_msg(3, "Something very specific");
```

## DESCRIPTION

Lintian::Output is used for all interaction between lintian and the user. It is designed to be easily extensible via subclassing.

To simplify usage in the most common cases, many Lintian::Output methods can be used as class methods and will therefore automatically use the object `$Lintian::Output::GLOBAL` unless their first argument `"isa('Lintian::Output')"`.

## ATTRIBUTES

The following fields impact the behavior of Lintian::Output.

- html

  - color

  - colors

  - debug

  If set to a positive integer, will enable all debug messages issued with a level lower or equal to its value.

- perf\_debug

  - perf\_log\_fd

  - proc\_id2tag\_count

  - showdescription

  Whether to show the description of a tag when printing it.

- tty\_hyperlinks

  - tag\_display\_limit

  Get/Set the number of times a tag is emitted per processable.

- verbosity

  Determine how verbose the output should be.  "0" is the default value (tags and msg only), "-1" is quiet (tags only) and "1" is verbose (tags, msg and v\_msg).

- "delimiter"

  ## CLASS/INSTANCE METHODS

These methods can be used both with and without an object.  If no object is given, they will fall back to the `$Lintian::Output::GLOBAL` object.

- "msg(@args)"

  Will output the strings given in `@args`, one per line, each line prefixed with 'N: '.  Will do nothing if verbosity is less than 0.

- "v\_msg(@args)"

  Will output the strings given in `@args`, one per line, each line prefixed with 'N: '.  Will do nothing unless verbosity is greater than 0.

- "debug\_msg($level, @args)"

  `$level` should be a positive integer.

  Will output the strings given in `@args`, one per line, each line prefixed with 'N: '.  Will do nothing unless debug is set to a positive integer \>= `$level`.

- "perf\_log(@args)"

  Like "v\_msg", except output is possibly sent to a dedicated log file.

  Will output the strings given in `@args`, one per line.  The lines will not be prefixed.  Will do nothing unless perf\_debug is set to a positive integer.

## SEE ALSO

[**lintian**(1)](/lintian/1.md)