--- name: "wml_aux_weblint" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "wml" version: "1.6.8-1" release: "Debian 2.1 (Slink)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/weblint" --- # wml\_aux\_weblint(1) pick fluff off web pages (HTML) Part of [weblint(1)](/weblint/1.md). ## NAME weblint - pick fluff off web pages (HTML) ## SYNOPSIS **weblint** \[ **-d *id*** \] \[ **-e *id*** \] \[ **-f *filename*** \] \[ **-i** \] \[ **-l** \] \[ **-s** \] \[ **-stderr** \] \[ **-t** \] \[ **-todo** \] \[ **-help** \] \[ **-U** \] \[ **-urlget *command*** \] \[ **-v** \] \[ **-version** \] \[ **-warnings** \] \[ **-x *extension*** \] file1 .. fileN ## DESCRIPTION Weblint is a Perl script which picks fluff off HTML pages. Files to be checked are passed on the command-line: ``` % weblint foobar.html ./dodgy-files/ index.html ``` If any of the arguments are directories weblint will recurse in the directory, and check any HTML files found. If an argument is a URL, then weblint will get the file using a URL retrieval program, and then check the file: ``` % weblint http://www.foobar.com/ ``` By default weblint will use lynx to retrieve URLs, but this can be over-ridden. A filename of \`-' specifies that weblint should read from standard input: ``` % lynx -source http://www.foobar.com/ | weblint - ``` Warnings are generated a la lint: ``` home.html(9): unmatched (no matching seen). ``` - Weblint includes the following features: - **•** by default checks for HTML 3.2 (Wilbur) - **•** 46 different checks and warnings - **•** Warnings can be enabled/disabled individually, as per your preference - **•** basic structure and syntax checks - **•** warnings for use of unknown elements and element attributes. - **•** context checks (where a tag must appear within a certain element). - **•** overlapped or illegally nested elements. - **•** do IMG elements have ALT text? - **•** flags obsolete elements. - **•** support for user and site configuration files - **•** stylistic checks - **•** checks for html which is not portable across all browsers - **•** flags markup embedded in comments, since this can confuse some browsers - **•** support for Netscape, and Microsoft HTML extensions ## OPTIONS - **-d** *warning-identifier* *Disable the warning associated with the identifier.* *Multiple identifiers can be specified,* *with a comma between identifiers.* - **-e** *warning-identifier* *Enable the warning associated with the identifier.* *Multiple identifiers can be specified,* *with a comma between identifiers.* - **-f** *config-file* *Specify a weblint configuration file which should be used in place* *of the user's default config file, or the site configuration file.* - **-help** *Show a short usage summary.* - **-i** *Ignore case of element tags.* - **-l** *When recursing in directories,* *ignore any files which are symlinks (also known as soft links).* *This will also cause files on the command-line to be ignored if they* *are symlinks, unless only one file is given.* - **-pedantic** *Turn on all warnings except the case-sensitive and bad-link warnings.* - **-s** *Generate \`short' warning messages,* *which do not include the filename.* - **-stderr** *Print warning messages to STDERR rather than STDOUT.* - **-t** *Enable terse warning mode,* *which is mainly useful for the weblint testsuite.* - **-U** *Same as -help.* - **-urlget** *command* *The command which should be used to retrieve HTML pages specified by URL.* - **-v** *Display the version number.* - **-version** *Display the version number.* - **-todo** *This prints out the URL for the online version of the weblint ToDo list.* *This includes known bugs, and requested/planned features.* - **-warnings** *List all supported warnings, with warning identifier,* *and whether the warning is enabled.* - **-x** *extension* *Include checks for the specified HTML extension;* *multiple extensions can be specified, separated with a comma.* *Currently the only extensions supported are Netscape and Microsoft.* *This can also be set in your weblint configuration file,* *described below.* ## HTML EXTENSIONS *Unless you specify otherwise, weblint assumes you are using HTML 3.2.* *Weblint supports the Netscape and Microsoft HTML extensions in addition.* *For example, weblint will complain that the BLINK* *element is not known,* *unless you enable the* **Netscape** *extension.* *The following extensions are currently supported:* - **Netscape** *The HTML extensions supported by the Netscape browser, version 4.* - **Microsoft** *The HTML extensions supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 4.* *To enable an extension, you can either use the* **-x** *command-line* *switch:* ``` % weblint -x Netscape foobar.html ``` *Or you can use the* **extension** *keyword in your .weblintrc:* ``` # enable the Microsoft extensions extension Microsoft ``` ## CONFIGURATION FILE *Weblint can be configured using a file .weblintrc* *in your home directory (or a file referenced by the WEBLINTRC* *environment variable).* *This file can be used to enable or disable specific warnings,* *set weblint variables, and include HTML extensions,* *as described above.* *Each warning has a short identifier string, used to refer to* *the warning in config files, and from the command-line.* *For example, if you want to enable the check for tags in upper-case,* *but disable the check for obsolete elements,* *then you would include the following lines in your .weblintrc:* ``` # specify the command used to retrieve URLs (-urlget switch) set url-get = lynx -source # the style of warning message to generate (lint, short, or terse) set message-style = lint # enable warning for tags not in upper-case enable upper-case # disable the warning for obsolete tags disable obsolete # enable the Netscape HTML extensions extension Netscape # when recursing in a directory, # ignore files which are symlinks (also known as soft links) ignore symlinks ``` *The keywords can be followed by any number of arguments,* *separated by spaces or tabs.* *Anything following a \`#' is treated as a comment.* *A sample configuration file is included in the weblint distribution* *(as of version 1.004),* *which mirrors the configuration built-in to weblint.* *Weblint also supports a site configuration file.* *If a user does not have a personal configuration file,* *then weblint will check for a local site configuration file.* *To provide such a file,* *create a directory such as /etc* *and create a file global.weblintrc.* *You need to edit the weblint script and modify the $SITE\_DIR variable,* *which you will find near the top of the file.* *For example:* ``` $SITE_DIR = '/etc'; ``` *At some point in the future there will be configuration support for* *weblint, so you won't have to modify the script directly yourself.* *If you have a site configuration file,* *then users can inherit the site defaults by adding the following line* *at the top of their .weblintrc file:* ``` use global weblintrc ``` ## WARNINGS *All warnings generated by weblint are listed below,* *along with the associated identifier,* *and whether the warning is enabled or disabled by default.* - - **tag \<...\> is not in upper case.** *Identifier: upper-case*\ *Default: disabled* - **tag \<...\> is not in lower case.** *Identifier: lower-case*\ *Default: disabled* - ***foo*** **attribute is required for \<...\>** *Identifier****: required-attribute***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **expected an attribute for \<...\>** *Identifier****: expected-attribute***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **unknown element \<...\>** *Identifier****: unknown-element***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **unknown attribute \`...' for element \<...\>.** *Identifier****: unknown-attribute***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **should not have whitespace between \`\<' and \`...\>'** *Identifier****: leading-whitespace***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **bad form to use \`here' as an anchor!** *Identifier****: here-anchor***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **no \ in HEAD element.** *Identifier****: require-head***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **tag \<...\> should only appear once. I saw one on line XX!** *Identifier****: once-only***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **\ but no \.** *Identifier****: body-no-head***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **outer tags should be \ .. \.** *Identifier****: html-outer***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **\<...\> can only appear in the HEAD element.** *Identifier****: head-element***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **\<...\> cannot appear in the HEAD element.** *Identifier****: non-head-element***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **\<...\> is obsolete.** *Identifier****: obsolete***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **unmatched \ (no matching \<...\> seen).** *Identifier****: mis-match***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **IMG does not have ALT text defined.** *Identifier****: img-alt***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **\<...\> cannot be nested.** *Identifier****: nested-element***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **Did not see \ in HEAD.** *Identifier****: mailto-link***\ *Default****: disabled*** - **\ on line XX seems to overlap \<...\>, opened on line YY.** *Identifier****: element-overlap***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **no closing \ seen for \<...\> on line XX.** *Identifier****: unclosed-element***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **markup embedded in a comment can confuse some browsers.** *Identifier****: markup-in-comment***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **odd number of quotes in element \<...\>.** *Identifier****: odd-quotes***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **heading \ follows \ on line N.** *Identifier****: heading-order***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **target for anchor** *Identifier****: bad-link***\ *Default****: disabled*** - **unexpected \< in \<...\> -- potentially unclosed element.** *Identifier****: unexpected-open***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **illegal context for \<...\> - must appear in \<...\> element.** *Identifier****: required-context***\ *Default****: enabled*** - **unclosed comment (comment should be: \