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Alexander Liberov edited this page Oct 16, 2026 · 3 revisions

Fix it

Applies the autofix for the single lint finding represented by a Structure-tree node. Reach for it when you are looking at one finding and want it fixed without touching anything else in the unit.

Reaching it in the IDE

This is a RIGHT-CLICK action, not a main-menu item. Menu path: "Structure form (right-click a tree node)".

The Structure form's right-click menu is the only place autofix ("Fix it", "Fix all in unit", "Fix all in project") is reachable in the IDE -- there is no main drag-lint menu item for it.

To reach it: open the Structure form first (drag-lint > Show Structure), then right-click the tree node for a finding and choose "Fix it".

Running it from the CLI

The menu item runs lint with the autofix flags:

drag-lint lint --file <path.pas> --fix --fix-line <L> --fix-rule <rule-id> --apply

--fix-line and --fix-rule narrow the fix to the ONE finding you right-clicked. Without --apply the command is a DRY RUN: it reports what it would fix and writes no source file -- and, for a naming fix, no index either (a stale owning index is reported index=stale, not reindexed). With --apply, a naming fix may first reindex stale owning project indexes (see Multi-Project-Rename).

Only rules marked fixable can be auto-fixed. drag-lint rules --json reports a fixable field per rule; 23 of the 190 rules are fixable.

Unused units (unused-unit-in-uses)

"Fix it" on an unused-unit-in-uses finding does not use lint --fix. It asks the compiler-verified uses-fix verb about that ONE unit, which decides by compiling:

  • removed -- nothing needs the unit and it has no initialization section;
  • moved to the implementation section -- only the implementation needs it, or it has an initialization section (moving keeps that running; removing could build cleanly and break at runtime);
  • no change -- neither edit compiles; the reason is shown.

It needs an active project with an index (the same one a save reindexes), and it compiles the unit up to three times, so it can take a minute on a large unit. The result is reported in the status strip and the Messages pane, e.g. applied 1 edit(s): System.Win.Registry removed (.bak written). The CLI form:

drag-lint uses-fix <Unit.pas> --project <App.dproj> --db <App.sqlite> --platform win32 --remove-unused --only <UnitName> --apply --format json

While it runs, and afterwards

  • It runs in the background on the drag-lint job queue; the status strip shows it, and the result appears on the Diagnostics root row.
  • On a NAMING finding (const-casing, type-name-prefix, local-var-casing, ...) "Fix it" RENAMES the symbol -- its declaration and every use the project index knows about (e.g. wrStr -> WrStr). Asking for that ONE finding is the opt-in. It needs the project index, and is not offered without one. A naming fix runs a PREVIEW first (nothing written): when the unit is compiled by two or more indexed projects, a confirmation lists every one of them and the rename happens in all of them or in none -- see Multi-Project-Rename. A refusal (a conflicting name, an index that could not be refreshed, ...) is shown on the Diagnostics root row as rename refused -- <project>: <reason>.
  • A constant is renamed WORD BY WORD, to the first style in const_case (the Lint Options tab of the drag-lint Panel; default PascalCase, then UPPER_CASE): StationType_Operator -> StationTypeOperator (PascalCase) or STATION_TYPE_OPERATOR (UPPER_CASE). Before renaming, the project index is asked whether the new name already exists; if it does, the next style is tried (Station_Name beside an existing StationName becomes STATION_NAME), and with no free name the constant is left alone. Two names that close are also reported by the confusable-identifier warning.
  • A unit with UNSAVED changes is refused ("save the unit first"): a fix rewrites the file on disk and then reloads the editor from disk, which would otherwise discard the unsaved edits.
  • When it changed the file, the buffer is reloaded, the project reindexed and the unit re-linted, so the fixed finding drops off on its own.

What it needs

No index required -- lint --file works on a single file. (An index is still needed for the Structure form itself to populate.)

Example

Dry run first, to see what would change:

drag-lint lint --file C:\Projects\MyApp\Unit1.pas --fix

Typical output when nothing is fixable:

autofix: no fixable findings (of 13 finding(s))

Then apply one specific finding:

drag-lint lint --file C:\Projects\MyApp\Unit1.pas --fix --fix-line 42 --fix-rule bare-except --apply

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