glint

Experimental Go-defined metalinter.

Prospectus

• VS Code integration
• GitHub Action example
  • Action using a version in a separate repo
• nolint directives
• Clear demo of -fix working
• Deep-dive the lint scope: compare result sets on go-fiber.

-fix

glint can apply analyzer-produced autofixes.

$ go run ./cmd/glint -fix -diff ./pkg/nolint/testdata # Show changes
--- ./pkg/nolint/testdata/c.go (old)
+++ ./pkg/nolint/testdata/c.go (new)
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
 // Should trigger some gosimple fix.
 func example() {
        // Simplifiable code
-       var x int
-       x = 0
+       var x int = 0
        fmt.Println(x)
 
        // Simplifiable loop
$ go run ./cmd/glint -fix ./pkg/nolint/testdata # Apply changes

nolint directives

nolint directives are blunt instruments for glint: adding //nolint:analyzername to a file completely removes that file from that anlyzer's run. There's no per-line or per-block nolinting here.

You shouldn't be using them anyway.

For example, exempt a file from nilinterface linting:

//nolint:nilinterface
package main

// ...

vscode-go

VS Code's vscode-go extension only explicitly supports three lint tools: golangci-lint, revive, and staticcheck.

You can use a built glint binary instead:

{
    "go.lintTool": "glint",
    "go.lintFlags": ["-stdout", "./..."]
}

You need the glint binary available on your path, e.g. by running go install ./cmd/glint in this repo. VS Code may warn you your custom glint-based linter is unsupported. Who cares what they think?

If you open the Go VS Code output, saving a file should trigger a glint run and print the findings. For example:

2025-03-05 19:26:58.484 [info] Running checks...
2025-03-05 19:26:58.485 [info] Starting linting the current package at /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag
2025-03-05 19:27:04.989 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag>Finished running tool: /Users/lukas/Programming/glint/glint -alternateTool
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag.go:57:12 unchecked error
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag.go:61:15 unchecked error
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag.go:69:15 unchecked error
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag.go:71:15 unchecked error
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:24:66 nil passed to interface parameter
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:40:66 nil passed to interface parameter
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:56:66 nil passed to interface parameter
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:72:66 nil passed to interface parameter
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:105:51 nil passed to interface parameter
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:159:51 nil passed to interface parameter
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:217:51 nil passed to interface parameter
2025-03-05 19:27:04.990 [info] /Users/lukas/Programming/temp/fiber/middleware/etag/etag_test.go:258:51 nil passed to interface parameter