weblint .wO -d id .wO -e id .wO -f filename .wO -i .wO -l .wO -s .wO -stderr .wO -t .wO -todo .wO -help .wO -U .wO -urlget command .wO -v .wO -version .wO -warnings .wO -x extension file1 .. fileN

Weblint is a Perl script which picks fluff off HTML pages. Files to be checked are passed on the command-line: .RS

  .ft CW
  
  % weblint foobar.html ./dodgy-files/ index.html
  
  .ft P
  

.tS .tI "-d warning-identifier" Disable the warning associated with the identifier. Multiple identifiers can be specified, with a comma between identifiers. .tI "-e warning-identifier" Enable the warning associated with the identifier. Multiple identifiers can be specified, with a comma between identifiers. .tI "-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. .tI -help Show a short usage summary. .tI "-i" Ignore case of element tags. .tI "-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. .tI -pedantic Turn on all warnings except the case-sensitive and bad-link warnings. .tI -s Generate `short' warning messages, which do not include the filename. .tI "-stderr" Print warning messages to STDERR rather than STDOUT. .tI -t Enable terse warning mode, which is mainly useful for the weblint testsuite. .tI -U Same as -help. .tI "-urlget command" The command which should be used to retrieve HTML pages specified by URL. .tI -v Display the version number. .tI -version Display the version number. .tI -todo This prints out the URL for the online version of the weblint ToDo list. This includes known bugs, and requested/planned features. .tI -warnings List all supported warnings, with warning identifier, and whether the warning is enabled. .tI "-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. .tE

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: .tS .tI "Netscape" The HTML extensions supported by the Netscape browser, version 4. .tI "Microsoft" The HTML extensions supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 4. .tE

To enable an extension, you can either use the -x command-line switch:

  
      \f(CW\s-2% weblint -x Netscape foobar.html\s+2
  
  

  
      \f(CW\s-2# enable the Microsoft extensions
      extension Microsoft\s+2
  
  

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:

.RS .ft CW .ps -2

  # 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 /usr/local/weblint, and create a file global.weblintrc. You need to edit the weblint script and modify the $SITE\_DIR\; variable,\; which\; you\; will\; find\; near\; the\; top\; of\; the\; file.\; For\; example:$

  
      \f(CW\s-2\$SITE_DIR = '/usr/local/weblint';\s+2
  
  

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:

  
      \f(CW\s-2use global weblintrc\s+2
  
  

All warnings generated by weblint are listed below, along with the associated identifier, and whether the warning is enabled or disabled by default. .wS .iD upper-case disabled "tag <...> is not in upper case." .iD lower-case disabled "tag <...> is not in lower case." .iD required-attribute enabled "\f(BIfoo attribute is required for <...>" .iD expected-attribute enabled "expected an attribute for <...>" .iD unknown-element enabled "unknown element <...>" .iD unknown-attribute enabled "unknown attribute `...' for element <...>." .iD leading-whitespace enabled "should not have whitespace between `<' and `...>'" .iD here-anchor enabled "bad form to use `here' as an anchor!" .iD require-head enabled "no