Go source code linter providing checks currently missing from other linters.

There is never too much static code analysis. Try it out.

The latest documentation is available at go-critic.github.io.

For most users, using go-critic under golangci-lint is enough.

Instructions below describe how to install "bare" go-critic.

If you don't have lintpack installed, do:

go get -v github.com/go-lintpack/lintpack/...

Get go-critic checkers:

go get -v github.com/go-critic/go-critic/...

After that, you can create go-critic binary by running:

lintpack build -o gocritic -linter.version='v0.3.4' -linter.name='gocritic' github.com/go-critic/go-critic/checkers

Windows note: lintpack build might emit a warning. See go-critic#760.

Be sure gocritic executable is under your $PATH.

Usage of gocritic: gocritic [sub-command] [sub-command args...] Run gocritic without arguments to get help output.

Supported sub-commands:
	check - run linter over specified targets
		$ gocritic check -help
		$ gocritic check -v -enable='paramTypeCombine,unslice' strings bytes
		$ gocritic check -v -enable='#diagnostic' -disable='#experimental,#opinionated' ./...
	version - print linter version
		$ gocritic version
	doc - get installed checkers documentation
		$ gocritic doc -help
		$ gocritic doc
		$ gocritic doc checkerName

check sub-command examples:

# Runs all stable checkers on `fmt` package:
gocritic check fmt

# Run all stable checkers on `pkg1` and `pkg2`
gocritic check pkg1 pkg2

# Runs specified checkers on `fmt` package:
gocritic check -enable elseif,paramName fmt

# Run all stable checkers on current dir and all its children recursively:
gocritic check ./...

# Like above, but without `appendAssign` check:
gocritic check -disable=appendAssign ./...

# Run all stable checkers on `foo.go` file
gocritic check foo.go

# Run stable diagnostics over `string` package
gocritic check -enable='#diagnostic' -disable='#experimental' string

In place of a single name, tag can be used. Tag is a named checkers group.

Tags:

• #diagnostic - kind of checks that detect various errors in code
• #style - kind of checks that find style issues in code
• #performance - kind of checks that detect potential performance issues in code
• #experimental - check is under testing and development. Disabled by default
• #opinionated - check can be unwanted for some people. Disabled by default

This project aims to be contribution-friendly.

Our chats: English or Russian (Telegram website)

We're using an optimistic merging strategy most of the time. In short, this means that if your contribution has some flaws, we can still merge it and then fix them by ourselves. Experimental and work-in-progress checkers are isolated, so nothing bad will happen.

Code style is the same as in Go project, see CodeReviewComments.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for more details. It also describes how to develop a new checker for the linter.