rst-lint

restructuredtext-lint (rst-lint) is a reStructuredText linter that validates RST syntax and helps prevent frustrating errors when uploading documentation to PyPI. It checks for common reStructuredText issues and provides comprehensive validation for documentation workflows.

Key Features:

Malformed directive detection catching invalid reStructuredText directives
Invalid syntax validation ensuring proper RST document structure
Title underline problem detection verifying consistent heading formatting
Multiple formatting error checks covering common RST pitfalls
Docutils integration leveraging the standard RST parsing library
Detailed error messages with precise line numbers for quick fixes
Multiple output formats supporting both text and JSON output
Custom directive support extensible with custom directives and roles
Sphinx documentation compatibility for specialized documentation workflows
PyPI upload validation preventing documentation upload failures
Command-line interface for easy integration into build processes
Fast processing optimized for large documentation projects

rst-lint documentation

Version in MegaLinter: 1.4.0
Visit Official Web Site
See How to configure rst-lint rules
See How to disable rst-lint rules in files

Configuration in MegaLinter

Enable rst-lint by adding RST_RST_LINT in ENABLE_LINTERS variable
Disable rst-lint by adding RST_RST_LINT in DISABLE_LINTERS variable

Variable	Description	Default value
RST_RST_LINT_ARGUMENTS	User custom arguments to add in linter CLI call Ex: `-s --foo "bar"`
RST_RST_LINT_COMMAND_REMOVE_ARGUMENTS	User custom arguments to remove from command line before calling the linter Ex: `-s --foo "bar"`
RST_RST_LINT_FILTER_REGEX_INCLUDE	Custom regex including filter Ex: `(src\\|lib)`	Include every file
RST_RST_LINT_FILTER_REGEX_EXCLUDE	Custom regex excluding filter Ex: `(test\\|examples)`	Exclude no file
RST_RST_LINT_CLI_LINT_MODE	Override default CLI lint mode - `file`: Calls the linter for each file - `project`: Call the linter from the root of the project	`file`
RST_RST_LINT_FILE_EXTENSIONS	Allowed file extensions. `"*"` matches any extension, `""` matches empty extension. Empty list excludes all files Ex: `[".py", ""]`	`[".rst"]`
RST_RST_LINT_FILE_NAMES_REGEX	File name regex filters. Regular expression list for filtering files by their base names using regex full match. Empty list includes all files Ex: `["Dockerfile(-.+)?", "Jenkinsfile"]`	Include every file
RST_RST_LINT_PRE_COMMANDS	List of bash commands to run before the linter	None
RST_RST_LINT_POST_COMMANDS	List of bash commands to run after the linter	None
RST_RST_LINT_UNSECURED_ENV_VARIABLES	List of env variables explicitly not filtered before calling RST_RST_LINT and its pre/post commands	None
RST_RST_LINT_DISABLE_ERRORS	Run linter but consider errors as warnings	`false`
RST_RST_LINT_DISABLE_ERRORS_IF_LESS_THAN	Maximum number of errors allowed	`0`
RST_RST_LINT_CLI_EXECUTABLE	Override CLI executable	`['rst-lint']`

MegaLinter Flavors

This linter is available in the following flavors

Flavor	Description	Embedded linters
all	Default MegaLinter Flavor	126
cupcake	MegaLinter for the most commonly used languages	87
python	Optimized for PYTHON based projects	65

Behind the scenes

How are identified applicable files

File extensions: .rst

How the linting is performed

rst-lint is called one time by identified file (file CLI lint mode)

Example calls

rst-lint myfile.rst

Help content

usage: rst-lint [-h] [--version] [--format {text,json}] [--encoding ENCODING]
                [--level {debug,info,warning,error,severe}]
                [--rst-prolog RST_PROLOG]
                path [path ...]

Lint reStructuredText files. Returns 0 if all files pass linting, 1 for an
internal error, and 2 if linting failed.

positional arguments:
  path                  File/folder to lint

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --version             show program's version number and exit
  --format {text,json}  Format of the output (default: "text")
  --encoding ENCODING   Encoding of the input file (e.g. "utf-8")
  --level {debug,info,warning,error,severe}
                        Minimum error level to report (default: "warning")
  --rst-prolog RST_PROLOG
                        reStructuredText content to prepend to all files
                        (useful for substitutions)

Installation on mega-linter Docker image

Dockerfile commands :

# renovate: datasource=pypi depName=Pygments
ARG PIP_PYGMENTS_VERSION=2.19.2
# renovate: datasource=pypi depName=restructuredtext_lint
ARG PIP_RESTRUCTUREDTEXT_LINT_VERSION=1.4.0

PIP packages (Python):
- Pygments==2.19.2
- restructuredtext_lint==1.4.0