proselint
A command-line linter for English prose that checks writing style, grammar, and usage against advice from expert writers.
What is proselint?
proselint is a linter for English prose that analyzes text for style, grammar, and usage issues by applying rules inspired by expert writers and editors. It helps writers improve their writing by detecting problems like clichés, redundancy, malapropisms, and incorrect punctuation. The tool functions as a command-line utility that can be integrated into editors, scripts, and continuous integration workflows.
Writers, editors, developers, and technical writers who want to improve the quality of their prose through automated style and grammar checking. It's especially useful for those integrating writing checks into development or publishing pipelines.
Developers choose proselint because it provides expert-driven, configurable writing feedback in a programmable tool that fits into existing workflows. Unlike generic spell checkers, it focuses on prose style and usage, drawing from authoritative sources to offer nuanced suggestions.
Overview
[Mirror] A linter for prose.
Use Cases
Best For
- Automating style and grammar checks in technical documentation
- Integriting writing quality assurance into CI/CD pipelines
- Improving prose in blog posts, articles, and essays
- Enforcing consistent writing standards across teams
- Learning and applying expert writing advice programmatically
- Checking for clichés, redundancy, and malapropisms in text
Not Ideal For
- Writers needing real-time, interactive grammar correction within a word processor
- Projects involving text in languages other than English
- Teams that prefer all-in-one GUI-based editing suites over command-line tools
Pros & Cons
Pros
Draws from authorities like Bryan Garner and George Orwell, ensuring suggestions are grounded in reputable writing advice, as highlighted in the philosophy section.
Works via CLI, Python API, and plugins for editors like Vim and VS Code, making it adaptable to various workflows, as detailed in the installation and plugins sections.
Allows enabling or disabling specific checks via JSON configuration, providing precise control over linting rules, as explained in the checks configuration example.
Supports JSON format for structured output, facilitating easy parsing in scripts and CI pipelines, demonstrated in the usage section with the stable wire schema.
Cons
Several editor integrations, such as for Atom and IntelliJ, are archived or unmaintained, limiting seamless adoption for users of those editors.
Designed exclusively for English prose, so it cannot lint text in other languages, which restricts its utility in multilingual projects.
Primarily a command-line tool, which may be less accessible for non-developers or those accustomed to graphical interfaces, despite some plugin availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
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