---
published: true
id: linter
title: Linter
description: Knowledge captured in João Lopes' learning graph.
tags:
- software-engineering
- tooling
locale: en
resource: https://joaolopes.dev.br/knowledge/concepts/en/linter/
created: '2026-03-30'
---

# Linter
A static analysis tool that checks source code against a set of rules and reports violations, enforcing constraints mechanically rather than probabilistically.

## Definition
A linter scans code without executing it and flags patterns that violate configured rules — style issues, potential bugs, or architectural violations. Unlike AI behavioral rules, linter rules are binary: a violation either passes or fails, with no probability involved. In AI-assisted development, linters represent the enforcement layer that CLAUDE.md rules cannot provide. Rules guide the model during generation; linters catch what the model missed after generation. The two are complementary.

## Source
- [Lint (Software) — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lint_(software))

## Related
- [Rules](/concepts/en/rules.md)
- [JVM](/concepts/en/jvm.md)