# Revive — Fast and Extensible Go Linter

> Revive is a fast, configurable Go linter that serves as a drop-in replacement for golint. It supports custom rules, TOML-based configuration, and runs significantly faster than its predecessor while providing more actionable diagnostics.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Revive — Fast and Extensible Go Linter

## Quick Use
```bash
go install github.com/mgechev/revive@latest
revive -config revive.toml ./...
```

## Introduction
Revive is a Go linter built as a faster, more configurable successor to the now-archived golint. It checks Go source code for style violations, naming conventions, and common mistakes, and lets teams define custom rules to enforce project-specific standards.

## What Revive Does
- Enforces Go naming conventions (exported names, package comments, error types)
- Detects unreachable code, unused parameters, and unnecessary blank identifiers
- Validates function complexity, argument counts, and return value patterns
- Supports custom rules written as Go functions loaded at runtime
- Outputs diagnostics in text, JSON, or friendly formatted styles

## Architecture Overview
Revive parses Go source files using the standard `go/ast` and `go/token` packages, then runs each file through a pipeline of rule checkers. Rules implement a simple interface receiving an AST file and returning failures. Configuration is loaded from a TOML file that enables, disables, or sets severity and arguments per rule. The runner parallelizes across packages for speed.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install with `go install github.com/mgechev/revive@latest`
- Create a `revive.toml` to enable or disable specific rules
- Set rule severity to `warning` or `error` to control exit codes
- Exclude generated files or test files with `exclude` patterns in config
- Integrates with golangci-lint as a bundled linter

## Key Features
- Drop-in golint replacement with backward-compatible rule set
- TOML-based config for per-rule severity, arguments, and exclusions
- Custom rule API lets teams add project-specific checks
- Parallel execution across packages for fast analysis of large codebases
- Multiple output formatters including JSON for CI integration

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **golint** — archived and unmaintained; Revive is its actively developed successor
- **Staticcheck** — focuses on correctness and bug detection; Revive focuses on style and conventions
- **golangci-lint** — meta-linter that can run Revive alongside other tools
- **go vet** — catches low-level issues; Revive targets higher-level style and readability
- **gofmt/gofumpt** — handle formatting only; Revive addresses semantic style rules

## FAQ
**Q: Is Revive a drop-in replacement for golint?**
A: Yes, Revive includes all of golint's rules and adds many more while maintaining backward compatibility.

**Q: How do I write a custom rule?**
A: Implement the `revive.Rule` interface with a `Name()` and `Apply(*File, Arguments)` method, then reference it in your config.

**Q: Can I use Revive with golangci-lint?**
A: Yes, golangci-lint includes Revive as one of its bundled linters with pass-through config support.

**Q: How fast is Revive compared to golint?**
A: Revive runs rules in parallel and is typically several times faster than golint on multi-package projects.

## Sources
- https://github.com/mgechev/revive
- https://revive.run/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-09d9f3af
Author: Script Depot