Rule creator

Rule Creator for SwiftASTLint

Orchestration

Determine where the user is and guide them to the next step. If they already have a linter project set up, skip straight to writing rules.

Step 1: Determine project state

Check the working directory for Sources/Rules/Rules.swift and a Package.swift that imports SwiftASTLint.

• Found — proceed to Step 2.
• Not found — ask the user before scaffolding:
  1. Package name (default: MyLinter)
  2. Output path (default: ./<name>)
  3. macOS deployment target (e.g. v13, v14, v15 — default: v15)

Wait for answers before proceeding. Then scaffold with explicit flags:

swiftastlinttool init --path <path> --name <name>

Patch Package.swift if macOS version differs from v15. After scaffolding, delete the auto-generated entry point that conflicts with main.swift:

rm -f <path>/Sources/swift-ast-lint/swift-ast-lint.swift

If swiftastlinttool is not installed:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ryu0118/swift-ast-lint/main/install.sh | bash

Step 2: Understand the rule

Check the existing rules first — enumerate them with the rules subcommand instead of reading Rules.swift and the YAML side by side (requires a swift-ast-lint version that ships it):

swift run --package-path <linter-path> swift-ast-lint rules   # stable JSON: id, description, args, config state

Use the output to avoid duplicate rule ids and to see whether an existing rule already covers (or nearly covers) the request. See references/rule-api.md for the JSON shape. If the subcommand is unavailable (older swift-ast-lint), fall back to reading Sources/Rules/Rules.swift.

If the user already described the rule clearly, skip questions and start writing. Otherwise ask:

• What code pattern should this catch? (concrete example)
• Warning or error?
• Fixable? (auto-correct via FixIt)
• Configurable thresholds? (→ ParameterizedRule)
• Specific file paths? (→ YAML include/exclude)

Step 3: Write the rule (TDD order — tests first)

Always write in this order:

1. Write test file in Tests/RulesTests/ first — violation cases, false-positive cases, edge cases
2. Run swift test --filter <RuleName> — all tests should fail (red)
3. Create .swift implementation file in Sources/Rules/
4. Register the rule in RuleSet in Rules.swift
5. Run swift test --filter <RuleName> again — all tests must pass (green)

Never create the implementation before the tests exist.

Set the optional description: parameter on new rules — it feeds the rules subcommand so agents and tooling can understand the rule without reading its source.

For API reference, see references/rule-api.md. For test design principles and examples, see references/testing-guide.md.

Step 4: YAML configuration

After writing the rule, ask whether to add YAML config to .swift-ast-lint.yml:

• args — override ParameterizedRule defaults (thresholds, limits, etc.)
• include / exclude — restrict rule to specific file paths (glob)
• disabled_rules — disable a rule entirely

Example:

rules:
  deep-nesting:
    args:
      max_depth: 5
    include:
      - "Sources/**"
    exclude:
      - "**/*Generated.swift"

After editing the YAML, verify it took effect: run the rules subcommand and check the rule's effective_args (and enabled) against what you configured.

If the user declines, move on.

Step 5: Iterate if needed

If the user says "also catch X" or "that's not quite right", read the existing rule and test file before modifying. Always add or update tests first, confirm they fail (or capture the new expected behavior), then update the implementation.

Step 6: Setup guide (new projects only)

Skip this step if the user pointed to an existing project (not scaffolded in Step 1).

After all rules pass tests, present:

1. How to run lint: swift run --package-path <linter-path> swift-ast-lint <target-path>
2. Optional automation — ask which they want:
   • a) Checksum cache script — skip rebuild when Rules sources unchanged
   • b) Makefile target — make ast-lint
   • c) Claude Code hooks / git pre-commit — auto-lint on commit
   • d) None

Wait for answer, then set up what they chose. See references/setup-guide.md for templates.