Linting YAML files
Linting is the automated checking of your code for programmatic and stylistic errors performed by running a ‘linter’. The linter will analyse your code and output error messages to the terminal. Linters should be run from the root of the repository, i.e., the create-a-derived-table directory.
YAML demands 2 spaces (not 1 tab) for each indentation, it can be frustrating, if you get spaces and tabs muddled (they are not always equivalent) as you can get a lint error but not be able to see it easily. We recommend setting up vertical guidlines in RStudio to keep track of your indentations, see above Show indent guides in RStudio, and to use the spacebar to create 2 spaces for indentation.
To lint a single YAML file, run:
yamllint .../path/to/yaml/file.yaml
Or a whole directory of YAML files by running:
yamllint .../path/to/yaml/directory/
Folded style >
Use > to split code over multiple lines; each newline is interpreted as a space (unless the newline is on an empty line or after a differently indented line) hence
description: >
the quick brown fox
jumped over the lazy dog
is interpreted the same as
description: the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog
Literal style |
Use | (pipe) to keep newlines, for instance when running subsequent commands in a GitHub action workflow
run: |
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install yamllint