332 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
332 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
---
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stage: none
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group: Documentation Guidelines
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info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
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description: Learn how to contribute to GitLab Documentation.
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---
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# Documentation testing
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GitLab documentation is stored in projects with code and treated like code. Therefore, we use
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processes similar to those used for code to maintain standards and quality of documentation.
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We have tests:
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- To lint the words and structure of the documentation.
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- To check the validity of internal links within the documentation suite.
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- To check the validity of links from UI elements, such as files in `app/views` files.
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For the specifics of each test run in our CI/CD pipelines, see the configuration for those tests
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in the relevant projects:
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- <https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/.gitlab/ci/docs.gitlab-ci.yml>
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- <https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/blob/master/.gitlab/ci/docs.gitlab-ci.yml>
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- <https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab/-/blob/master/gitlab-ci-config/gitlab-com.yml>
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- <https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/charts/gitlab/-/blob/master/.gitlab-ci.yml>
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## Run tests locally
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Similar to [previewing your changes locally](index.md#previewing-the-changes-live), you can also
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run these tests on your local computer. This has the advantage of:
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- Speeding up the feedback loop. You can know of any problems with the changes in your branch
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without waiting for a CI/CD pipeline to run.
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- Lowering costs. Running tests locally is cheaper than running tests on the cloud
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infrastructure GitLab uses.
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To run tests locally, it's important to:
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- [Install the tools](#install-linters), and [keep them up to date](#update-linters).
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- Run [linters](#lint-checks), [documentation link tests](#documentation-link-tests), and
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[UI link tests](#ui-link-tests) the same way they are run in CI/CD pipelines. It's important to use
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same configuration we use in CI/CD pipelines, which can be different than the default configuration
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of the tool.
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### Lint checks
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Lint checks are performed by the [`lint-doc.sh`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/scripts/lint-doc.sh)
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script and can be executed as follows:
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1. Navigate to the `gitlab` directory.
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1. Run:
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```shell
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MD_DOC_PATH=path/to/my_doc.md scripts/lint-doc.sh
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```
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Where `MD_DOC_PATH` points to the file or directory you would like to run lint checks for.
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If you omit it completely, it defaults to the `doc/` directory.
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The output should be similar to:
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```plaintext
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=> Linting documents at path /path/to/gitlab as <user>...
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=> Checking for cURL short options...
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=> Checking for CHANGELOG.md duplicate entries...
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=> Checking /path/to/gitlab/doc for executable permissions...
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=> Checking for new README.md files...
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=> Linting markdown style...
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=> Linting prose...
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✔ 0 errors, 0 warnings and 0 suggestions in 1 file.
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✔ Linting passed
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```
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This requires you to either:
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- Have the [required lint tools installed](#local-linters) on your computer.
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- A working Docker installation, in which case an image with these tools pre-installed is used.
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### Documentation link tests
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To execute documentation link tests locally:
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1. Navigate to the [`gitlab-docs`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs) directory.
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1. Run the following commands:
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```shell
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# Check for broken internal links
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bundle exec nanoc check internal_links
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# Check for broken external links (might take a lot of time to complete).
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# This test is set to be allowed to fail and is run only in the gitlab-docs project CI
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bundle exec nanoc check internal_anchors
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```
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### UI link tests
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The `ui-docs-links lint` job uses `haml-lint` to test that all documentation links from
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UI elements (`app/views` files, for example) are linking to valid pages and anchors.
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To run the `ui-docs-links` test locally:
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1. Open the `gitlab` directory in a terminal window.
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1. Run:
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```shell
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bundle exec haml-lint -i DocumentationLinks
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```
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If you receive an error the first time you run this test, run `bundle install`, which
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installs the dependencies for GitLab, and try again.
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If you don't want to install all of the dependencies to test the links, you can:
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1. Open the `gitlab` directory in a terminal window.
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1. Install `haml-lint`:
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```shell
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gem install haml_lint
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```
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1. Run:
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```shell
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haml-lint -i DocumentationLinks
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```
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If you manually install `haml-lint` with this process, it does not update automatically
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and you should make sure your version matches the version used by GitLab.
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## Local linters
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To help adhere to the [documentation style guidelines](styleguide/index.md), and improve the content
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added to documentation, [install documentation linters](#install-linters) and
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[integrate them with your code editor](#configure-editors).
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At GitLab, we mostly use:
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- [markdownlint](#markdownlint)
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- [Vale](#vale)
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### markdownlint
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[markdownlint](https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint) checks that Markdown syntax follows
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[certain rules](https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/master/doc/Rules.md#rules), and is
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used by the `docs-lint` test.
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Our [Documentation Style Guide](styleguide/index.md#markdown) and
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[Markdown Guide](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/markdown-guide/) elaborate on which choices must
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be made when selecting Markdown syntax for GitLab documentation. This tool helps catch deviations
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from those guidelines.
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markdownlint configuration is found in the following projects:
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- [`gitlab`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/.markdownlint.json)
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- [`gitlab-runner`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/blob/master/.markdownlint.json)
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- [`omnibus-gitlab`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab/blob/master/.markdownlint.json)
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- [`charts`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/charts/gitlab/-/blob/master/.markdownlint.json)
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- [`gitlab-development-kit`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit/-/blob/master/.markdownlint.json)
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This configuration is also used in build pipelines.
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You can use markdownlint:
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- [On the command line](https://github.com/igorshubovych/markdownlint-cli#markdownlint-cli--).
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- [In a code editor](#configure-editors).
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- [In a `pre-push` hook](#configure-pre-push-hooks).
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### Vale
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[Vale](https://errata-ai.gitbook.io/vale/) is a grammar, style, and word usage linter for the
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English language. Vale's configuration is stored in the
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[`.vale.ini`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/.vale.ini) file located in the root
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directory of projects.
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Vale supports creating [custom tests](https://errata-ai.github.io/vale/styles/) that extend any of
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several types of checks, which we store in the `.linting/vale/styles/gitlab` directory in the
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documentation directory of projects.
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You can find Vale configuration in the following projects:
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- [`gitlab`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/.vale/gitlab)
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- [`gitlab-runner`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/tree/master/docs/.vale/gitlab)
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- [`omnibus-gitlab`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/omnibus-gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/.vale/gitlab)
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- [`charts`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/charts/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/.vale/gitlab)
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- [`gitlab-development-kit`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit/-/tree/master/doc/.vale/gitlab)
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This configuration is also used in build pipelines, where
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[error-level rules](#vale-result-types) are enforced.
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You can use Vale:
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- [On the command line](https://errata-ai.gitbook.io/vale/getting-started/usage).
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- [In a code editor](#configure-editors).
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- [In a Git hook](#configure-pre-push-hooks). Vale only reports errors in the Git hook (the same
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configuration as the CI/CD pipelines), and does not report suggestions or warnings.
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#### Vale result types
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Vale returns three types of results: `suggestion`, `warning`, and `error`:
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- **Suggestion**-level results are writing tips and aren't displayed in CI
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job output. Suggestions don't break CI. See a list of
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[suggestion-level rules](https://gitlab.com/search?utf8=✓&snippets=false&scope=&repository_ref=master&search=path%3Adoc%2F.vale%2Fgitlab+Suggestion%3A&group_id=9970&project_id=278964).
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- **Warning**-level results are [Style Guide](styleguide/index.md) violations, aren't displayed in CI
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job output, and should contain clear explanations of how to resolve the warning.
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Warnings may be technical debt, or can be future error-level test items
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(after the Technical Writing team completes its cleanup). Warnings don't break CI. See a list of
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[warning-level rules](https://gitlab.com/search?utf8=✓&snippets=false&scope=&repository_ref=master&search=path%3Adoc%2F.vale%2Fgitlab+Warning%3A&group_id=9970&project_id=278964).
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- **Error**-level results are Style Guide violations, and should contain clear explanations
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about how to resolve the error. Errors break CI and are displayed in CI job output.
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of how to resolve the error. Errors break CI and are displayed in CI job output. See a list of
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[error-level rules](https://gitlab.com/search?utf8=✓&snippets=false&scope=&repository_ref=master&search=path%3Adoc%2F.vale%2Fgitlab+Error%3A&group_id=9970&project_id=278964).
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### Install linters
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At a minimum, install [markdownlint](#markdownlint) and [Vale](#vale) to match the checks run in
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build pipelines:
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1. Install `markdownlint-cli`:
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```shell
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yarn global add markdownlint-cli
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```
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We recommend installing the version of `markdownlint-cli`
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[used](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/-/blob/master/.gitlab-ci.yml#L447) when building
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the `image:docs-lint-markdown`.
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1. Install [`vale`](https://github.com/errata-ai/vale/releases). For example, to install using
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`brew` for macOS, run:
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```shell
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brew install vale
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```
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These tools can be [integrated with your code editor](#configure-editors).
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### Update linters
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It's important to use linter versions that are the same or newer than those run in
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CI/CD. This provides access to new features and possible bug fixes.
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To match the versions of `markdownlint-cli` and `vale` used in the GitLab projects, refer to the
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[versions used](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/-/blob/master/.gitlab-ci.yml#L447)
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when building the `image:docs-lint-markdown` Docker image containing these tools for CI/CD.
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| Tool | Version | Command | Additional information |
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|--------------------|-----------|-------------------------------------------|------------------------|
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| `markdownlint-cli` | Latest | `yarn global add markdownlint-cli` | n/a |
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| `markdownlint-cli` | Specific | `yarn global add markdownlint-cli@0.23.2` | The `@` indicates a specific version, and this example updates the tool to version `0.23.2`. |
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| Vale | Latest | `brew update && brew upgrade vale` | This command is for macOS only. |
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| Vale | Specific | n/a | Not possible using `brew`, but can be [directly downloaded](https://github.com/errata-ai/vale/releases). |
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### Configure editors
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Using linters in your editor is more convenient than having to run the commands from the
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command line.
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To configure markdownlint in your editor, install one of the following as appropriate:
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- Sublime Text [`SublimeLinter-contrib-markdownlint` package](https://packagecontrol.io/packages/SublimeLinter-contrib-markdownlint).
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- Visual Studio Code [`DavidAnson.vscode-markdownlint` extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=DavidAnson.vscode-markdownlint).
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- Atom [`linter-node-markdownlint` package](https://atom.io/packages/linter-node-markdownlint).
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- Vim [ALE plugin](https://github.com/dense-analysis/ale).
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To configure Vale in your editor, install one of the following as appropriate:
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- Sublime Text [`SublimeLinter-contrib-vale` package](https://packagecontrol.io/packages/SublimeLinter-contrib-vale).
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- Visual Studio Code [`errata-ai.vale-server` extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=errata-ai.vale-server).
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You can configure the plugin to
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[display only a subset of alerts](#show-subset-of-vale-alerts).
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In the extension's settings:
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- Select the **Use CLI** checkbox.
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- In the **Config** setting, enter an absolute path to [`.vale.ini`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/.vale.ini) in one of the cloned GitLab repositories on your computer.
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- In the **Path** setting, enter the absolute path to the Vale binary. In most
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cases, `vale` should work. To find the location, run `which vale` in a terminal.
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- Vim [ALE plugin](https://github.com/dense-analysis/ale).
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We don't use [Vale Server](https://errata-ai.github.io/vale/#using-vale-with-a-text-editor-or-another-third-party-application).
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### Configure pre-push hooks
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Git [pre-push hooks](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Customizing-Git-Git-Hooks) allow Git users to:
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- Run tests or other processes before pushing a branch.
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- Avoid pushing a branch if failures occur with these tests.
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[`lefthook`](https://github.com/Arkweid/lefthook) is a Git hooks manager, making configuring,
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installing, and removing Git hooks easy.
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Configuration for `lefthook` is available in the [`lefthook.yml`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lefthook.yml)
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file for the [`gitlab`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab) project.
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To set up `lefthook` for documentation linting, see
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[Pre-push static analysis](../contributing/style_guides.md#pre-push-static-analysis-with-lefthook).
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### Show subset of Vale alerts
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You can set Visual Studio Code to display only a subset of Vale alerts when viewing files:
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1. Go to **Preferences > Settings > Extensions > Vale**.
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1. In **Vale CLI: Min Alert Level**, select the minimum alert level you want displayed in files.
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To display only a subset of Vale alerts when running Vale from the command line, use
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the `--minAlertLevel` flag, which accepts `error`, `warning`, or `suggestion`. Combine it with `--config`
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to point to the configuration file within the project, if needed:
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```shell
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vale --config .vale.ini --minAlertLevel error doc/**/*.md
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```
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Omit the flag to display all alerts, including `suggestion` level alerts.
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### Disable Vale tests
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You can disable a specific Vale linting rule or all Vale linting rules for any portion of a
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document:
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- To disable a specific rule, add a `<!-- vale gitlab.rulename = NO -->` tag before the text, and a
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`<!-- vale gitlab.rulename = YES -->` tag after the text, replacing `rulename` with the filename
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of a test in the
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[GitLab styles](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/.linting/vale/styles/gitlab)
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directory.
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- To disable all Vale linting rules, add a `<!-- vale off -->` tag before the text, and a
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`<!-- vale on -->` tag after the text.
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Whenever possible, exclude only the problematic rule and line(s).
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For more information, see
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[Vale's documentation](https://errata-ai.gitbook.io/vale/getting-started/markup#markup-based-configuration).
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