hsigstad style-check
Fast, deterministic, file-scoped prose-style scan. Wraps the canonical
linter at research-kit/tools/style_lint.py. Runs in milliseconds. No LLM.
How to invoke
python3 ~/research/research-kit/tools/style_lint.py <file> [flags]
Common flags:
--format json— JSON output--severity warning— minimum severity (info | warning | error)--rule <name>— only run a named rule (repeatable)<dir>— pass a directory to lint all.texand.mdunder it
See python3 style_lint.py --help for the full surface.
Exits 1 if any violations remain at the requested severity. Useful for gating submissions in CI.
What it checks
Eighteen mechanical rules covering the deterministic part of
research-kit/rules/writing_style.md:
| Rule | Section reference |
|---|---|
ai-tell |
§4 |
filler-phrase |
§17 (Quick reference) |
throat-clearing |
§2 |
editorializing |
§2 |
naked-this |
§4 |
word-choice |
§4 (plain-word table) |
self-categorizing |
§13 |
forward-reference |
§16 (robot-body linearity) |
hedging-opener |
§7 |
sentence-length |
§3 |
clause-stacking |
§3 |
passive-density |
§2 |
connective-opener |
§9 |
stacked-adjectives |
§4 |
synonym-piling |
§17 |
non-stat-significantly |
§17 |
decimal-precision |
§10 |
abstract-opening |
§13 |
cute-quotation |
§14 |
Skipped automatically: LaTeX comments, math environments, fenced and inline code, URLs, case/docket numbers, YAML frontmatter.
When to use
- Before sending anything that matters: papers, drafts, emails, slides.
- Cheap enough to run on every commit if you want it as a gate.
When to use vs. the other style skills
| Skill | Scope | Mechanical | LLM | Ledger writes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
/style-check (this) |
file | yes | no | no |
/style-review |
file (whole) | yes (calls style_lint.py) |
yes | no |
/validate-section |
one section | yes (calls style_lint.py) |
yes | yes |
/style-revise |
paragraph | yes (lints its rewrite) | yes | no |
Same patterns underneath. Different scopes and depths. /style-revise
reshapes a rough draft's idea flow rather than auditing finished prose —
use it when the draft is still unpolished, the others when it's near-final.
Implementation
The mechanical layer lives in research-kit/tools/style_lint.py and is
shared across /style-check, /style-review, and /validate-section.
Add new patterns there once and all three skills pick them up.
Severity levels: info (FYI, often the right word in context),
warning (worth addressing), error (blocking — typography violations
in referee mode, abstract-opening violations).