no_zero_width_chars

Flag body-internal zero-width characters (U+200B, U+200C, U+200D, and non-leading U+FEFF). A leading U+FEFF is no_bom's concern.

As of v0.14 the detection set also covers U+2060 (word joiner) and U+180E (Mongolian vowel separator).

Same binary policy as no_bidi_controls: a binary-looking file is scanned only when it is valid UTF-8 (so a NUL byte cannot hide a character), invalid-UTF-8 binaries are skipped, and a finding in a binary-looking file is reported but not auto-fixed.

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Options

This rule takes no kind-specific options.

Plus the common paths, level, id, when, and expect_matches fields. This table is generated from the JSON Schema; option types and defaults are authoritative.

Example

An identifier with a hidden zero-width space

The rule fires on this repository:

• src/
• src/clean.rs✓
• src/obfuscated.rs✗

  ✗ error no-zwsp

  1:11 zero-width character U+200B at line 1 col 11

src/clean.rs

pub fn normal() {}

src/obfuscated.rs

pub fn sec<U+200B>ret() {}

With this .alint.yml:

version: 1
rules:
  - id: no-zwsp
    kind: no_zero_width_chars
    paths: "src/**/*.rs"
    level: error

alint check reports:

--- src/obfuscated.rs ----------------------------------------------------------
  x  error    no-zwsp
              1:11  zero-width character U+200B at line 1 col 11

Summary (1 violation):
  x 1 error
  0 passing * 1 failing

A file whose only zero-width codepoint is an allowed leading BOM

This repository is compliant:

• src/
• src/clean.rs✓
• src/with_bom.rs✓

src/clean.rs

pub fn ok2() {}

src/with_bom.rs

<U+FEFF>pub fn ok() {}

With this .alint.yml:

version: 1
rules:
  - id: no-zwsp
    kind: no_zero_width_chars
    paths: "src/**/*.rs"
    level: error

alint check reports:

v All 1 rule(s) passed.