Introducing a Linter in an Industrial Lua Code Base

A linter is a vital tool in software quality assurance. However, introducing one late in the software life cycle presents challenges. particularly affecting public interfaces. In this paper, we accompany the introduction of a Lua code linter into an industrial machine tool's existing code base. Custom configurations align with codebase rules, new diagnostics are integrated, and code annotations enhance static analysis with type checking and parameter verification. A stringent change process monitors rule violations and false positives throughout the transition stages. Our analysis explores relations between linter rule violations, offering insights into addressing these issues in existing code. We conclude with key takeaways and recommendations for introducing a linter into established codebases.