Lints

Lints, in everyday language, refer to the small fibers shed from fabrics that accumulate as lint on clothing and in laundry environments. Lint forms as fibers loosen during wear, washing, and agitation, and can collect on clothing, in dryers, and on surfaces. It is most common with natural fibers such as cotton and wool, though synthetic fabrics shed fibers as well. Laundry practices, dryer temperature, and washing machine action influence lint production. Lint traps and regular cleaning of dryers and filters are common preventative measures; excessive lint can reduce drying efficiency and, in extreme cases, pose a fire hazard.

In computing, lint or lints describe static analysis tools that examine source code without executing it to find potential errors, suspicious constructs, or deviations from coding standards. The original lint tool, written for the C language in the 1970s by Stephen C. Johnson, aimed to detect issues that the compiler might miss. Since then, numerous linters have been developed for many languages, including PyLint for Python and ESLint for JavaScript. Modern linters can be extended with plugins and integrated into continuous integration workflows. They typically warn about undefined behavior, language-specific pitfalls, potential bugs, or style inconsistencies, and may auto-fix certain issues.

The term "lint" is borrowed from the metaphor of removing tiny bits of fluff from fabric. In software development, the word has become a general reference to tools that keep codebases clean but can generate false positives or require tuning to fit a project’s standards.