BEM Linter

2.0.0-beta.8 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

A CLI tool to lint BEM component isolation in CSS/SCSS files, currently at version 2.0.0-beta.8. It enforces two main rules: a CSS block file should only contain its own classes, and a CSS file should not style classes from another block. This helps maintain modularity in large-scale CSS projects. The tool supports configuration via JSON files, including options for sources, exclusions, snapshots, lower-case checks, class prefixes, file patterns, and module overrides. It requires Node.js >=6 and is published under the MIT license. Compared to other linters, bemlinter focuses specifically on BEM methodology and isolation, rather than general CSS quality or formatting.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'bemlinter' ↓

cause Missing installation or global install without local install.

fix

Run 'npm install bemlinter --save-dev' in your project.

error SyntaxError: Unexpected token import ↓

cause Using ESM import syntax with a CommonJS package.

fix

Replace 'import bemlinter from "bemlinter"' with 'const bemlinter = require("bemlinter")'.

error bemlinter: lint: no such file or directory ↓

cause The provided path does not match any files.

fix

Verify the glob pattern or path; e.g., 'bemlinter lint src/**/*.scss'.

Warnings

deprecated Package is in beta (2.0.0-beta.8). API may change before stable release. ↓

fix Pin to exact version and monitor for stable releases.

gotcha The CLI command requires a path argument; missing it will cause a confusing error. ↓

fix Always provide a path like 'bemlinter lint *.scss'.

gotcha The 'snapshot' option is experimental; enabling it may produce unexpected behaviors. ↓

fix Only enable snapshot if you understand its purpose and have read the docs.

breaking Version 2.0.0-beta.x introduced a new configuration file structure that is incompatible with version 1.x. ↓

fix Migrate your bemlinter.json to the new format; see migration guide in docs.

Install

npm install bemlinter

yarn add bemlinter

pnpm add bemlinter

Imports

default

wrong

import bemlinter from 'bemlinter'

correct

const bemlinter = require('bemlinter')

Package is CommonJS only; ESM import will not work.

lint
```
const { lint } = require('bemlinter')
```
Named export for the lint function.

Cli

wrong

import { Cli } from 'bemlinter'

correct

const Cli = require('bemlinter').Cli

Cli class for programmatic use; ESM import also fails.

Quickstart

Shows programmatic usage of the lint function with configuration options.

const { lint } = require('bemlinter');
const result = lint('src/**/*.scss', {
  excludeBlock: ['old-block'],
  checkLowerCase: true
});
console.log('Errors:', result.errors);
console.log('Warnings:', result.warnings);