eslint-plugin-smells

1.0.1 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript maintenance

eslint-plugin-smells is an ESLint plugin that provides rules to detect code smells in JavaScript. Version 1.0.1 is the latest release. The plugin includes rules such as no-switch, no-complex-switch-case, no-setinterval, no-this-assign, no-complex-string-concat, and no-complex-chaining. It helps enforce cleaner coding practices by flagging common anti-patterns. The project is maintained but has not seen recent updates. It requires ESLint as a peer dependency and is used as an ESLint plugin via the plugins configuration.

Common errors

error Error: Failed to load plugin 'smells': Cannot find module 'eslint-plugin-smells' ↓

cause Plugin not installed or incorrectly referenced in ESLint config.

fix

Run npm install eslint-plugin-smells --save-dev and verify package is in node_modules.

error ESLint: Invalid severity for rule 'smells/no-switch': expected 0, 1, or 2, got true ↓

cause Boolean value used instead of numeric severity.

fix

Set severity to 1 (warning) or 2 (error), not true.

error ESLint: Definition for rule 'smells/no-switch' was not found ↓

cause Plugin not added to plugins array or rule name misspelled.

fix

Add 'smells' to plugins in .eslintrc and ensure rule name is exactly 'smells/no-switch'.

Warnings

gotcha Rules must be prefixed with 'smells/' in the rules configuration. ↓

fix Use 'smells/no-switch' instead of 'no-switch'.

gotcha Plugin does not export individual rules; import the whole package. ↓

fix Install and configure via .eslintrc plugins array.

deprecated Repository has not been updated since 2017, and no new rules have been added. ↓

fix Consider alternative plugins like eslint-plugin-sonarjs for more active development.

Install

npm install eslint-plugin-smells

yarn add eslint-plugin-smells

pnpm add eslint-plugin-smells

Imports

eslint-plugin-smells
wrong
```
const plugin = require('eslint-plugin-smells')
```
correct
```
import { rules } from 'eslint-plugin-smells'
```
The plugin is typically configured in .eslintrc without explicit import; direct import is rarely needed. Use require for CommonJS or import for ESM if you must access rules programmatically.
no-switch
wrong
```
"smells/no-switch": true
```
correct
```
// In .eslintrc: "rules": { "smells/no-switch": 1 }
```
Rule names use the 'smells/' prefix. Set severity as 0, 1, or 2, not boolean.

no-this-assign

wrong

import { noThisAssign } from 'eslint-plugin-smells'

correct

// In .eslintrc: "rules": { "smells/no-this-assign": 2 }

Rules are not exported as named symbols; they are accessed via plugin namespace.

Quickstart

Minimal ESLint configuration to enable all code smell rules from eslint-plugin-smells.

{
  "plugins": ["smells"],
  "rules": {
    "smells/no-switch": 1,
    "smells/no-complex-switch-case": 1,
    "smells/no-setinterval": 1,
    "smells/no-this-assign": 1,
    "smells/no-complex-string-concat": 1,
    "smells/no-complex-chaining": 1
  }
}