ObsoHTML, the Obsolete HTML Checker

ObsoHTML is a Node.js script designed to scan HTML, PHP, Nunjucks, Twig, JavaScript, and TypeScript files for obsolete and proprietary HTML elements and attributes. It helps you identify and update deprecated HTML code to be sure to use web standards.

ObsoHTML has inherent limitations and may not find all obsolete elements and attributes. If you run into a problem, please file an issue.

Usage

1. As a Node Module

Installation

npm i obsohtml

(To install ObsoHTML globally, use the -g flag, as in npm i -g obsohtml.)

Execution

The script accepts a folder or file path as a command line option, which can be specified in both short form (-f) and long form (--folder). The path can be either absolute or relative.

The script can be run in “verbose” mode by appending -v or --verbose to the command. This will show information about files and directories that were skipped.

Example Commands

Use the default directory (user home directory):

npx obsohtml

Specify a folder using an absolute path (easiest and most common use case):

npx obsohtml -f /path/to/folder

Specify a folder using a relative path:

npx obsohtml -f ../path/to/folder

2. As a Standalone Script

Installation

Download or fork the source repository.

Execution

As mentioned above, the script accepts a folder (-f, --folder) and can be run in “verbose” mode (-v, --verbose).

Example Commands

(All commands as run from the root directory of the downloaded repository.)

Use the default directory (user home directory):

node bin/obsohtml.js

Specify a folder using an absolute path (easiest and most common use case):

node bin/obsohtml.js -f /path/to/folder

Specify a folder using a relative path:

node bin/obsohtml.js -f ../path/to/folder

Output

The script will output messages to the console indicating any obsolete elements or attributes found in the scanned files, along with the file paths where they were detected.

The script exits with code 1 if any obsolete HTML is found, and 0 if none is found, making it suitable for use in CI pipelines.

Background

This started as an experiment, in which I used AI to produce this little HTML quality helper, its tests, and its documentation. While it’s pretty straightforward, I’m sure to have missed something. Please file an issue or contact me directly if you spot a problem or have a suggestion.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to @mattbrundage, @FabianBeiner, and @AndrewMac for helping to make ObsoHTML better!