markdownlint-mcp

# Markdownlint MCP Server Development Plan This document outlines our comprehensive plan to transform the `markdownlint-mcp` project into a production-grade MCP server ready for publication to NPM. ## Table of Contents 1. [Current Project Assessment](#current-project-assessment) 2. [Goals and Success Criteria](#goals-and-success-criteria) 3. [Development Roadmap](#development-roadmap) 4. [Testing Strategy](#testing-strategy) 5. [Documentation Strategy](#documentation-strategy) 6. [NPM Publication Plan](#npm-publication-plan) 7. [Quality Assurance Pipeline](#quality-assurance-pipeline) 8. [Milestones and Timeline](#milestones-and-timeline) ## Current Project Assessment ### Strengths - ✅ All 52 rule implementation files exist in the codebase - ✅ Functional MCP server implementation - ✅ Integration with standard markdownlint library - ✅ Basic error handling implemented - ✅ Configurable via `.markdownlint.json` - ✅ Three useful MCP tools: `lint_markdown`, `fix_markdown`, and `get_configuration` - ✅ Project structure in place and organized - ✅ Basic CI/CD pipeline exists ### Areas for Improvement - ✅ **Comprehensive Testing Framework**: Strong test framework exists with extensive rule validation - ✅ **Priority 1 Rules Complete**: All 11 Priority 1 rules (MD004, MD005, MD007, MD013, MD029, MD030, MD033, MD034, MD037, MD038, MD041) now have comprehensive tests - ✅ **Significant Rule Coverage**: ~80% of rules (41/51) have comprehensive tests with detection and fix validation - ❌ **Incomplete Rule Coverage**: ~10 rules still need comprehensive testing - ❌ **Limited Integration Testing**: Rules aren't tested working together in real scenarios - ❌ **Limited Documentation**: Documentation for rules is minimal - ❌ **No Performance Testing**: No tests for large files or complex markdown - ❌ **Limited Error Handling**: Edge cases and error scenarios not thoroughly handled - ❌ **No Versioning Strategy**: No clear versioning approach - ❌ **Incomplete NPM Package Configuration**: Additional preparation needed for NPM publication ## Goals and Success Criteria ### Primary Goals 1. Create a production-ready, well-tested MCP server 2. Publish to NPM with comprehensive documentation 3. Ensure reliable operation across different environments 4. Make it easily usable by other developers ### Success Criteria - ✅ Implementation of all 51 markdownlint rules - 🔄 Comprehensive test suite with proper validation for all rules (82% complete - 42/51 rules) - ❌ >90% code coverage across the codebase - ❌ Detailed documentation with examples for each rule - ✅ CI/CD pipeline for automated testing - ❌ Performance validation for large files - ❌ Complete documentation of rule configurations - ❌ Successful NPM package with correct metadata - 🔄 Verification that rules detect and fix issues correctly (78% complete) ## Development Roadmap ### Phase 1: Project Structure and Rule Implementation (COMPLETED) ✅ 1. **Project Structure Enhancements** ✅ - ✅ Reorganize codebase into logical modules - ✅ Create proper import/export structure - ✅ Implement logging infrastructure - ✅ Add proper TypeScript configuration 2. **Rule Implementation** ✅ - ✅ All 52 rules have implementation files - ✅ Basic implementation of rule detection and fix logic - ✅ Integration with main markdownlint system ### Phase 2: Testing Framework Enhancement (MOSTLY COMPLETE) ✅ 1. **Testing Framework Improvements** ✅ - ✅ Design proper testing framework for rule validation - ✅ Create test data with real markdown examples - ✅ Implement test helpers and utilities - ✅ Set up proper test structure 2. **Comprehensive Rule Testing** 🔄 - ✅ Priority 1 rules (11/11) - All complete with detection and fix tests - ✅ Create detection tests for 40/51 rules - ✅ Create fix validation tests for 40/51 rules - ❌ 11 remaining rules need comprehensive testing - ❌ Implement configuration tests for rules - ❌ Add edge case testing 3. **Integration Testing** 🔄 - ❌ Test multiple rules working together - ❌ Test with real-world markdown files - ❌ Test server operations end-to-end 4. **Performance Testing** 🔄 - ❌ Test with large markdown files - ❌ Test with complex markdown structures - ❌ Benchmark performance ### Phase 3: Documentation and Examples (PENDING) ⏳ 1. **Documentation Improvements** ⏳ - ❌ Comprehensive API documentation - ❌ Usage examples for all tools - ❌ Integration guides for different environments - ❌ Troubleshooting guide 2. **Examples and Templates** ⏳ - ❌ Example configurations - ❌ Example integration with MCP clients - ❌ Common use case examples - ❌ Custom rule examples 3. **Contribution Guidelines** ⏳ - ✅ Basic CONTRIBUTING.md exists - ❌ Enhance contribution process - ❌ Create issue and PR templates - ❌ Document development workflow ### Phase 4: NPM Publication and Maintenance (PENDING) ⏳ 1. **NPM Package Preparation** ⏳ - ✅ Basic package.json configuration - ✅ Basic .npmignore created - ❌ Complete semantic release process - ❌ Prepare comprehensive changelogs 2. **Publication Process** ⏳ - ❌ Version 1.0.0 release preparation - ❌ NPM publication - ❌ GitHub release - ❌ Announcement and documentation updates 3. **Maintenance Plan** ⏳ - ❌ Issue tracking process - ❌ Update schedule - ❌ Deprecation policy - ❌ Support model ## Testing Strategy ### Current Status of Testing ✅ #### Major Achievement: Priority 1 Rules Complete - ✅ **All 11 Priority 1 rules** now have comprehensive test coverage - ✅ **Individual Rule Tests**: `tests/rules/` contains dedicated test files for 16 rules - ✅ **100% Test Pass Rate**: All 286 tests passing with 0 failures #### Current Coverage Statistics - **Comprehensive Unit Tests**: `tests/markdownlint-rules.test.ts` contains extensive validation tests for 29 rules with both detection and fix logic - **Individual Rule Tests**: `tests/rules/` contains dedicated test files for 16 rules including all Priority 1 rules - **Server Tests**: Tests in `tests/markdownlint-server.test.ts` test server functionality - **Excellent Coverage**: 78% of rules (40/51) have comprehensive tests, 11 rules still need testing - **No Integration Testing**: No testing of rules working together - **No Performance Testing**: No testing with large files or complex markdown ### Required Testing Improvements 🔄 #### Unit Testing - **Rule Implementation Tests**: - Test each rule's detection logic with both valid and invalid markdown - Test each rule's fix logic with various violation scenarios - Test each rule's configuration options - Test edge cases and boundary conditions #### Integration Testing - **End-to-End Tests**: Test complete flow from input to output - **Multiple Rule Tests**: Test combinations of rules working together - **Error Handling Tests**: Verify error cases are handled correctly - **Configuration Tests**: Test with different configurations #### Performance Testing - **Large File Tests**: Test with large markdown files - **Complex Structure Tests**: Test with complex markdown structures - **Memory Usage Tests**: Monitor memory usage during processing - **Benchmarking**: Compare performance with baseline ### Testing Matrix | Component | Current Tests | Needed Tests | Priority | |-----------|---------------|--------------|----------| | Rule Detection Logic | ✅ 78% Complete (40/51 rules) | 🔄 Remaining 11 rules | Medium | | Rule Fix Logic | ✅ 78% Complete (40/51 rules) | 🔄 Remaining 11 rules | Medium | | Priority 1 Rules | ✅ 100% Complete (11/11 rules) | ✅ Complete | Complete | | Rule Configuration | ❌ Missing | 🔄 Needed | Medium | | Server Operations | ✅ Basic | 🔄 Enhanced | Medium | | Error Handling | ❌ Limited | 🔄 Comprehensive | High | | Performance | ❌ Missing | 🔄 Needed | Medium | | Edge Cases | ❌ Missing | 🔄 Needed | Medium | ## Documentation Strategy ### Current Documentation Status - **README.md**: ✅ Basic project overview - **USAGE.md**: ✅ Basic usage instructions - **CONTRIBUTING.md**: ✅ Basic contribution guidelines - **Rule Documentation**: ❌ Incomplete ### Documentation Improvements Needed #### Technical Documentation - **API Reference**: Complete documentation of all functions and tools - **Architecture Overview**: High-level explanation of the system - **Configuration Guide**: Detailed configuration options for all rules - **Extending Guide**: How to extend with custom rules #### User Documentation - **Quick Start Guide**: Getting started quickly - **Installation Guide**: Detailed installation instructions - **Usage Examples**: Real-world usage examples - **Troubleshooting**: Common issues and solutions #### Document Types to Create/Enhance 1. **README.md**: ✅ Exists, needs enhancement 2. **USAGE.md**: ✅ Exists, needs enhancement 3. **CONTRIBUTING.md**: ✅ Exists, needs enhancement 4. **API.md**: ❌ Needs creation 5. **EXAMPLES.md**: ❌ Needs creation 6. **CHANGELOG.md**: ✅ Exists, needs proper versioning 7. **RULES.md**: ❌ Needs creation (detailed rule documentation) ## NPM Publication Plan ### Package Configuration Status - **package.json**: ✅ Basic configuration - **Dependencies**: ✅ Basic dependencies defined - **Scripts**: ✅ Basic npm scripts - **.npmignore**: ✅ Basic configuration ### Publication Checklist - [x] Complete Priority 1 tests for all rules - [ ] Complete remaining 11 rules testing - [ ] Verify package.json configuration - [ ] Ensure all dependencies are properly specified - [ ] Run complete test suite with high coverage - [ ] Generate comprehensive documentation - [ ] Create npm release script - [ ] Set up semantic versioning - [ ] Complete CHANGELOG - [ ] Prepare GitHub release ### Versioning Strategy - Follow semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH) - Major: Breaking changes - Minor: New features, non-breaking - Patch: Bug fixes, non-breaking ## Quality Assurance Pipeline ### Current CI/CD Status - **GitHub Actions**: ✅ Basic workflow - **Testing**: ✅ Basic test execution - **Building**: ✅ Basic TypeScript compilation ### Required QA Improvements - **Enhanced Testing**: Add comprehensive test suite execution - **Code Coverage**: Add code coverage reporting - **Linting**: Enhance ESLint configuration - **Security Scanning**: Add dependency scanning ### Quality Gates - All tests must pass - Code coverage must be >90% - No ESLint errors - Documentation must be up to date ## Milestones and Timeline ### Milestone 1: Complete Testing Framework (MOSTLY COMPLETE) ✅ - ✅ Implement proper testing framework for rule validation - ✅ Create comprehensive tests for Priority 1 rules (11/11 complete) - 🔄 Create comprehensive tests for remaining rules (78% complete - 40/51 rules) - ❌ Achieve >90% test coverage - ❌ Fix any issues discovered during testing ### Milestone 2: Enhanced Documentation and Examples - ❌ Complete technical documentation - ❌ Create detailed usage examples - ❌ Document all rule configurations - ❌ Create troubleshooting guide ### Milestone 3: Final Quality Assurance - ❌ Complete performance testing - ❌ Address all edge cases - ❌ Finalize error handling - ❌ Complete security review ### Milestone 4: NPM Publication - ❌ Finalize package configuration - ❌ Prepare release notes and changelog - ❌ Publish to NPM - ❌ Create GitHub release ## Implementation Details ### Markdownlint Rules Testing Status We need comprehensive tests for all 52 markdownlint rules. The current status is: #### Testing Status by Rule Category ##### Heading Rules (14 rules) - ✅ MD001 - Heading levels should only increment by one level at a time - ✅ MD003 - Heading style - ✅ MD018 - No space after hash on atx style heading - ✅ MD019 - Multiple spaces after hash on atx style heading - ✅ MD020 - No space inside hashes on closed atx style heading - ✅ MD021 - Multiple spaces inside hashes on closed atx style heading - ✅ MD022 - Headings should be surrounded by blank lines - ✅ MD023 - Headings must start at the beginning of the line - ✅ MD024 - Multiple headings with the same content - ✅ MD025 - Multiple top-level headings in the same document - ✅ MD026 - Trailing punctuation in heading - ✅ MD041 - First line in a file should be a top-level heading (Priority 1) - ✅ MD043 - Required heading structure - ✅ MD036 - Emphasis used instead of a heading ##### List Rules (8 rules) - ✅ MD004 - Unordered list style (Priority 1) - ✅ MD005 - Inconsistent indentation for list items at the same level (Priority 1) - ✅ MD007 - Unordered list indentation (Priority 1) - ✅ MD029 - Ordered list item prefix (Priority 1) - ✅ MD030 - Spaces after list markers (Priority 1) - ✅ MD032 - Lists should be surrounded by blank lines - ✅ MD042 - No empty links - ❌ MD053 - Link and image reference definitions should be needed ##### Whitespace and Line Rules (9 rules) - ✅ MD009 - Trailing spaces - ✅ MD010 - Hard tabs - ✅ MD012 - Multiple consecutive blank lines - ✅ MD013 - Line length (Priority 1) - ✅ MD027 - Multiple spaces after blockquote symbol - ✅ MD028 - Blank line inside blockquote - ✅ MD033 - Inline HTML (Priority 1) - ✅ MD035 - Horizontal rule style - ✅ MD047 - Files should end with a single newline character ##### Code Block Rules (5 rules) - ✅ MD014 - Dollar signs used before commands without showing output - ✅ MD031 - Fenced code blocks should be surrounded by blank lines - ✅ MD040 - Fenced code blocks should have a language specified - ✅ MD046 - Code block style - ✅ MD048 - Code fence style ##### Link and Reference Rules (8 rules) - ✅ MD011 - Reversed link syntax - ✅ MD034 - Bare URL used (Priority 1) - ❌ MD039 - Spaces inside link text - ✅ MD042 - No empty links (duplicate in list rules) - ❌ MD051 - Link fragments should be valid - ❌ MD052 - Reference links and images should use a label that is defined - ❌ MD054 - Link and image style - ✅ MD059 - Link text should be descriptive ##### Table Rules (3 rules) - ✅ MD055 - Table pipe style - ✅ MD056 - Table column count - ✅ MD058 - Tables should be surrounded by blank lines ##### Emphasis and Styling Rules (5 rules) - ✅ MD037 - Spaces inside emphasis markers (Priority 1) - ✅ MD038 - Spaces inside code span elements (Priority 1) - ✅ MD044 - Proper names should have the correct capitalization - ✅ MD049 - Emphasis style - ❌ MD050 - Strong style ##### Accessibility Rules (2 rules) - ✅ MD045 - Images should have alternate text (alt text) - ✅ MD059 - Link text should be descriptive (duplicate in link rules) ### Priority 1 Rules - COMPLETE! ✅ All 11 Priority 1 rules are now fully implemented and tested: - ✅ MD004 - Unordered list style - ✅ MD005 - Inconsistent indentation for list items - ✅ MD007 - Unordered list indentation - ✅ MD013 - Line length - ✅ MD029 - Ordered list item prefix - ✅ MD030 - Spaces after list markers - ✅ MD033 - Inline HTML - ✅ MD034 - Bare URL used - ✅ MD037 - Emphasized text spacing - ✅ MD038 - Code span elements - ✅ MD041 - First line in file should be top-level heading ### Next Steps 1. **Complete Rule Testing (11 rules remaining)**: - **Priority 2 - Specialized Rules**: MD011, MD014, MD028, MD043, MD044, MD049, MD050, MD051, MD052, MD053, MD054 - Validate both detection and fix capabilities for all remaining rules - Test configuration options where applicable 2. **Integration Testing**: - Test rules working together - Test with real-world markdown examples - Test server functionality with multiple rules 3. **Performance & Edge Case Testing**: - Test with large markdown files - Test with complex markdown structures - Test edge cases and error scenarios ## Conclusion This comprehensive development plan outlines the path to transforming the markdownlint-mcp project into a production-ready MCP server. **Major Achievement**: All Priority 1 rules (11/11) are now complete with comprehensive testing, bringing our overall test coverage to 78% (40/51 rules). This represents a significant milestone in the project's development. The most critical current focus is implementing proper testing for the remaining 11 specialized rules to ensure they correctly detect and fix markdown issues. By addressing the remaining testing gap, improving documentation, and completing the remaining tasks, we will ensure the markdownlint-mcp server is a reliable and valuable addition to the MCP ecosystem, enabling AI assistants to effectively lint and fix Markdown content.