markdownlint-rule-unique-table-numbering

A custom markdownlint rule that checks that tables with a numbering in the first column has all unique first column.

Overview

This rule is for the Node.js markdownlint library and its associated tools.

If the first columns in the first and second row has ascending values then the whole column needs to be unique.

Why?

Many tables have a unique identifier in the first column. This rule tries to deduce if the first column is a column with an id and then enforces uniqueness for the whole column.

Examples of where this is useful:

• Allocation of document numbers
• Database descriptions
• Lists of things which needs to be uniquely identified

Example structure:

# Document Register

| Document Number | Author         | Title                                 |
| --------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| LOTR-001        | Bilbo Baggins  | There and Back Again                  |
| LOTR-002        | Gandalf        | The Quest of Erebor                   |
| LOTR-003        | Frodo Baggins  | The Red Book of Westmarch             |
| LOTR-004        | Samwise Gamgee | The Tale of Samwise the Brave         |
| LOTR-005        | Elrond         | The Council of Elrond Proceedings     |
| LOTR-006        | Aragorn        | The Annals of the Kings of Gondor     |
| LOTR-007        | Legolas        | The Journey of the Fellowship         |
| LOTR-008        | Pippin Took    | The Guard of the Citadel              |

Installation

npm install --save-dev markdownlint-rule-unique-table-numbering

Usage

With markdownlint-cli

If installed locally, markdownlint will auto-discover the rule by package name. You can use:

markdownlint --rules markdownlint-rule-unique-table-numbering *.md

If you want to use a direct path, you can still use:

markdownlint --rules ./index.cjs *.md

With markdownlint-cli2

If installed locally, markdownlint-cli2 will auto-discover the rule by package name. You can add it to your config file using the package name:

{
    "customRules": [
        "markdownlint-rule-unique-table-numbering"
    ]
}

Or to .markdownlint-cli2.yaml:

customRules:
    - markdownlint-rule-unique-table-numbering

To use a direct path, you can still reference index.cjs if needed:

{
    "customRules": [
        "./index.cjs"
    ]
}

With VS Code

If using the markdownlint extension for VS Code, install this package in your workspace and the rule will be auto-discovered. For advanced usage, see the markdownlint-cli2 examples above or refer to the extension documentation.

Testing

To run the tests:

npm test

Contributing

Pull requests and issues are welcome! Please ensure your code passes linting and tests before submitting.

License

MIT