Configuration

Settings can live in a TOML file so you don’t have to repeat flags on every run. Every field is optional, and CLI flags always override whatever the file provides.

Where intern looks

intern loads the first file it finds, in this order:

1. the path passed to --config <file>
2. ./.intern.toml in the current directory (project config)
3. $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/intern.toml, or ~/.config/intern.toml (user config)

If none exists, the built-in defaults apply. Files are not merged - the highest-precedence file wins as a whole, and CLI flags then layer on top of it.

A path passed to --config must exist, or intern exits with an error; the auto-discovered files are used only when present.

Example

threshold_px = 2                        # global alignment tolerance

disable = ["ALL_CAPS"]                  # turn rules off in bulk
# only  = ["TITLE_Y", "TITLE_X_WIDTH"]  # if set, ONLY these rules run

[output]
format = "table"      # table | text | json
group_by = "rule"     # slide | rule

[rules.TITLE_LENGTH]
max_words = 8

[rules.ALL_CAPS]
severity = "warning"  # report it, but don't fail CI

[rules.TITLE_Y]
threshold = 1         # tighter tolerance, just for this rule

[rules.SLIDE_COUNT]
enabled = true        # SLIDE_COUNT is off by default; enable it explicitly
max_slides = 40

Per-rule tables

Each rule can be configured in its own [rules.<RULE_ID>] table. A rule with no table runs with default settings - except SLIDE_COUNT, which is off by default (its slide limit is too deck-specific) and runs only when its table sets enabled = true.

• enabled = false turns the rule off.

• severity is "error" (the default) or "warning". intern check exits non-zero only when an error is found - warnings are reported but never fail CI. Demote noisy rules to "warning" to keep them advisory.

• threshold overrides the global threshold_px for that rule (alignment rules only) - e.g. pixel-perfect titles alongside a looser grid.

• The count-based rules take a limit:

  Rule	Key
  TITLE_LENGTH	max_words
  BULLET_LENGTH	max_words
  FONT_VARIETY	max_families
  COLOR_VARIETY	max_colors
  SLIDE_COUNT	max_slides

Blunt controls

• disable - a top-level list that turns rules off in bulk.
• only - a top-level whitelist; when present, only the listed rules run.
• Disabling always wins. If a rule is both whitelisted by only and disabled (via disable or enabled = false), it does not run and intern prints a warning.

Other settings

• threshold_px - alignment tolerance in pixels for every geometric rule.
• [output] - default format (table | text | json) and group_by (slide | rule) for intern check.

CLI flags override the file: --disable extends disable, and --rules replaces only.