[PATCH] checkpatch: report warning with files ending with blank lines

[PATCH] checkpatch: report warning with files ending with blank lines

[Christian Marangi]

On applying patch, git, depending on the default configuration, might
complain for any file having blank lines at end of file.

These blank lines can go unnotice by the patch submitter as they are not
reported by checkpatch.pl with the maintainer only noticing the error when
the patch is applied. This result in the submitter getting confused asking
further info to the maintainer making the review process longer.

To address this, add a simple logic to catch this error and report as
warning. Example:

WARNING: blank line at end of file
102: FILE: Documentation/devicetree/bindings/phy/airoha,an7581-usb-phy.yaml:62:
+    };
+

Signed-off-by: Christian Marangi <ansuelsmth@gmail.com>
---
 scripts/checkpatch.pl | 19 +++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 19 insertions(+)

diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 8a7787d228a6..0363828b9bd8 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -2968,6 +2968,25 @@ sub process {
 		my $herecurr = "$here\n$rawline\n";
 		my $hereprev = "$here\n$prevrawline\n$rawline\n";
 
+# Check for blank line at end of file
+		if ($rawline =~ /^\+[ \t]*$/ &&
+		    (!defined $rawlines[$linenr] ||
+		     $rawlines[$linenr] =~ /^diff --git / ||
+		     $rawlines[$linenr] =~ /^-- $/)) {
+			my $context = $rawline;
+
+			for (my $i = $linenr - 2; $i >= 0; $i--) {
+				last if ($rawlines[$i] !~ /^\+/);
+
+				$context = $rawlines[$i] . "\n" . $context;
+
+				last if ($rawlines[$i] !~ /^\+[ \t]*$/);
+			}
+
+			WARN("BLANK_AT_EOF",
+			      "blank line at end of file\n" . $here . "\n" . $context . "\n");
+		}
+
 		$cnt_lines++ if ($realcnt != 0);
 
 # Verify the existence of a commit log if appropriate
-- 
2.55.0

Re: [PATCH] checkpatch: report warning with files ending with blank lines

[Joe Perches]

On Tue, 2026-10-06 at 12:21 +0200, Christian Marangi wrote:
> On applying patch, git, depending on the default configuration, might
> complain for any file having blank lines at end of file.
> 
> These blank lines can go unnotice by the patch submitter as they are not
> reported by checkpatch.pl with the maintainer only noticing the error when
> the patch is applied. This result in the submitter getting confused asking
> further info to the maintainer making the review process longer.
> 
> To address this, add a simple logic to catch this error and report as
> warning. Example:
> 
> WARNING: blank line at end of file
> 102: FILE: Documentation/devicetree/bindings/phy/airoha,an7581-usb-phy.yaml:62:
> +    };
> +

While this might be a good idea, the placement
of this test is probably not good at the start
of the process() block.

I'd place it so it's only checked once at the
end of the process() block after all the rest
of the lines are tested.

> diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
[]
> +# Check for blank line at end of file

[]

etc...