SWI-Prolog 9.2.9 Reference Manual: Section A.7

## A.7 library(check): Consistency checking

See also
  - gxref/0 provides a graphical cross referencer
  - PceEmacs performs real time consistency checks while you edit
  - `library(prolog_xref)` implements‘offline’cross-referencing
  - `library(prolog_codewalk)` implements‘online’analysis

This library provides some consistency checks for the loaded Prolog program. The predicate make/0 runs list_undefined/0 to find undefined predicates in‘user’modules.

[det]check
  Run all consistency checks defined by checker/2. Checks enabled by default are:

  - list_undefined/0 reports undefined predicates
  - list_trivial_fails/0 reports calls for which there is no matching clause.
  - list_format_errors/0 reports mismatches in format/2,3 templates and the list of arguments.
  - list_redefined/0 reports predicates that have a local definition and a global definition. Note that these are not errors.
  - list_void_declarations/0 reports on predicates with defined properties, but no clauses.
  - list_autoload/0 lists predicates that will be defined at runtime using the autoloader.
  - check_predicate_options/0 tests for options passed to predicates such as open/4 that are unknown or are used with an invalid argument.

  The checker can be expanded or restricted by modifying the dynamic multifile hook checker/2.

  The checker may be used in batch, e.g., for CI workflows by calling SWI-Prolog as below. Note that by using `-l` to load the program, the program is not started if it used initialization/2 of type `main` to start the program.

      swipl -q --on-warning=status --on-error=status \
            -g check -t halt -l myprogram.pl

[det]list_undefined
[det]list_undefined(+Options)
  Report undefined predicates. This predicate finds undefined predicates by decompiling and analyzing the body of all clauses. Options:
  module_class(+Classes)
    Process modules of the given Classes. The default for classes is `[user]`. For example, to include the libraries into the examination, use `[user,library]`.
  See also
    - gxref/0 provides a graphical cross-referencer.
    - make/0 calls list_undefined/0
[det]list_autoload
  Report predicates that may be auto-loaded. These are predicates that are not defined, but will be loaded on demand if referenced.
  See also
    autoload/0
  To be done
    This predicate uses an older mechanism for finding undefined predicates. Should be synchronized with list undefined.
list_redefined
  Lists predicates that are defined in the global module `user` as well as in a normal module; that is, predicates for which the local definition overrules the global default definition.
[det]list_cross_module_calls
  List calls from one module to another using Module:Goal where the callee is not defined exported, public or multifile, i.e., where the callee should be considered private.
[det]list_void_declarations
  List predicates that have declared attributes, but no clauses.
[det]list_trivial_fails
[det]list_trivial_fails(+Options)
  List goals that trivially fail because there is no matching clause. Options:
  module_class(+Classes)
    Process modules of the given Classes. The default for classes is `[user]`. For example, to include the libraries into the examination, use `[user,library]`.
[multifile]trivial_fail_goal(:Goal)
  Multifile hook that tells list_trivial_fails/0 to accept Goal as valid.
[det]list_strings
[det]list_strings(+Options)
  List strings that appear in clauses. This predicate is used to find portability issues for changing the Prolog flag `double_quotes` from `codes` to `string`, creating packed string objects. Warnings may be suppressed using the following multifile hooks:

  - string_predicate/1 to stop checking certain predicates
  - valid_string_goal/1 to tell the checker that a goal is safe.
  See also
    Prolog flag `double_quotes`.
[det]list_rationals
[det]list_rationals(+Options)
  List rational numbers that appear in clauses. This predicate is used to find portability issues for changing the Prolog flag `rational_syntax` to `natural`, creating rational numbers from <integer>/<nonneg>. Options:
  module_class(+Classes)
    Determines the modules classes processed. By default only user code is processed. See prolog_program_clause/2.
  arithmetic(+Bool)
    If `true` (default `false`) also warn on rationals appearing in arithmetic expressions.
  See also
    Prolog flag rational_syntax and `prefer_rationals`.
[det]list_format_errors
[det]list_format_errors(+Options)
  List argument errors for format/2,3.
[multifile]string_predicate(:PredicateIndicator)
  Multifile hook to disable list_strings/0 on the given predicate. This is typically used for facts that store strings.
[semidet,multifile]valid_string_goal(+Goal)
  Multifile hook that qualifies Goal as valid for list_strings/0. For example, `format("Hello world~n")` is considered proper use of string constants.
[nondet,multifile]checker(:Goal, +Message:text)
  Register code validation routines. Each clause defines a Goal which performs a consistency check executed by check/0. Message is a short description of the check. For example, assuming the `my_checks` module defines a predicate list_format_mistakes/0:

      :- multifile check:checker/2.
      check:checker(my_checks:list_format_mistakes,
                    "errors with format/2 arguments").

  The predicate is dynamic, so you can disable checks with retract/1. For example, to stop reporting redefined predicates:

      retract(check:checker(list_redefined,_)).