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NASA LSP

A Language Server Protocol implementation that enforces NASA's Power of 10 rules for safety-critical code in Python.

Background

The Power of 10 rules were created in 2006 by Gerard J. Holzmann of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to improve the safety and reliability of mission-critical software. While originally designed for C, these principles apply broadly to writing verifiable, analyzable code in any language.

What Makes NASA LSP Unique

While tools like Ruff handle general Python quality, NASA LSP enforces safety-critical constraints that mainstream linters deliberately don't include:

  • ✅ Recursion detection - Ruff doesn't detect or forbid recursion
  • ✅ Bounded loop enforcement - Ruff doesn't restrict while True or require loop bounds
  • ✅ Strict line limits - Ruff has complexity metrics but not hard 60-line function limits
  • ✅ Assertion density - Ruff doesn't enforce minimum assertions per function

Use NASA LSP when: Building safety-critical, embedded, or verifiable Python systems Use Ruff when: General Python quality and best practices Use both when: Maximum code quality and safety verification

Quick Start

uv add nasa-lsp

See the Getting Started guide for detailed installation and configuration instructions.

References