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MD038 - Remove extra spaces in code

Aliases: no-space-in-code

What this rule does

Removes unnecessary spaces between backticks and code content in inline code spans.

Why this matters

  • Clean formatting: Extra spaces make code snippets look unpolished
  • Accurate code: Leading/trailing spaces might be mistaken as part of the code
  • Consistent appearance: Code should be formatted the same way throughout
  • Better readability: Clear boundaries between code and regular text

Examples

✅ Correct

Code directly touches the backticks:

Use the `print()` function to display output.

Call `getUserName()` to get the current user.

The variable `isEnabled` stores the state.

❌ Incorrect

Extra spaces inside backticks:

Use the ` print()` function to display output.

Call `getUserName() ` to get the current user.

The variable ` isEnabled ` stores the state.

🔧 Fixed

Spaces removed from edges:

Use the `print()` function to display output.

Call `getUserName()` to get the current user.

The variable `isEnabled` stores the state.

Configuration

This rule has no configuration options.

Flavor-specific behavior

Obsidian flavor

When using --flavor obsidian, this rule recognizes Dataview plugin inline queries and does not flag them as spacing errors:

  • Inline DQL: `= expression` - Queries that start with =
  • Inline DataviewJS: `$= expression` - JavaScript expressions that start with $=

Examples that are valid in Obsidian flavor:

The file name is `= this.file.name` and it was modified on `= this.file.mtime`.

Page count: `$= dv.pages('#project').length` projects found.

Status: `= choice(this.done, "✅", "⏳")`

Note: These expressions don't have leading whitespace issues in practice since the = or $= comes directly after the opening backtick. The Dataview check serves as additional protection for edge cases.

MkDocs flavor

When using --flavor mkdocs, this rule allows InlineHilite syntax for syntax-highlighted inline code:

Use `#!python print("hello")` for inline Python highlighting.

Quarto flavor

When using --flavor quarto, this rule allows inline R code expressions:

The result is `r nchar("test")` which equals 4.

Automatic fixes

This rule will:

  • Remove spaces after opening backticks
  • Remove spaces before closing backticks
  • Preserve spaces within the code itself
  • Handle multiple code spans on the same line

Learn more