Pylint vs Pyright: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Pylint and Pyright

1. Mode of Operation: Pylint is a static code analysis tool for Python that examines the source code, identifies potential errors, enforces coding standards, and provides suggestions for improvement. On the other hand, Pyright is a static type checking tool that focuses specifically on type checking and inference for Python code.

2. Type Checking Approach: Pylint uses a more traditional and flexible type inference approach, where it infers types by analyzing the code at runtime. In contrast, Pyright uses the Language Server Protocol and Microsoft's Pyright language server implementation to perform type checking and inference based on static code analysis.

3. Performance: Pylint can be slower than Pyright, especially when analyzing large codebases, mainly due to its more extensive analysis capabilities. Pyright, being designed as a type checker, has been optimized for faster type analysis, providing quicker feedback on type-related issues.

4. Integration with Editors: Pylint integrates well with various text editors and IDEs, such as Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, and Atom. It provides real-time feedback, highlighting issues and suggestions within the editor. Pyright, built on the Language Server Protocol, offers similar editor integration features with its language server, making it easy to integrate with compatible editors.

5. Type System Support: Pylint has limited support for type hinting, as it primarily relies on runtime code analysis. It can recognize basic types but may struggle with more complex type annotations or inference. Pyright, being primarily a type checker, has robust support for Python's type hinting syntax, enabling it to catch more subtle type-related errors and provide accurate type inference.

In summary, Pylint is a comprehensive static analysis tool that covers various aspects of code quality, while Pyright is a specialized type checker focused on providing accurate type checking and inference for Python code. Pyright offers faster performance and better support for type hinting, while Pylint excels at more extensive code analysis and adherence to coding standards.