Analyzing Config Files

Shell configuration files like .bashrc, .bash_profile, .zshrc, and .profile are critical to your development environment, but they often accumulate issues over time:

  • Duplicate PATH entries slowing down command lookup
  • Unquoted variables creating security vulnerabilities
  • Non-idempotent operations causing inconsistent behavior
  • Non-deterministic constructs producing unpredictable results
  • Performance bottlenecks from expensive operations

The bashrs config analyze command provides comprehensive analysis of your shell configuration files, detecting these issues and providing actionable recommendations.

Quick Start

Analyze your shell configuration in seconds:

bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc

This command:

  1. Detects your configuration file type automatically
  2. Analyzes for common issues (duplicate paths, unquoted variables, etc.)
  3. Calculates complexity score
  4. Reports performance bottlenecks
  5. Provides specific suggestions for improvement

What Config Analysis Detects

bashrs config analyze performs four core analyses, each corresponding to a specific rule:

CONFIG-001: Duplicate PATH Entries

Detects when the same directory appears multiple times in PATH modifications:

export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"
export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"  # ⚠️ Duplicate detected!

Why this matters:

  • Slower command lookup (shell searches each PATH entry in order)
  • Confusion about which binary will execute
  • Maintenance burden tracking which paths are active

Detection: Tracks all PATH modifications and identifies directories added more than once.

See CONFIG-001: Deduplicate PATH Entries for complete details.

CONFIG-002: Unquoted Variable Expansions

Detects variables used without quotes, which can cause word splitting, glob expansion, and injection vulnerabilities:

export PROJECT_DIR=$HOME/my projects    # ⚠️ Unquoted - will break!
cd $PROJECT_DIR                         # ⚠️ Splits into: cd /home/user/my projects
cp $SOURCE $DEST                        # ⚠️ Vulnerable to injection

Why this matters:

  • Word splitting: Spaces in values break arguments
  • Glob expansion: Wildcards expand unexpectedly (*.txt → file1.txt file2.txt)
  • Security vulnerabilities: Command injection through unquoted paths

Detection: Analyzes all variable expansions and identifies those without quotes.

See CONFIG-002: Quote Variable Expansions for complete details.

CONFIG-003: Duplicate Alias Definitions

Detects when the same alias is defined multiple times (only the last definition is active):

alias ll='ls -la'
 ... 50 lines later ...
alias ll='ls -lah'        # ⚠️ Duplicate - this one wins
 ... 30 lines later ...
alias ll='ls -lAh'        # ⚠️ Duplicate - this one actually wins

Why this matters:

  • Confusing behavior: Only the last definition takes effect
  • Maintenance burden: Hard to track which aliases are active
  • Cluttered configs: Unnecessary duplication

Detection: Tracks all alias definitions and identifies names appearing more than once.

See CONFIG-003: Consolidate Duplicate Aliases for complete details.

CONFIG-004: Non-Deterministic Constructs

Detects constructs that produce different results on each execution:

SESSION_ID=$RANDOM                     # ⚠️ Random number
TIMESTAMP=$(date +%s)                  # ⚠️ Current timestamp
LOG_FILE="/tmp/log.$$"                 # ⚠️ Process ID

Why this matters:

  • Unpredictable behavior: Different results across shell sessions
  • Testing difficulties: Hard to write reproducible tests
  • Debugging challenges: Behavior changes between runs

Detection: Identifies $RANDOM, timestamps (date +%s), process IDs ($$), and other non-deterministic patterns.

Note: Some timestamp usage is legitimate (e.g., measuring command execution time in .zshrc). Context matters.

CONFIG-005: Performance Issues (Preview)

Detects operations that slow down shell startup:

eval "$(rbenv init -)"                 # ⚠️ Expensive - adds ~150ms
eval "$(pyenv init -)"                 # ⚠️ Expensive - adds ~200ms
eval "$(nodenv init -)"                # ⚠️ Expensive - adds ~100ms

Why this matters:

  • Slow shell startup: Each eval adds 100-200ms
  • Compounding delays: Multiple evals create noticeable lag
  • Unnecessary overhead: Many tools can be lazy-loaded

Suggestion: Use lazy-loading patterns to defer expensive operations until needed.

Supported Configuration Files

bashrs config analyze automatically detects and analyzes these configuration file types:

FileTypeShellPurpose
.bashrcBashrcbashInteractive shell (non-login)
.bash_profileBashProfilebashLogin shell
.profileProfileshPOSIX login shell (portable)
.zshrcZshrczshInteractive shell (non-login)
.zprofileZprofilezshLogin shell
.zshenvGenericzshAll zsh sessions

The tool understands shell-specific conventions and adjusts analysis accordingly.

Command Usage

Basic Analysis

bashrs config analyze <file>

Example:

bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc

Output:

Configuration Analysis: /home/user/.bashrc
===========================================

File Type: Bashrc (bash)
Lines: 157
Complexity: 5/10

Issues Found: 3

[CONFIG-001] Duplicate PATH entry
  → Line: 23
  → Path: /usr/local/bin
  → First occurrence: Line 15
  → Suggestion: Remove duplicate entry or use conditional addition

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 45
  → Variable: $HOME
  → Column: 18
  → Can cause word splitting and glob expansion
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${HOME}"

[CONFIG-003] Duplicate alias definition: 'ls'
  → Line: 89
  → First occurrence: Line 67
  → Severity: Warning
  → Suggestion: Remove earlier definition or rename alias

PATH Entries:
  Line 15: /usr/local/bin
  Line 19: /opt/homebrew/bin
  Line 23: /usr/local/bin (DUPLICATE)
  Line 31: /home/user/.local/bin

Performance Issues: 1
  Line 52: eval "$(rbenv init -)" [~150ms]
  → Suggestion: Consider lazy-loading this version manager

JSON Output

For integration with tools and CI/CD pipelines:

bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json

Output:

{
  "file_path": "/home/user/.bashrc",
  "config_type": "Bashrc",
  "line_count": 157,
  "complexity_score": 5,
  "issues": [
    {
      "rule_id": "CONFIG-001",
      "severity": "Warning",
      "message": "Duplicate PATH entry",
      "line": 23,
      "column": 0,
      "suggestion": "Remove duplicate entry or use conditional addition"
    },
    {
      "rule_id": "CONFIG-002",
      "severity": "Warning",
      "message": "Unquoted variable expansion: $HOME",
      "line": 45,
      "column": 18,
      "suggestion": "Quote the variable: \"${HOME}\""
    },
    {
      "rule_id": "CONFIG-003",
      "severity": "Warning",
      "message": "Duplicate alias definition: 'ls'",
      "line": 89,
      "column": 0,
      "suggestion": "Remove earlier definition or rename alias"
    }
  ],
  "path_entries": [
    {"line": 15, "path": "/usr/local/bin", "is_duplicate": false},
    {"line": 19, "path": "/opt/homebrew/bin", "is_duplicate": false},
    {"line": 23, "path": "/usr/local/bin", "is_duplicate": true},
    {"line": 31, "path": "/home/user/.local/bin", "is_duplicate": false}
  ],
  "performance_issues": [
    {
      "line": 52,
      "command": "eval \"$(rbenv init -)\"",
      "estimated_cost_ms": 150,
      "suggestion": "Consider lazy-loading this version manager"
    }
  ]
}

SARIF Output (Planned)

For integration with GitHub Code Scanning and other security tools:

bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format sarif > results.sarif

SARIF (Static Analysis Results Interchange Format) is an industry-standard format supported by GitHub, GitLab, and many CI/CD platforms.

Real .bashrc Analysis Examples

Example 1: Duplicate PATH Entries

Input (messy.bashrc):

 System paths
export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
export PATH="/usr/bin:$PATH"

 Homebrew
if [ -d "/opt/homebrew/bin" ]; then
    export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"
fi

 Accidentally added again
export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"

 Python tools
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Analysis:

bashrs config analyze messy.bashrc

Output:

Configuration Analysis: messy.bashrc
====================================

File Type: Bashrc (bash)
Lines: 15
Complexity: 3/10

Issues Found: 1

[CONFIG-001] Duplicate PATH entry
  → Line: 12
  → Path: /usr/local/bin
  → First occurrence: Line 2
  → Suggestion: Remove duplicate entry or use conditional addition

PATH Entries:
  Line 2: /usr/local/bin
  Line 3: /usr/bin
  Line 7: /opt/homebrew/bin (conditional)
  Line 12: /usr/local/bin (DUPLICATE)
  Line 15: /home/user/.local/bin

Recommendation: Run `bashrs config purify messy.bashrc` to fix automatically

Example 2: Unquoted Variables

Input (unsafe.bashrc):

 Project directory with space in name
export PROJECT_DIR=$HOME/my projects

 Backup directory
export BACKUP_DIR=$HOME/backups

 Aliases using unquoted variables
alias proj='cd $PROJECT_DIR'
alias backup='cp $PROJECT_DIR/file.txt $BACKUP_DIR/'

 Function with unquoted variables
deploy() {
    cd $PROJECT_DIR
    ./build.sh
    cp result.tar.gz $BACKUP_DIR
}

Analysis:

bashrs config analyze unsafe.bashrc

Output:

Configuration Analysis: unsafe.bashrc
=====================================

File Type: Bashrc (bash)
Lines: 16
Complexity: 4/10

Issues Found: 8

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 2
  → Variable: $HOME
  → Column: 18
  → Can cause word splitting and glob expansion
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${HOME}"

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 5
  → Variable: $HOME
  → Column: 18
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${HOME}"

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 8
  → Variable: $PROJECT_DIR
  → Column: 16
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${PROJECT_DIR}"

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 9
  → Variable: $PROJECT_DIR
  → Column: 19
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${PROJECT_DIR}"

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 9
  → Variable: $BACKUP_DIR
  → Column: 47
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${BACKUP_DIR}"

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 13
  → Variable: $PROJECT_DIR
  → Column: 8
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${PROJECT_DIR}"

[CONFIG-002] Unquoted variable expansion
  → Line: 15
  → Variable: $BACKUP_DIR
  → Column: 24
  → Suggestion: Quote the variable: "${BACKUP_DIR}"

Security Risk: HIGH
Unquoted variables can cause:
- Word splitting (spaces break arguments)
- Glob expansion (wildcards expand unexpectedly)
- Command injection vulnerabilities

Recommendation: Run `bashrs config purify unsafe.bashrc` to fix automatically

Example 3: Duplicate Aliases

Input (aliases.bashrc):

 Initial aliases (2019)
alias ls='ls --color=auto'
alias ll='ls -la'
alias grep='grep --color=auto'

 Experimentation (2020)
alias ll='ls -lah'

 macOS migration (2021)
alias ls='ls -G'

 Current preferences (2024)
alias ll='ls -lAh'
alias grep='grep -i --color=auto'

Analysis:

bashrs config analyze aliases.bashrc

Output:

Configuration Analysis: aliases.bashrc
======================================

File Type: Bashrc (bash)
Lines: 15
Complexity: 3/10

Issues Found: 4

[CONFIG-003] Duplicate alias definition: 'll'
  → Line: 8
  → First occurrence: Line 3
  → Severity: Warning
  → Suggestion: Remove earlier definition. Last definition wins.

[CONFIG-003] Duplicate alias definition: 'ls'
  → Line: 11
  → First occurrence: Line 2
  → Severity: Warning
  → Suggestion: Remove earlier definition. Last definition wins.

[CONFIG-003] Duplicate alias definition: 'll'
  → Line: 14
  → First occurrence: Line 3
  → Severity: Warning
  → Suggestion: Remove earlier definition. Last definition wins.

[CONFIG-003] Duplicate alias definition: 'grep'
  → Line: 15
  → First occurrence: Line 4
  → Severity: Warning
  → Suggestion: Remove earlier definition. Last definition wins.

Active Aliases (last definition wins):
  ls='ls -G' (line 11)
  ll='ls -lAh' (line 14)
  grep='grep -i --color=auto' (line 15)

Recommendation: Run `bashrs config purify aliases.bashrc` to consolidate

Example 4: Non-Deterministic Content

Input (random.bashrc):

 Session ID using random number
export SESSION_ID=$RANDOM

 Timestamped log file
export LOG_FILE="/tmp/bash-$(date +%s).log"

 Process-specific temp directory
export TEMP_DIR="/tmp/bash-$$"

 Cache with timestamp
export CACHE_KEY="cache-$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"

Analysis:

bashrs config analyze random.bashrc

Output:

Configuration Analysis: random.bashrc
=====================================

File Type: Bashrc (bash)
Lines: 11
Complexity: 3/10

Issues Found: 4

[CONFIG-004] Non-deterministic construct: $RANDOM
  → Line: 2
  → Variable: $RANDOM generates different values on each execution
  → Suggestion: Use a deterministic value or parameter

[CONFIG-004] Non-deterministic construct: $(date +%s)
  → Line: 5
  → Timestamp generates different values on each execution
  → Suggestion: Accept timestamp as parameter for determinism

[CONFIG-004] Non-deterministic construct: $$
  → Line: 8
  → Process ID differs on each shell invocation
  → Suggestion: Use mktemp or accept directory as parameter

[CONFIG-004] Non-deterministic construct: $(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)
  → Line: 11
  → Timestamp generates different values on each execution
  → Suggestion: Accept timestamp as parameter for determinism

Determinism: POOR
Non-deterministic constructs make behavior unpredictable and testing difficult.

Recommendation: Run `bashrs config purify random.bashrc` to remove non-determinism

Example 5: Performance Issues

Input (slow-startup.bashrc):

 Version managers
eval "$(rbenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(nodenv init -)"

 NVM
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"

 Completions
eval "$(gh completion -s bash)"
eval "$(kubectl completion bash)"

Analysis:

bashrs config analyze slow-startup.bashrc

Output:

Configuration Analysis: slow-startup.bashrc
===========================================

File Type: Bashrc (bash)
Lines: 11
Complexity: 4/10

Issues Found: 0

Performance Issues: 5

Line 2: eval "$(rbenv init -)" [~150ms]
  → Suggestion: Consider lazy-loading this version manager

Line 3: eval "$(pyenv init -)" [~200ms]
  → Suggestion: Consider lazy-loading this version manager

Line 4: eval "$(nodenv init -)" [~100ms]
  → Suggestion: Consider lazy-loading this version manager

Line 10: eval "$(gh completion -s bash)" [~80ms]
  → Suggestion: Consider lazy-loading completions

Line 11: eval "$(kubectl completion bash)" [~120ms]
  → Suggestion: Consider lazy-loading completions

Total Estimated Startup Cost: ~650ms

Recommendation: Implement lazy-loading pattern:
```bash
# Lazy-load rbenv
rbenv() {
    unset -f rbenv
    eval "$(command rbenv init -)"
    rbenv "$@"
}

See: https://bashrs.dev/docs/config/performance


## Output Formats

### Human-Readable (Default)

Best for interactive use and reading:

```bash
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc

Features:

  • Color-coded severity levels (errors in red, warnings in yellow)
  • Clear section headers
  • Actionable recommendations
  • Summary statistics

JSON

Best for programmatic analysis and CI/CD integration:

bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json

Features:

  • Structured data for parsing
  • All issue details included
  • Machine-readable format
  • Easy to filter/query with jq

Example with jq:

 Count issues by severity
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues | group_by(.severity) | map({severity: .[0].severity, count: length})'

 Extract only CONFIG-001 issues
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues[] | select(.rule_id == "CONFIG-001")'

 Get all duplicate PATH entries
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.path_entries[] | select(.is_duplicate == true)'

SARIF (Planned - v6.32.0+)

Best for security scanning and GitHub Code Scanning:

bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format sarif > results.sarif

Features:

  • Industry-standard format
  • GitHub Code Scanning integration
  • GitLab Security Dashboard support
  • Rich metadata and remediation guidance

Integration with CI/CD Pipelines

GitHub Actions

name: Config Analysis
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  analyze:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Install bashrs
        run: cargo install bashrs

      - name: Analyze shell configs
        run: |
          bashrs config analyze .bashrc --format json > results.json
          bashrs config analyze .zshrc --format json >> results.json

      - name: Check for errors
        run: |
          if jq -e '.issues[] | select(.severity == "Error")' results.json; then
            echo "❌ Config errors found"
            exit 1
          fi

GitLab CI

config_analysis:
  stage: test
  image: rust:latest
  script:
    - cargo install bashrs
    - bashrs config analyze .bashrc --format json > results.json
    - |
      if jq -e '.issues[] | select(.severity == "Error")' results.json; then
        echo "❌ Config errors found"
        exit 1
      fi
  artifacts:
    reports:
      dotenv: results.json

Pre-commit Hook

Create .git/hooks/pre-commit:

!/bin/bash
 Analyze shell configs before commit

configs=(".bashrc" ".bash_profile" ".zshrc")

for config in "${configs[@]}"; do
    if [ -f "$config" ]; then
        echo "Analyzing $config..."
        if ! bashrs config analyze "$config" --format json > /tmp/analysis.json; then
            echo "❌ Analysis failed for $config"
            exit 1
        fi

         Check for errors
        if jq -e '.issues[] | select(.severity == "Error")' /tmp/analysis.json > /dev/null; then
            echo "❌ Config errors found in $config"
            jq '.issues[] | select(.severity == "Error")' /tmp/analysis.json
            exit 1
        fi
    fi
done

echo "✅ All configs analyzed successfully"

Make it executable:

chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

Best Practices for Config Analysis

1. Analyze Regularly

Run analysis regularly, especially:

  • Before committing config changes
  • After installing new tools
  • During system migrations
  • When shell startup feels slow
 Add to your workflow
alias analyze-config='bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc && bashrs config analyze ~/.zshrc'

2. Use JSON Output for Automation

 Check if any errors exist
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq -e '.issues[] | select(.severity == "Error")'

 Count warnings
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '[.issues[] | select(.severity == "Warning")] | length'

 Extract performance impact
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '[.performance_issues[].estimated_cost_ms] | add'

3. Fix Issues Incrementally

Don't try to fix everything at once:

 Start with errors only
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues[] | select(.severity == "Error")'

 Then fix high-priority warnings
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues[] | select(.rule_id == "CONFIG-001" or .rule_id == "CONFIG-002")'

 Finally address info-level issues
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues[] | select(.severity == "Info")'

4. Track Improvements Over Time

 Baseline
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json > baseline.json

 After improvements
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json > improved.json

 Compare
echo "Before: $(jq '.issues | length' baseline.json) issues"
echo "After: $(jq '.issues | length' improved.json) issues"
echo "Fixed: $(( $(jq '.issues | length' baseline.json) - $(jq '.issues | length' improved.json) )) issues"

5. Combine with Linting

bashrs config analyze focuses on configuration-specific issues. Combine with bashrs lint for comprehensive analysis:

 Config-specific analysis
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc

 General shell linting
bashrs lint ~/.bashrc

 Combined analysis
bashrs audit ~/.bashrc  # Runs both + more

6. Understand Your Complexity Score

Complexity scores (0-10):

ScoreGradeDescription
0-2A+Minimal - Very simple config
3-4ALow - Simple, maintainable
5-6BModerate - Reasonable complexity
7-8CHigh - Consider simplifying
9-10D/FVery High - Refactor recommended
 Check complexity trend
for config in ~/.bashrc ~/.bash_profile ~/.zshrc; do
    score=$(bashrs config analyze "$config" --format json | jq '.complexity_score')
    echo "$config: $score/10"
done

Troubleshooting

Issue: False Positive for CONFIG-004 (Timestamps)

Problem: Timestamp usage flagged as non-deterministic, but it's legitimate for measuring command execution time.

Example:

 In .zshrc - measures command execution time
preexec() { timer=$(($(date +%s))) }
precmd() {
    elapsed=$(($(date +%s) - timer))
    echo "Took ${elapsed}s"
}

Solution: This is expected behavior. CONFIG-004 flags all non-deterministic constructs. For timing measurements in interactive shells, this is acceptable and can be ignored.

Future: CONFIG-004 will gain context awareness to distinguish legitimate timestamp usage (v6.33.0+).

Issue: Large Number of CONFIG-002 Warnings

Problem: Many unquoted variables flagged, making output overwhelming.

Solution: Use JSON output with jq to filter:

 Count CONFIG-002 issues
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '[.issues[] | select(.rule_id == "CONFIG-002")] | length'

 Group by line
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues[] | select(.rule_id == "CONFIG-002") | .line' | sort -n | uniq -c

Then fix with automatic purification:

bashrs config purify ~/.bashrc --fix

Issue: Performance Issues Reported for NVM

Problem: NVM initialization flagged as expensive, but it's necessary.

Example:

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"

Solution: Implement lazy-loading pattern:

 Lazy-load NVM
nvm() {
    unset -f nvm node npm
    export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
    [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
    nvm "$@"
}

 Placeholder for node/npm
node() {
    unset -f nvm node npm
    export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
    [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
    node "$@"
}

npm() {
    unset -f nvm node npm
    export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
    [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
    npm "$@"
}

This defers NVM initialization until first use, improving shell startup by ~200ms.

Issue: Complexity Score Seems High

Problem: Complexity score is 8/10 but config seems reasonable.

Cause: Complexity calculation considers:

  • Line count (>200 lines = higher score)
  • Function count and length
  • Conditional nesting depth
  • Comment density

Solution:

  1. Extract functions to separate files:
 ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bash_functions
source ~/.bash_aliases
  1. Remove unused code:
 Use git to track what you remove
git add ~/.bashrc
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues'
 Remove unused sections
git diff ~/.bashrc
  1. Simplify conditionals:
 Before (nested)
if [ "$OS" = "Darwin" ]; then
    if [ -d "/opt/homebrew" ]; then
        export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"
    fi
fi

 After (flat)
[ "$OS" = "Darwin" ] && [ -d "/opt/homebrew" ] && export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"

Issue: Can't Analyze Symlinked Config

Problem: bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc fails when .bashrc is a symlink.

Cause: Tool follows symlinks but may have permission issues.

Solution:

 Analyze the real file
bashrs config analyze "$(readlink -f ~/.bashrc)"

 Or fix permissions
chmod +r ~/.bashrc

Issue: JSON Output Truncated

Problem: JSON output appears incomplete.

Cause: Large configs generate large JSON. Shell may truncate output.

Solution:

 Write to file instead
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json > analysis.json

 Then analyze
jq '.' analysis.json

Advanced Usage

Analyze Multiple Configs

 Analyze all config files
for config in ~/.bashrc ~/.bash_profile ~/.zshrc ~/.profile; do
    [ -f "$config" ] && echo "=== $config ===" && bashrs config analyze "$config"
done

Compare Configs Before/After

 Before
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json > before.json

 Make changes...
vim ~/.bashrc

 After
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json > after.json

 Compare
diff <(jq -S '.' before.json) <(jq -S '.' after.json)

Extract Specific Metrics

 Total issues
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues | length'

 Issues by severity
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.issues | group_by(.severity) | map({severity: .[0].severity, count: length})'

 Average performance cost
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '[.performance_issues[].estimated_cost_ms] | add / length'

 Complexity trend
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json | jq '.complexity_score'

Integration with Other Tools

 Combine with shellcheck
bashrs config analyze ~/.bashrc --format json > bashrs.json
shellcheck -f json ~/.bashrc > shellcheck.json

 Merge results
jq -s '.[0] + .[1]' bashrs.json shellcheck.json > combined.json

 Analyze combined
jq '.issues | length' combined.json

See Also