flake8-broken-line
Flake8 plugin to forbid backslashes for line breaks
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you want to enforce a no-backslash-continuation rule in your codebase. The plugin is stable, has low install friction, carries no license restrictions, and integrates seamlessly into flake8. The dormant maintenance status is not a blocker for a mature, single-purpose linter rule, but verify compatibility with your flake8 version before adopting it in new projects.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires flake8 to be installed and available in the same environment; the plugin integrates as a flake8 extension and does not run standalone.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with only flake8 as a runtime dependency.
- Maintenance is dormant (last release 2023-05-31, last commit 2025-01-03), but the package is marked Production/Stable and has accumulated 111 repository stars, suggesting it is mature and unlikely to require active updates.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in commercial or private projects.
last release 2023-05-31 (1171 days) · last repo commit 2025-01-03 · 111 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 709,818 downloads/mo, #5,261 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install flake8-broken-line
# Then run flake8 on your code; the plugin activates automatically.
# It will report N400 errors for backslash line breaks:
flake8 your_file.py- Whether the plugin is actively maintained beyond the 2025-01-03 commit or if dormant status indicates it will not receive updates for new flake8 versions.
- Compatibility with flake8 versions released after the package's latest release (2023-05-31).
What it is and what it does
flake8-broken-line is a linter plugin for flake8 that enforces a specific code-style rule: it detects and flags the use of backslash characters for line continuation and reports them as N400 errors. The plugin encourages developers to use parentheses, implicit string concatenation, or triple-quoted strings instead, which are considered more readable and maintainable.
The package integrates directly into flake8's plugin system and requires only flake8 as a dependency. It supports Python 3.8 through 3.11 and has been in production use since 2018. The plugin is part of the wemake-python-styleguide ecosystem and is designed for teams that want to enforce consistent line-breaking practices across their codebase.
Use it for
- Enforce consistent code style in a team project by automatically flagging backslash continuations during CI/CD linting runs.
- Migrate legacy Python code away from backslash line breaks to more modern, parenthesis-based formatting.
- Integrate into wemake-python-styleguide or a custom flake8 configuration to enforce a no-backslash-continuation policy.
- Catch accidental backslash line breaks in code reviews before they are merged.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you want to enforce a no-backslash-continuation rule in your codebase.
The plugin is stable, has low install friction, carries no license restrictions, and integrates seamlessly into flake8. The dormant maintenance status is not a blocker for a mature, single-purpose linter rule, but verify compatibility with your flake8 version before adopting it in new projects.
Install
flake8-broken-line on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with only flake8 as a runtime dependency. Maintenance is dormant (last release 2023-05-31, last commit 2025-01-03), but the package is marked Production/Stable and has accumulated 111 repository stars, suggesting it is mature and unlikely to require active updates.
Requires flake8 to be installed and available in the same environment; the plugin integrates as a flake8 extension and does not run standalone.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in commercial or private projects.
Quickstart
pip install flake8-broken-line
# Then run flake8 on your code; the plugin activates automatically.
# It will report N400 errors for backslash line breaks:
flake8 your_file.pyVerify before relying
- Whether the plugin is actively maintained beyond the 2025-01-03 commit or if dormant status indicates it will not receive updates for new flake8 versions.
- Compatibility with flake8 versions released after the package's latest release (2023-05-31).
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8,<4.0 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packageflake8 |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,171 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 709,818 / month, #5,261 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleFramework :: Flake8Intended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Software Development :: Quality Assurance |
Evidence: flake8_broken_line-1.0.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also wemake-python-styleguide · flake8-implicit-str-concat · flake8-executable · flake8-no-implicit-concat · flake8-eradicate · flake8-string-format · mbake · flake8 · flake8-literal · flake8-print