---
id: flake8-broken-line
version: "1.0.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# flake8-broken-line — Flake8 plugin to forbid backslashes for line breaks

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 709.8K/mo

## 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 above — verify before relying.

A flake8 plugin that detects and forbids backslash line continuations in Python code, enforcing cleaner alternatives like parentheses or implicit string concatenation.

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

pip install flake8-broken-line
uv add flake8-broken-line
poetry add flake8-broken-line

## Installing flake8-broken-line

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.

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.py

Requires flake8 to be installed and available in the same environment; the plugin integrates as a flake8 extension and does not run standalone.

Verify 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_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 709.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

flake8 backslash line break detection, python line continuation linter, forbid backslash continuation, flake8 code style plugin, python line breaking rules, linter-plugin, code-style

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/flake8-broken-line) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/flake8-broken-line/)