Retina supports multiple output formats to fit different use cases, from human-readable reports to machine-parseable formats for CI/CD integration.
Retina provides four main report formats:
Human-readable format with rich formatting, code snippets, and suggestions. Best for manual review and documentation.Extension: .mdUse when:
- Reviewing issues manually
- Sharing reports in documentation
- Creating GitHub issues or pull request comments
Machine-readable structured format. Perfect for CI/CD integration and programmatic analysis.Extension: .jsonUse when:
- Integrating with CI/CD pipelines
- Processing results programmatically
- Feeding data to other tools
Plain text format for console output and simple file logging.Extension: .txtUse when:
- Logging to files
- Viewing in basic text editors
- Console-only environments
Interactive web-based report with dark theme, filtering, and visual statistics.Extension: .htmlUse when:
- Creating shareable web reports
- Presenting results to teams
- Archive analysis results
Command line
Specify the format using the -f or --format option:
Configuration file
Set the default format in retina.yml:
reportFormat: md # Options: md, json, txt, html
Command line options always override the configuration file setting.
Plugin information
Displays plugin name, version, scan path, date, and duration.
Summary statistics
Shows files scanned, files with issues, and total issue count with category breakdown.
Detailed issues
Lists all issues grouped by file with:
- Severity icon and level
- Category and line number
- Descriptive message
- Code snippets (if available)
- Suggestions for fixes
# Retina Scan Report
## Plugin Information
| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| **Name** | MyPlugin |
| **Version** | 1.0.0 |
| **Path** | `/path/to/plugin` |
## Summary
- **Files Scanned:** 15
- **Files with Issues:** 3
- **Total Issues:** 7
### Issues by Category
| Category | Count |
|----------|-------|
| undefined_variable | 3 |
| deprecated_api | 2 |
| thread_safety | 2 |
## Issues by File
### `src/Main.php`
- ⚠️ **Deprecated API** (Line 45): Using deprecated method Server::getOnlinePlayers()
- 💡 *Suggestion:* Use Server::getOnlinePlayersArray() instead
```php
$players = $this->getServer()->getOnlinePlayers();
### JSON format
The JSON format provides structured data ideal for automation:
**Structure:**
```json
{
"pluginInfo": {
"name": "MyPlugin",
"version": "1.0.0",
"path": "/path/to/plugin"
},
"scanInfo": {
"date": "2026-03-04 10:30:45",
"duration": 2.34,
"filesScanned": 15,
"filesWithIssues": 3
},
"summary": {
"totalIssues": 7,
"byCategory": {
"undefined_variable": 3,
"deprecated_api": 2,
"thread_safety": 2
},
"bySeverity": {
"error": 3,
"warning": 4
}
},
"issues": [
{
"file": "src/Main.php",
"line": 45,
"category": "deprecated_api",
"severity": "warning",
"message": "Using deprecated method Server::getOnlinePlayers()",
"suggestion": "Use Server::getOnlinePlayersArray() instead",
"snippet": "$players = $this->getServer()->getOnlinePlayers();"
}
]
}
JSON reports use pretty printing by default. The output is formatted with indentation for readability.
Text format
The text format provides plain, console-friendly output:
Example output:
======================================================================
RETINA SCAN REPORT
======================================================================
PLUGIN INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: MyPlugin
Version: 1.0.0
Path: /path/to/plugin
Scan Date: 2026-03-04 10:30:45
Scan Duration: 2.34 seconds
SUMMARY
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Files Scanned: 15
Files with Issues: 3
Total Issues: 7
ISSUES BY CATEGORY
----------------------------------------------------------------------
undefined_variable: 3
deprecated_api: 2
thread_safety: 2
DETAILED ISSUES
======================================================================
FILE: src/Main.php
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] WARNING - Deprecated API
Line 45: Using deprecated method Server::getOnlinePlayers()
Suggestion: Use Server::getOnlinePlayersArray() instead
Code:
$players = $this->getServer()->getOnlinePlayers();
- Dark theme optimized for readability
- Statistics cards with visual hierarchy
- Category badges with issue counts
- Color-coded severity levels
- Syntax-highlighted code snippets
- Collapsible issue groups
- Responsive design
Visual elements:
- Error - Red highlighting
- Warning - Yellow highlighting
- Info - Blue highlighting
- Hint - Purple highlighting
HTML reports are completely self-contained with embedded CSS. No external dependencies required.
Simple reports
All formats support a simplified mode that shows only essential information:
Enable simple mode
Use the -s or --simple flag:Or configure in retina.yml: What's excluded
Simple reports omit:
- Code snippets
- Fix suggestions
- Detailed formatting
- Extended metadata
What's included
Simple reports show:
- File path
- Line number
- Category
- Severity
- Message
# Retina Scan Report (Simple)
## Summary
- **Files Scanned:** 15
- **Total Issues:** 7
### Issues by Category
- **undefined_variable:** 3
- **deprecated_api:** 2
## Issues
### src/Main.php (2)
- [WARNING] Deprecated API (Line 45): Using deprecated method
- [ERROR] Undefined Variable (Line 67): Variable $data is undefined
Simple reports are ideal for CI/CD environments where performance and file size matter, but they provide less context for debugging issues.
Output options
Custom output path
Specify where to save the report:
retina run -f html -o reports/analysis.html
- Markdown:
retina-report.md
- JSON:
retina-report.json
- Text:
retina-report.txt
- HTML:
retina-report.html
Console-only output
Print results to console without creating a file:
This is useful for quick checks or when you want to pipe output to other tools:
retina run -f txt -c | grep "ERROR"
Development
CI/CD
Documentation
Quick checks
Recommended: Markdown or HTMLDuring active development, use formats that provide rich context:The code snippets and suggestions help you quickly understand and fix issues. Recommended: JSON (simple mode)For automated pipelines, use machine-readable formats:retina run -f json -s -o results.json
Recommended: HTML or MarkdownFor sharing with teams or archiving:retina run -f html -o reports/$(date +%Y%m%d)-analysis.html
Recommended: Text (console-only)For rapid feedback during development:Fast, lightweight, and doesn’t clutter your workspace with files. See also
