SSC will accept configuration files in INI file format. Here are some examples. For more examples, download the source and browse the tests.
[general] verbose=5 output=ssc.out class= [site] domain=example.edu extension=html index=index.html root=~/www/htdocs
The website for example.edu can be found in ~/www.htdocs. Standard index files are called index.html, and html files always have the html extension.
The configuration outputs errors, warnings and info messages to ssc.out. It analyses class identifiers, so will scan CSS files for class names.
[general] verbose=5 output=ssc.out [site] domain=example.edu extension=html index=index.html root=~/www/htdocs virtual=/net=tests/virtual [link] check= external= xlink=
Beyond the previous example, SSC will also check links, including external links and cross-linked ids.
The configuration file specifies a virtual directory. When a link refers to the local directory /net, SSC will seek the corresponding file(s) in tests/virtual (relative to the current directory, not the root).
[general] verbose=5 output=ssc.out class= [site] domain=example.edu extension=html index=index.html root=~/www/htdocs [microformat] verify=
The only new thing here is to turn on microformats analysis (class analysis is required).
[general] verbose=5 output=ssc.out class= [site] domain=example.edu extension=html index=index.html root=~/www/htdocs
Actually, SSC will report on any microdata it finds, no matter what. Note that, if you use itemref in your pages, ssc may give false warnings in the section referenced by the itemref. This is because ssc does not always know that the referenced data is not intended to be used in its own right, unless you put it under a TEMPLATE element.
You can export the microdata encountered in JSON file format by using the export setting (not shown).
[general] verbose=5 output=ssc.out class= [site] domain=example.edu extension=html extension=shtml index=index.html root=~/www/htdocs [ssi] verify= [stats] summary=
Turn on summary statistics, which produces a grand total at the end of a complete run (add “page=” below summary for individual page stats).
Note that server side includes have been turned on using general.ssi, and files with the SHTML extension will be treated as web pages.
This configuration file could be used to test MathML 2.
[general] verbose=5 output=m2.out class= [link] check= [site] domain=example.edu extension=html index=index.html root=~/www/htdocs [math] version=2 [validation] citype=function citype=list citype=logical citype=matrix citype=set citype=var-x citype=vector
What’s interesting here is the validation section. The MathML documentation lists a specific set of values that can be used with the TYPE attribute on the CI element. The examples in the specification give this attribute many additional, and apparently illegal, values. (This apparent inconsistency is not uncommon amongst web specifications.) The way to avoid SSC complaining about these extra values is to give CI TYPE additional values in the configuration file, as noted.
Indeed, many enumerated attribute values can be extended in this way. Use the --validation switch to get a complete list. This configuration file could be used to test MathML 2.
This is the configuration file I used to analyse my site.
[general] verbose=info output=~/www/live.out ignore=pre rpt= progress= class= classic= no-rel= [css] verify= extension=css version=2023++ [html] version=2023/10/01 title=80 rfc1942= rfc2070= ie= safari= [link] no-external= xlink= pretend=cgi-bin local= [nits] silence=use_double_quote_code silence=use_quote_code silence=missing_itemtype [shadow] copy=dedu root=~/www/live file=~/www/live.ndx ignore=inc info= msg=arts & ego (c) 1978-2025 dylan harris [site] domain=dylanharris.org extension=shtml extension=html extension=htm extension=asp index=index.shtml root=|/Sites [spell] no-check= [ssi] verify= [stats] summary= [validation] lang=ma fontname=Marain fontname=droid-sans-mono fontname=ArialMT fontname=Arial-BoldMT fontname=Times-Italic fontname=Times-Roman fontname=TimesNewRomanPSMT fontname=TrebuchetMS fontname=TrebuchetMS-Italic
My site has been built by hand over the decades, and is full of errors. I wrote ssc because I was frustrated that I could find no tool to properly check it. Unfortunately, SSC is too successful: it finds a gadzillion errors in arts & ego. I am slowly making the repairs.
Perhaps you grabbed a copy of the OpenBSD website from github:
[general] verbose=info output=~/www.out git= progress= sloven= [css] version=2023++ device=3 [html] version=2023/10/01 title=80 force= [link] check= no-xlink= [nits] comment=ftp_protocol [site] domain=openbsd.org root=~/github/www index=index.html [stats] summary=