Linguist
From time to time we get requests asking us to add support for new highlighting lexers, recognize additional extensions as certain languages, or ignore a directory from a repo’s stats…

From time to time we get requests asking us to add support for new highlighting lexers, recognize additional extensions as certain languages, or ignore a directory from a repo’s stats graph.
The code for these concerns was scattered around the app. I decided to unify and package them all up into a single library. Now it’s open source.
So if you notice an unrecognized extension or you’re really into some obscure language that isn’t supported yet, now is your chance to help contribute back.
https://github.com/github/linguist
Written by
Related posts
10 technical talks I’m excited about at GitHub Universe 2026
From verifying AI-written code to securing npm dependencies, these are the sessions I’m building my Universe agenda around.
Developer policy update: Transparency, state policy, and what’s ahead
Explore GitHub’s latest transparency data and learn more about policy updates affecting developers and open source.
Developers want more efficient software. Here’s what over 1,000 GitHub users told us they need.
New research from GitHub and Yale Program on Climate Change Communication finds strong demand for tools, measurement, and practical guidance that can help developers reduce wasted compute.