> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mehen.ophi.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Blank lines

> Whitespace-only lines.

**Blank** lines are whitespace-only physical lines — no code, no comment.

## What mehen emits

| Key         | Type | Description            |
| ----------- | ---- | ---------------------- |
| `loc.blank` | int  | Whitespace-only lines. |

## How it is computed

A line counts toward `loc.blank` when its full physical text is empty or whitespace-only. Lines that
contain only a comment do not count as blank — they count toward [CLOC](/metrics/code/cloc).

## When it is useful

* **Whitespace ratio** — a high blank-line ratio sometimes indicates excessive vertical separation, often
  in generated code.
* **Identity check** — `sloc == ploc + cloc + blank` should hold (within the rules of how mixed lines are
  attributed). If it doesn't, that's a parser bug.

## References

* Park, R. E. (1992). *Software Size Measurement: A Framework for Counting Source Statements.*
  CMU/SEI-92-TR-20.
  [SEI report](https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/software-size-measurement-a-framework-for-counting-source-statements/).

## See also

* [LOC family](/metrics/code/loc) — overview.
* [SLOC](/metrics/code/sloc), [PLOC](/metrics/code/ploc), [CLOC](/metrics/code/cloc).