diff --git a/ldoc.lua b/ldoc.lua
index e39254e..1cd9f54 100644
--- a/ldoc.lua
+++ b/ldoc.lua
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ local tablex = require 'pl.tablex'
 
 -- Penlight compatibility
 utils.unpack = utils.unpack or unpack or table.unpack
-local append = table.insert
 local lapp = require 'pl.lapp'
 
 local version = '1.4.6'
@@ -176,7 +175,6 @@ local function setup_kinds ()
 end
 
 
-local add_language_extension
 -- hacky way for doc module to be passed options...
 doc.ldoc = ldoc
 
@@ -277,7 +275,7 @@ local function read_ldoc_config (fname)
    if directory == '' then
       directory = '.'
    end
-   local chunk, err, ok
+   local chunk, err, _
    if args.filter == 'none' then
       print('reading configuration from '..fname)
    end
@@ -286,7 +284,7 @@ local function read_ldoc_config (fname)
       chunk, err = loadstr(ldoc,txt)
       if chunk then
          if args.define ~= 'none' then ldoc[args.define] = true end
-         ok,err = pcall(chunk)
+         _,err = pcall(chunk)
       end
     end
    if err then quit('error loading config file '..fname..': '..err) end
@@ -301,7 +299,6 @@ end
 local quote = tools.quote
 --- processing command line and preparing for output ---
 
-local F
 local file_list = List()
 File.list = file_list
 local config_dir
@@ -316,7 +313,7 @@ if args.module then
    if args.file:match '^%a+$' and global.functions[args.file] then
       args.file = 'global.'..args.file
    end
-   local fullpath,mod,on_docpath = tools.lookup_existing_module_or_function (args.file, doc_path)
+   local fullpath,mod,_ = tools.lookup_existing_module_or_function (args.file, doc_path)
    if not fullpath then
       quit(mod)
    else
@@ -337,7 +334,6 @@ if args.file == '.' then
       print('changing to directory',config_path)
       lfs.chdir(config_path)
    end
-   config_is_read = true
    args.file = ldoc.file or '.'
    if args.file == '.' then
       args.file = lfs.currentdir()
diff --git a/ldoc/doc.lua b/ldoc/doc.lua
index d5d4584..b272cd5 100644
--- a/ldoc/doc.lua
+++ b/ldoc/doc.lua
@@ -192,12 +192,6 @@ function File:export_item (name)
    self:warning('no docs '..tools.quote(name))
 end
 
-
-local function has_prefix (name,prefix)
-   local i1,i2 = name:find(prefix)
-   return i1 == 1 and i2 == #prefix
-end
-
 local function mod_section_type (this_mod)
    return this_mod and this_mod.section and this_mod.section.type
 end
@@ -543,17 +537,13 @@ function Item.check_tag(tags,tag, value, modifiers)
          if avalue then value = avalue..' '..value end
          if amod then
             modifiers = modifiers or {}
-            local value_tokens = utils.split(value)
             for m,v in pairs(amod) do
                local idx = tonumber(v:match('^%$(%d+)'))
                if idx then
                   v, value = value:match('(%S+)(.*)')
-               --   v = value_tokens[idx]
-               --   value_tokens[idx] = ''
                end
                modifiers[m] = v
             end
-            -- value = table.concat(value_tokens, ' ')
          end
       else -- has to be a function that at least returns tag, value
          return alias(tags,value,modifiers)
@@ -927,8 +917,6 @@ function Item:return_type(r)
    return r.type, r.ctypes
 end
 
-local struct_return_type = '*'
-
 function Item:build_return_groups()
    local quote = tools.quote
    local modifiers = self.modifiers
diff --git a/ldoc/lang.lua b/ldoc/lang.lua
index f42c1de..afec061 100644
--- a/ldoc/lang.lua
+++ b/ldoc/lang.lua
@@ -362,10 +362,7 @@ function Moon:item_follows (t,v,tok)
             end
             t,v = tnext(tok)
             tags:add('class','function')
-            if t == '>' then
---~                tags.formal_args:insert(1,'self')
---~                tags.formal_args.comments = {self=''}
-            else
+            if t ~= '>' then
                tags.static = true
             end
          end
diff --git a/ldoc/markdown.lua b/ldoc/markdown.lua
index 456b64e..cce10d1 100644
--- a/ldoc/markdown.lua
+++ b/ldoc/markdown.lua
@@ -149,9 +149,6 @@ local function map(t, f)
 	return out
 end
 
--- The identity function, useful as a placeholder.
-local function identity(text) return text end
-
 -- Functional style if statement. (NOTE: no short circuit evaluation)
 local function iff(t, a, b) if t then return a else return b end end
 
@@ -766,14 +763,6 @@ function block_transform(text, sublist)
 	return text
 end
 
--- Debug function for printing a line array to see the result
--- of partial transforms.
-local function print_lines(lines)
-	for i, line in ipairs(lines) do
-		print(i, line.type, line.text or line.line)
-	end
-end
-
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- Span transform
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ldoc/parse.lua b/ldoc/parse.lua
index dc83a43..5c84be4 100644
--- a/ldoc/parse.lua
+++ b/ldoc/parse.lua
@@ -161,12 +161,6 @@ local function extract_tags (s,args)
    return tags --Map(tags)
 end
 
-local _xpcall = xpcall
-if true then
-   _xpcall = function(f) return true, f() end
-end
-
-
 
 -- parses a Lua or C file, looking for ldoc comments. These are like LuaDoc comments;
 -- they start with multiple '-'. (Block commments are allowed)
@@ -192,8 +186,6 @@ local function parse_file(fname, lang, package, args)
       return tok:lineno()
    end
 
-   local function filename () return fname end
-
    function F:warning (msg,kind,line)
       kind = kind or 'warning'
       line = line or lineno()