Request: Add the .clang-format file to the repository

[Naios]

@hkaiser It would be really useful, if the HPX project could include the .clang-format file you sent me recently into the main tree, in order to provide official support for clang-format.

It's difficult to work with branches meant for pull requests while keeping an untracked .clang-format file, because the config pollutes the working directory which prevents some commonly used git commands like rebasing.

Also, an officially supported config could increase the usage of the formatter to get a better and consistently formatted codebase.

[hkaiser]

I'd like to hear everybody's opinion on this.

[sithhell]

On Montag, 19. Juni 2017 11:18:14 CEST Hartmut Kaiser wrote: I'd like to hear everybody's opinion on this.

I am in favor of gradually moving to a unified format. I have no particular preferences. Since automation is pretty decent these days, I think one can easily adapt.

[hkaiser]

Here are the problems I see (all of which have already been discussed):

• if we add a .clang-format to the repository any edit may (will?) result in a full reformatting of the file
• partial reformats (only the lines touched by an edit) will result in inconsistent formatting
• full reformatting of the whole code base destroys all of the edit history

the bottom line is that there does not seem to be a solution which has no bad side effects. The only viable application of a .clang-format file would be to use it for new files or for massive edits of older files, which implies for it to be manually used only. Not sure how to enforce this, however.

[Naios]

You could still not enforce the formatting from the CI side, but recommend to developers to use it.
This would have the benefit that no full reformatting of the source is needed.
As I know LLVM is doing it in this way while providing its own .clang-format file.

[hkaiser]

@Naios: do the LLVM guys have that written up somewhere as a policy?

[Naios]

@hkaiser Currently I don't know anything about such a policy in the LLVM project (also my search didn't reveal anything related).
However as I remind there were some sections of the project not formatted, probably not to destroy the git log for better bisect support (see LLVM's bugpoint tool).
Probably we would need to ask in the LLVM IRC in order to receive an answer about this.

[biddisco]

I do not see how having a .clang-format file in your tree affects rebasing. I have one in mine and I rebase all the time. (rebasing is only affected when files tracked by git are in a modified state)

I am in favour of adding the clang-format file to the repo. It should be provided so that as we work on classes we can reformat them as we go. There is no need to reformat the entire code base in one go - our inspect tool already enforces style well enough that existing code is fine. It's nice to be able to format new or edited code using the tool and know that it will pass inspect checks.

The clang-format file I'm using can't be used to reformat the whole file as it indents the namespaces too much - but it's fine for sections of code. (I got it from Thomas originally so it's probably the same one as used by others).

[biddisco]

Addressing these points ...

• if we add a .clang-format to the repository any edit may (will?) result in a full reformatting of the file
  Why? Only when the user says "reformat this file" does that happen. In my QtCreator, there is an option to automatically run the format tool on save/etc. I have that turned off.
• partial reformats (only the lines touched by an edit) will result in inconsistent formatting
  I think the clang-format generated style is close enough to what's used that
  a) we do not need to worry
  b) we are grown up enough to cope with some minor differnces
• full reformatting of the whole code base destroys all of the edit history
  Let's not do that then.

[sithhell]

I agree on all points. Addressing these points ... - if we add a .clang-format to the repository any edit may (will?) result in a full reformatting of the file Why? Only when the user says "reformat this file" does that happen. In my QtCreator, there is an option to automatically run the format too on save/etc. I have that turned off. There are in addition pre-commit hooks that format based on the changes made. - partial reformats (only the lines touched by an edit) will result in inconsistent formatting I think the clang-format generated style is close enough to what's used that a) we do not need to worry b) we are grown up enough to cope with some minor differnces Exactly. And it's not like all of our files are 100% consistent right now anyway. - full reformatting of the whole code base destroys all of the edit history Let's not do that then. — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#2703 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AADRl9zbsJXkEKqpGpuYfxlE__tA2qVKks5sF50JgaJpZM4N-j6F> .