Re: [boost] clang-format file

Subject: Re: [boost] clang-format file
From: Niall Douglas (s_sourceforge_at_[hidden])
Date: 2018-01-23 09:23:57

> *Please* do not mess up the source code. Some of us believe that there
> is an art involved to writing beautiful code. The white space formatting
> of heavy template code, macros, and EDSL's makes the code understandable
> to humans
> 
> Clang-format and other such tools destroy readability and understanding
> in many code bases. Don't believe me? Take a look at well written Proto,
> Spirit, MSM, or MPL/Fusion heavy sources written by someone who believes
> that code should be beautiful. Now run it through your favorite
> format-tool and observe the horrible mess that emerges.

Best of course is that you write your source with clang-format always
running, that way you can poke it as you go to not mess up formatting
where appropriate.

But I have "ported" legacy codebases to clang-format in the past. It
takes a few days, but thereafter it can be cronjobbed and never again do
things like tabs or failure to follow the style guide ever occur again.
In this situation, stick is much better than carrot. Give developers
zero choice on formatting, then the problem becomes not a problem.

Niall

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ned Productions Limited Consulting
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