On Fri, Aug 29, 2025 at 12:30:25PM -0600, Javier Tia wrote: > Introduce .clang-format configuration file to U-Boot, providing > significant improvements over the existing scripts/Lindent approach for > C code formatting. > > Benefits of clang-format over scripts/Lindent:
Oh goodness, I forgot scripts/Lindent was even a thing still. We've
never updated it, and it's not even been touched in the kernel since
2017 either. We should drop the tool and also update our documentation.
> - More comprehensive formatting rules: While Lindent relies on the basic
> 'indent' tool with limited options, clang-format provides extensive
> control over code formatting with 800+ configuration options
>
> - Better handling of complex code structures: clang-format understands
> modern C constructs and handles nested structures, macros, and complex
> expressions more intelligently
>
> - IDE and editor integration: Native support in major development
> environments (VS Code, Vim, Emacs, etc.) enables real-time formatting
>
> - Consistent results across environments: Eliminates variations between
> different versions of 'indent' tool and system configurations
>
> - Active maintenance: clang-format is actively developed and updated,
> unlike the aging 'indent' tool
>
> Alignment with Linux kernel practices:
>
> Continues U-Boot alignment with Linux kernel development practices,
> maintaining consistency between these closely related projects. The
> Linux kernel adopted clang-format to modernize its code formatting
> infrastructure and improve developer experience.
>
> The .clang-format file is based on the Linux kernel configuration,
> specifically copied from Linux kernel commit 07d9df80082b8, which
> itself builds upon the initial introduction in commit d4ef8d3ff005c
> ("clang-format: add configuration file").
As there's no change in .clang-format from v6.16 to the commit you
mention here, I'd rather say we sync this from v6.16 and so that will
make future re-syncs easier.
Then comes needing to document this. We need to update
doc/develop/codingstyle.rst to not talk about Lindent and then explain
how to use clang-format with some examples.
--
Tom
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