Cpretty

Cpretty is a command-line tool designed to format C and C++ source code according to specified style guidelines. It functions as a code formatter, taking unformatted or inconsistently formatted code as input and producing output that adheres to a predefined set of indentation, spacing, and brace style rules.

The primary purpose of Cpretty is to improve code readability and maintainability. By enforcing a consistent coding style across a project, it reduces the cognitive load on developers when reading code written by others or by themselves at a later time. This consistency is particularly valuable in collaborative environments where multiple developers work on the same codebase.

Users typically configure Cpretty through a configuration file or command-line arguments. These configurations allow for customization of various formatting aspects, such as the number of spaces for indentation, whether to use tabs or spaces, brace placement (e.g., K&R style vs. Allman style), line wrapping, and the spacing around operators and keywords. The tool aims to automate the tedious task of manual code formatting, freeing up developers to focus on more complex programming tasks. While Cpretty is a specific tool, it belongs to a broader category of code formatters that exist for many programming languages.