Question

I’m new to coding C++ programs in Visual Studio. When I am coding C# programs in VS, code formatter changes code that looked like this

for(int i= 0; i<(n+  m) ;  i++){
}

into

for(int i = 0; i < (n + m); i++)
{
}

which is way easier to read. When I write the same thing in C++, nothing happens. I tried to select the text and press Ctrl+E, F, but that didn’t work. Is there a way to improve the C++ code formatter in visual studio?

Answer 1

Visual Studio can’t format C++-Code. Maybe there is a VS extension. I searched a long time, but never found a suitable one for free.

A very good, free, but not easy to use code formatter is GreatCode. Its a command line tool.

You can configure it as “External Tool”:

After unpacking GreatCode on your HD just go Tools->External Tools->Add and insert the following settings…

Whenever you call that Tool, the actual opened file is being formatted.

You can configure GreatCode as you like in the gc.cfg. I tried many options, some are easy, some are complex.

If you want a Microsoft-like looking, just use my settings as a template and fine tune yourself:

-code_constructor_style-1
-code_split_fctdef_style-5
-code_split_decl_style-2
-overwrite_read_only-
-verbose-
-tab_out-
-space_if-
-space_return-
-space_fctcall_inparam-
-no-space_fctcall_firstparam-
-no-space_cast_after-
-space_affect_style-0
-space_autoaffect_style-0
-code_len-180
-code_keep_more_empty_lines-
-code_decl_access_to_type-
-code_decl_break_template-
-code_remove_return_paren-
-code_align_max_blanks-80
-code_class_access_eol_after-1
-code_class_access_eol_before-1
-code_split_fctcall_style-1
-code_constructor_style-1
-no-code_split_bool_before-
-no-stmt_concat_else_if-
-no-stmt_decl_remove_empty-
-no-stmt_concat_if_remove_empty-
-no-stmt_concat_else_if-
-stmt_force_brace-1
-stmt_break_dowhile-
-stmt_switch_style-1
-stmt_switch_eol-0
-stmt_class_indent-0
-stmt_static_init_style-2
-stmt_concat_inline_class-
-pp_align_to_code-
-pp_style-1
-pp_align_breakline-
-no-cmt_first_space_cpp-
-cmt_dont_modify-
-no-cmt_add_class_access-
-no-cmt_add_gc_tag-
-no-cmt_add_fct_def_class-
-no-cmt_decl_before-
-no-cmt_decl-
-no-cmt_first_line_break_first-
-no-cmt_first_line_break_last-
-no-code_split_bool_before-
-catch_eol_before-1
-no-stmt_decl_remove_empty-
-no-cmt_add_fct_def_class-
-no-cmt_add_class_access-
-no-stmt_break_alone-
-stmt_concat_inline_class-
-cmt_keep_cpp-

Good luck!