Using Clang-Format

What is Clang-Format and how does JetBrains Rider support it?

Clang-Format is a widely-used C++ code formatter. It provides an option to define code style options in YAML-formatted files — named .clang-format or _clang-format — and these files often become a part of your project where you keep all code style rules.

To see the full list of Clang-Format style options and examples of configuration files, check out the Clang-Format documentation.

tip

To create an .clang-format file in Windows Explorer, create a file named .clang-format., which will be automatically renamed to .clang-format.

There are two ways to make use of Clang-format in JetBrains Rider:

• If your project happens to have its code styles configured in Clang-Format files, JetBrains Rider's code formatting engine can use most of these styles for formatting C++ files in addition to its original styles. Note that settings from .clang-format files will override settings from *.DotSettings if there are any conflicts.

• If you prefer the default LLVM-style formatting and want to use clang-format as code formatter, you can choose Clang-format under C++ Formatting Engine on the Editor | Code Style | C++ | General page of JetBrains Rider settings Ctrl+Alt+S, and optionally specify a custom Clang-format executable. In this case, the .clang-format configuration files will be read automatically.

Clang-Format in your solution

By default, JetBrains Rider takes into account Clang-Format properties even if you opt for ReSharper C++ formatter engine, and they will override preferences defined in JetBrains Rider settings as well as EditorConfig styles. If you want JetBrains Rider to ignore Clang-Format styles for code formatting and code syntax , clear the corresponding checkbox on the Editor | Code Style | C++ | General page of JetBrains Rider settings .

When Clang-Format support is enabled and there are .clang-format or _clang-format files that affect the current file, JetBrains Rider will help you understand which Clang-Format styles are applied and where these settings come from:

• On JetBrains Rider formatting options pages for C++ , you will see a yellow warning if at least one preference on the page is overridden by Clang-Format styles for the current file, each overridden preference will also be highlighted with yellow. For example:

  

• In the Code Style Configuration dialog, you can see and study all .clang-format and _clang-format files that affect the current file:

  

Export code style settings to Clang-Format

If you are going to share code style settings via Clang-Format, you may want to export the styles already configured in JetBrains Rider to the .clang-format file.

You can also save formatting styles to Clang-Format after contextual configuration of formatting rules.

Supported Clang-Format Options