Consistent C/c++ Style with Clang-format

clang-format enforces a single, consistent C/C++ style automatically, instead of relying on everyone to format code by hand the same way. This covers installing it, setting up a global style config, and wiring it into VS Code (or Windsurf) so it runs on every save.

Installation

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt install clang-format

# Fedora / RHEL
sudo dnf install clang-tools-extra

Verify:

clang-format --version

Global Configuration

A .clang-format file in the home directory applies to every project that doesn't have its own:

nvim ~/.clang-format

BasedOnStyle: Microsoft
IndentWidth: 2
TabWidth: 2
UseTab: Never

BraceWrapping:
  AfterFunction: true
  AfterClass: true
  AfterStruct: true
  AfterControlStatement: true
  AfterNamespace: true
  AfterEnum: true
  SplitEmptyFunction: true
  SplitEmptyRecord: true
  SplitEmptyNamespace: true

This configuration enforces:

• Microsoft style as a base
• 2-space indentation, spaces only (no tabs)
• Allman-style braces (opening brace on its own line)
• No collapsed single-line functions, even short ones

Editor Integration (vs Code / Windsurf)

Install the Clang-Format extension by xaver (extension ID xaver.clang-format), then add to settings.json (Ctrl+Shift+P → Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)):

{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,

  "[c]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "xaver.clang-format"
  },
  "[cpp]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "xaver.clang-format"
  },

  "clang-format.executable": "clang-format",
  "clang-format.style": "file",
  "clang-format.fallbackStyle": "Microsoft"
}

With this in place, clang-format runs on both C and C++ files automatically on save, reading its style from the nearest .clang-format file.

Notes & best practices:

• A .clang-format file in a project root overrides the global ~/.clang-format.
• No symlinks or system-wide config copies are needed — clang-format.style: "file" handles discovery.
• Avoid the deprecated _clang-format filename; use .clang-format.
• The same setup works unchanged across Ubuntu, Fedora, and RHEL.