[llvm-dev] [cfe-dev] Modernizing LLVM Coding Style Guide and enforcing Clang-tidy

[Renato Golin via llvm-dev]

On 9 January 2017 at 19:04, Mehdi Amini <mehdi.amini at apple.com> wrote:
> This is not correct according to the number of “should” and the imperative tone for many aspects of http://llvm.org/docs/CodingStandards.html#source-code-formatting

You mistake the tone of the documentation. There are things that
cannot be (exceptions, RTTI), things that are important to get right
(includes vs. forward declaration), things that are preferred
(c++11-isms) and things that are optional and very much depends on the
situation. The four items in the list I replied to fall into the
latter category.

The tone used for each type is appropriate to its enforcement. If you
add compiler errors or warnings, it's pretty easy to enforce.
Everything else will have varying degrees of success, and being
obnoxious about it has never been, and I hope never will be, our way.

We don't force people to run clang-format on patches, we ask when it's
ugly and people do because they believe it's a good thing. When the
formatting doesn't hurt my eyes, I don't ask for clang-format. I
certainly won't start asking people to run clang-tidy, though I'd be
happy if they did. That's personal and with the volume of commits we
have, that last thing we need is people blocking or reverting patches
because they didn't conform to personal preferences, even if they were
encoded in the coding standards.

I also strongly oppose to encoding personal preferences with a
stronger wording that it's warranted. Personal is personal. If it's
legal C++ and it's an appropriate use of the language for the case at
hand, than it's fine. I couldn't care less if you use "using" or
"typedef". I can understand both. "Prefer using" is an interesting
proposition, but refuse patches because they have "typedefs" is silly.

Honestly, my "coding standards" would be as simple as "do whatever
Scott Meyers says you should", but the LLVM one is nice, too. Unless
it's used as a weapon.

cheers,
--renato