Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
laurent.le-brun.eu
Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
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Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#2Autoformatting is so nice. Crazy to think that formatters only became popular after `gofmt`.
I also found this related quote from Russ Cox intriguing: "Most people think that we format Go code with gofmt to make code look nicer or to end debates among team members about program layout. But the most important reason for gofmt is that if an algorithm defines how Go source code is formatted, then programs, like goimports or gorename or go fix, can edit the source code more easily, without introducing spurious formatting changes when writing the code back. This helps you maintain code over time."
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#3Autoformatting is so nice. Crazy to think that formatters only became popular after `gofmt`. I also found this related quote from Russ Cox intriguing: "Most people think that we format Go code with gofmt to make code look nicer or to end debates among team members about program layout. But the most important reason for gofmt is that if an algorithm defines how Go source code is formatted, then programs, like goimport…
That doesn't really seem like a good reason. They remove all formatting control with an automated tool so it doesn't matter when (if, big if) an automated tool later rewrites some of your source code formatted in a way you don't control?
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#4Autoformatting is so nice. Crazy to think that formatters only became popular after `gofmt`. I also found this related quote from Russ Cox intriguing: "Most people think that we format Go code with gofmt to make code look nicer or to end debates among team members about program layout. But the most important reason for gofmt is that if an algorithm defines how Go source code is formatted, then programs, like goimport…
It reduces cognitive load on integrations, both software and wetware. So many brain hertz are wasted on internally bikeshedding format details. Autoformat fixes a hole where the rain gets in and stops my mind from coding.
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#5[deleted]
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#6Autoformatting is so nice. Crazy to think that formatters only became popular after `gofmt`. I also found this related quote from Russ Cox intriguing: "Most people think that we format Go code with gofmt to make code look nicer or to end debates among team members about program layout. But the most important reason for gofmt is that if an algorithm defines how Go source code is formatted, then programs, like goimport…
That doesn't really seem like a good reason. They remove all formatting control with an automated tool so it doesn't matter when (if, big if) an automated tool later rewrites some of your source code formatted in a way you don't control?
Mu. Russ Cox quote indicates that the maintainers of goimports and gorename do not need to handle formatting at all (and hence, benefit). The go team put that wholly in the gofmt team's court. Otherwise, the go team would likely have to handle tickets about how the formatting of goimports and gorename differ over time for edge cases (if only by paying the social capital of ignoring the tickets).
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#7I'm going to take a contrarian view here. Code formatting is amazing in a corporate environment where nobody truly cares about their code -- it's just a means to get a paycheck. It's also great for beginners to a language who are still trying to get a handle of the syntax.
But where you are nearly the sole owner of a small library and you are crafting that library to be beautiful and understandable... there is something pleasurable about structuring concepts so you have each on a single line, or creating similar functions so the concepts are structured by column.
I know not everyone will hold this view and that is fine, but when you are writing your own hobby library in your favorite language for your own purposes I recommend you try it out.
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
That doesn't really seem like a good reason. They remove all formatting control with an automated tool so it doesn't matter when (if, big if) an automated tool later rewrites some of your source code formatted in a way you don't control?
Mu. Russ Cox quote indicates that the maintainers of goimports and gorename do not need to handle formatting at all (and hence, benefit). The go team put that wholly in the gofmt team's court. Otherwise, the go team would likely have to handle tickets about how the formatting of goimports and gorename differ over time for edge cases (if only by paying the social capital of ignoring the tickets).
That would fall under what I already assumed to be true, and also under an umbrella they specifically said it wasnt about
> end debates among team members about program layout
(Except in this case of course it's not "team members")
I'm definitely not getting this interpretation from the quote.
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#9I'm going to take a contrarian view here. Code formatting is amazing in a corporate environment where nobody truly cares about their code -- it's just a means to get a paycheck. It's also great for beginners to a language who are still trying to get a handle of the syntax. But where you are nearly the sole owner of a small library and you are crafting that library to be beautiful and understandable... there is someth…
I do more research, one-off ,code and being able to align equals signs or successive lines which do similar things both makes me happy and makes it easier to skim. I think the Linux kernel does it too. Emacs has a way of aligning by common separators (=/, as well as quick regex)
I guess I've never gotten into an actual serious debate with someone over formatting so I don't know what I'm avoiding, but sometimes auto formatted code makes it harder to skim
Re: Reformatting 100k Files at Google in 2011
#10I'm going to take a contrarian view here. Code formatting is amazing in a corporate environment where nobody truly cares about their code -- it's just a means to get a paycheck. It's also great for beginners to a language who are still trying to get a handle of the syntax. But where you are nearly the sole owner of a small library and you are crafting that library to be beautiful and understandable... there is someth…
Everywhere I’ve worked, including Google, many (probably most) people care a lot about the code and the format. Often too much. That was the point rsc was making.