clang-format: Align asterisk (*) of pointer declaration with variable name

Question

I am using the following options in my .clang-format file:

AlignConsecutiveDeclarations: true
PointerAlignment: Right

The current formatting result is the following:

char *         var1;
SomeOtherType *var2;
int            var3;

The result I was expecting would be:

char          *var1; //note the changed position of * 
SomeOtherType *var2;
int            var3;

How can I configure clang-format to align the asterix (*) with the variable name rather then with the type when I am using the AlignConsecutiveDeclarations option?

score 28 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 21 '20 at 08:19

28

PointerAlignment: Right is unfortunately not implemented yet.

See https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/blob/master/clang/lib/Format/WhitespaceManager.cpp#L643

void WhitespaceManager::alignConsecutiveDeclarations() {
  if (!Style.AlignConsecutiveDeclarations)
    return;

  // FIXME: Currently we don't handle properly the PointerAlignment: Right
  // The * and & are not aligned and are left dangling. Something has to be done
  // about it, but it raises the question of alignment of code like:
  //   const char* const* v1;
  //   float const* v2;
  //   SomeVeryLongType const& v3;

  AlignTokens(Style, [](Change const &C) { return C.IsStartOfDeclName; },
              Changes);
}

edited Oct 21 '20 at 08:19

lanoxx

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answered Oct 28 '16 at 20:19

bjori

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This is still applicable. Wondering if it will be fixed at all? – maxik Dec 13 '18 at 10:59
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I wonder what happened to https://reviews.llvm.org/D27651, it has implemented right alignment back in 2016. – user7610 Jun 01 '20 at 22:16
Still not implement in clang-format 13.0.0 – Alexey Polonsky Dec 30 '21 at 10:15

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 04 '21 at 07:29

7

It's fixed now!

The review https://reviews.llvm.org/D27651 has been re-applied in https://reviews.llvm.org/D103245 and committed in https://reviews.llvm.org/rG3e333cc82e42e1e2ecc974d896489eebe1a5edc2.

This change will be included in LLVM 13 release.

answered Jun 04 '21 at 07:29

Marek Kurdej

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Hi Marek, It doesn't work for me. I am using clang-format 13.0.0. I use "PointerAlignment: Right", but the asterisk is still aligned to the left - to the type name. – Alexey Polonsky Dec 30 '21 at 10:12
Alexey, you should report a bug then. https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/labels/clang-format – Marek Kurdej Jan 01 '22 at 18:49
Yes. Ubuntu Focal with Clang-format 12 does not do "Right" but Emacs with `lsp-mode` with `clangd` and `clang-format` 13 does. – thoni56 Jul 11 '22 at 08:49

clang-format: Align asterisk (*) of pointer declaration with variable name

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