alt Hacker NewsThere are 3 major problems with automated code formatters:
* Handling of multiple newlines to break sections, or none to group related functions (e.g. a getter with a setter). Sometimes it's even best to move functions around for better grouping.
* They don't factor out an expression into a separate variable.
* They destroy `git blame`. This one is avoided if the tooling has always enforced formatting.
Replies
> * They don't factor out an expression into a separate variable.
That's...not formatting, and there's probably no good deterministic rule for when to do that, anyhow.
> They destroy `git blame`
How is this a problem with auto formatters? This is completely on the person/team, not the tool. Even if the repo doesn’t enforce on pre-commit or something, don’t most formatters have the option to only format lines you’ve actually changed?
> * They don't factor out an expression into a separate variable.
* They implicitly enable people to write deeply nested code that lacks such factoring, without feeling like anything has gone wrong.
Regarding the second one, a formatter shouldn’t be changing the AST. At most inserting parentheses/braces/semicolons for clarity, which doesn’t change the AST structurally (or, depending on one‘s definition of “AST”, doesn’t change it at all).