CLion 2021.1 Help

Code Style. CMake

Use this page to configure code style options for CMake files. When you change these settings, the Preview pane shows how this will affect your code.

Set from...

Click this link to reveal the list of languages to be used as the base for the current language code style. Only the settings that are applicable to the current language are taken. All the other settings are not affected.

Click Reset to discard changes and return to the initial set of code style settings.

Tabs and Indents

ItemDescription
Use tab character
  • If this checkbox is selected, tab characters are used:

    • On pressing the Tab key

    • For indentation

    • For code reformatting

  • When the checkbox is cleared, CLion uses spaces instead of tabs.

Smart tabs
  • If this checkbox is selected, the part of indentation defined by the nesting of code blocks, is made of the tabs and (if necessary) spaces, while the part of indentation defined by the alignment is made only of spaces.

  • If this checkbox is cleared, only tabs are used. This means that a group of spaces that fits the specified tab size is automatically replaced with a tab, which may result in breaking fine alignment.

The Smart tabs checkbox is available if the Use tab character checkbox is selected.

Tab sizeIn this field, specify the number of spaces included in a tab.
IndentIn this field, specify the number of spaces to be inserted for each indent level.
Continuation indentIn this field, specify the number of spaces to be inserted between the elements of an array, in expressions, method declarations and method calls.
Keep indents on empty linesIf this checkbox is selected, CLion will keep indents on the empty lines as if they contained some code.
If this checkbox is cleared, CLion will delete the tab characters and spaces.

Spaces

Use this tab to specify where you want spaces in your code. To have CLion automatically insert a space at a location, select the checkbox next to this location in the list. The results are displayed in the preview pane.

Wrapping and Braces

In this tab, customize the code style options, which CLion will apply on reformatting the source code. The left-hand pane contains the list of placement and alignment options for the various code constructs. The right-hand pane shows preview.

Alignment takes precedence over indentation options.

Alignment Options

ItemDescription
Align when multilineIf this checkbox is selected, a code construct starts at the same column on each next line. Otherwise, the position of a code construct is determined by the current indentation level.

Blank lines

Use this tab to define where and how many blank lines you want CLion to retain and insert in your code after reformatting. For each type of location, specify the number of blank lines to be inserted. The results are displayed in the preview pane.

ItemDescription
Keep maximum blank linesIn this area, specify the number of blank lines to be kept after reformatting in the specified locations.
Minimum blank lines

In this area, specify the number of blank lines to be present in the specified locations.

Other

Commands case

Use this setting to change the case of commands in CMakeLists.txt file. Note, that for existing code, the changes shall be followed by Reformat Code action: in the main menu, select Code | Reformat Code or press Ctrl+Alt+L. For new code, the changes will be applied automatically. Also, the setting affects the code completion feature respectively: the autocomplete suggests the CMake commands completion following the selected case setting, regardless the case used for initial typing of a command.

ItemDescription
Force commands case to
  • To upper: choose this option to change the commands case to the upper. See the example in the preview pane.

  • To lower: choose this option to change the commands case to the lower.

  • Do not change: default setting. Choose this option to keep the commands case unchanged.

Last modified: 08 March 2021