(indent.info.gz) Invoking indent

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(indent.info.gz) Indent Program

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 Invoking `indent'
 =================
 
    As of version 1.3, the format of the `indent' command is:
 
 
      indent [OPTIONS] [INPUT-FILES]
      
      indent [OPTIONS] [SINGLE-INPUT-FILE] [-o OUTPUT-FILE]
 
    This format is different from earlier versions and other versions of
 `indent'.
 
    In the first form, one or more input files are specified.  `indent'
 makes a backup copy of each file, and the original file is replaced with
 its indented version.   Backup files, for an explanation of how
 backups are made.
 
    In the second form, only one input file is specified.  In this case,
 or when the standard input is used, you may specify an output file after
 the `-o' option.
 
    To cause `indent' to write to standard output, use the `-st' option.
 This is only allowed when there is only one input file, or when the
 standard input is used.
 
    If no input files are named, the standard input is read for input.
 Also, if a filename named `-' is specified, then the standard input is
 read.
 
    As an example, each of the following commands will input the program
 `slithy_toves.c' and write its indented text to `slithy_toves.out':
 
 
      indent slithy_toves.c -o slithy_toves.out
      
      indent -st slithy_toves.c > slithy_toves.out
      
      cat slithy_toves.c | indent -o slithy_toves.out
 
    Most other options to `indent' control how programs are formatted.
 As of version 1.2, `indent' also recognizes a long name for each option
 name.  Long options are prefixed by either `--' or `+'.  (1)  In most
 of this document, the traditional, short names are used for the sake of
 brevity.   Option Summary, for a list of options, including both
 long and short names.
 
    Here is another example:
 
      indent -br test/metabolism.c -l85
 
    This will indent the program `test/metabolism.c' using the `-br' and
 `-l85' options, write the output back to `test/metabolism.c', and write
 the original contents of `test/metabolism.c' to a backup file in the
 directory `test'.
 
    Equivalent invocations using long option names for this example would
 be:
 
 
      indent --braces-on-if-line --line-length185 test/metabolism.c
      
      indent +braces-on-if-line +line-length185 test/metabolism.c
 
    If you find that you often use `indent' with the same options, you
 may put those options into a file named `.indent.pro'.  `indent' will
 look for a profile file in three places. First it will check the
 environment variable `INDENT_PROFILE'. If that exists its value is
 expected to name the file that is to be used. If the environment
 variable does not exist, indent looks for `.indent.pro' in the current
 directory  and use that if found.  Finally `indent' will search your
 home directory for `.indent.pro' and use that file if it is found.
 This behaviour is different from that of other versions of `indent',
 which load both files if they both exist.
 
    The format of `.indent.pro' is simply a list of options, just as
 they would appear on the command line, separated by white space (tabs,
 spaces, and newlines).  Options in `.indent.pro' may be surrounded by C
 or C++ comments, in which case they are ignored.
 
    Command line switches are handled _after_ processing `.indent.pro'.
 Options specified later override arguments specified earlier, with one
 exception: Explicitly specified options always override background
 options ( Common styles).  You can prevent `indent' from reading
 an `.indent.pro' file by specifying the `-npro' option.
 
    ---------- Footnotes ----------
 
    (1)  `+' is being superseded by `--' to maintain consistency with
 the POSIX standard.
 

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