Add automatic code formatting via prettier

[DanielMSchmidt]

Description

In order to improve consistency in the javascript part of the code base we could add a tool like prettier to enforce automatic formatting through the code base. This would help new contributors to contribute concise code as they won't have to adapt to a certain way of formatting.

Plan

• add prettier formatting for the code base
• add CI check that the code base is concise

What do you think?

[LeoNatan]

I don’t like a linter enforcing some arbitrary code standards. Not that I write in JS, but still, conceptually, this looks like a source of inconvenience and annoyance.

[DanielMSchmidt]

@LeoNatan Thanks for sharing your opinion in this, I really value your input on that topic.
Maybe my assumption that we want to have concise code was wrong in the first place. (For me this means no mix of tabs vs. spaces, single vs double quotes, spacing around brackets or not).

If we want concise code I don't see a point in not using prettier because it just abstracts that away from you and we might make conciseness as simple as one single command + CI check. If we don't have this goal we can close this issue.

For me personally the benefit of having a concise code base is that is way easier to read and it also IMHO allows you to spot errors more easy. We use it in my current company and we had no one who wanted to have this exact code style in the first place, but after two weeks of having it in the project there were just no more discussions around code styling. I'm a big fan of it, but I don't want to force it on this project 👍

[LeoNatan]

I do want a good code, obviously, but this has to be weighted against the comfort of potential contributors (as well as first-party developers), and a balance JS to be stricken out. At the very least, if we decide to add such a system, each enforced rule has to be scrutinized whether it is essential. For instance, out of the ones you mentioned, does it really matter whether single or double quotes are used? Or whether opening bracket is on the same line or the next? A balance has to be sought after.

[DanielMSchmidt]

I am sure you want good code too, sorry if it sounded otherwise. Prettier has no rules like eslint that a contributor needs to be aware of, it just reformats the code completely. You have some options there, but not too many.

It takes care of the code style that doesn't matter so much automatically, but it does not warn you about code smells. For things that matter to the quality of code we would need to have a tool like eslint. Prettier just tackled the conciseness

[LeoNatan]

Ahh, this is interesting! Pardon the ignorance, I was not familiar. I thought it behaved like lint and broke the build. In that case, it actually sounds great.

One request, please make tabs the requirements, not spaces. 😄

[DanielMSchmidt]

Sounds good, I would use the default otherwise, 👍

[LeoNatan]

How will changes that prettier perform be committed and pushed? From CI?
It is also possible to set up client side git commit or push hooks (scripts). While those are “magic” of sorts, I think they might be easier to set up.

[DanielMSchmidt]

You normally have a pre commit hook and a CI check so that the code base stays unpolluted

[LeoNatan]

@DanielMSchmidt
Hey,
Was this implemented or abandoned? (I'm asking for the changelog generator)

[DanielMSchmidt]

Implemented in another PR Leo Natan <[email protected]> schrieb am Di., 19. Dez. 2017, 17:17:

…

@DanielMSchmidt <https://github.com/danielmschmidt> Hey, Was this implemented or abandoned? (I'm asking for the changelog generator) — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#223 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABRm1g09-vol4pSpFJKbHQrFeNg401qiks5tB-GrgaJpZM4OuqXa> .

[LeoNatan]

Great, thanks! 👍