Golang automatic code formatting : Code like a Pro

Why Format your code?

Everyone loves clean readable and beautifully organized code using tabs/spaces (whatever you like), short lines etc. As a developer, while writing code, you should not spend time counting the tabs/spaces, instead let the tools handle your code formatting for you and that too automatically.

In this short post, we will learn how you can use golines to automagically format all your golang code

Implementing Golines: a Golang formatter

• Installing golines

go install github.com/segmentio/golines@latest

• Using golines from VSCode
• Go into the VSCode settings menu, scroll down to the section for the Run on Save extension, click the Edit in settings.json link
• Set the emeraldwalk.runonsave key as follows
• "emeraldwalk.runonsave": { "commands": [ { "match": "\\.go$", "cmd": "golines ${file} -w" } ] }
• Save the settings and restart VSCode
• (optional) using golines from CLI

golines -w "path to *.go files"

Summary

golines together with vscode helps you auto-format your code

from

myMap := map[string]string{"first key": "first value", "second key": "second value", "third key": "third value", "fourth key": "fourth value", "fifth key": "fifth value"}

To

myMap := map[string]string{
	"first key": "first value",
	"second key": "second value",
	"third key": "third value",
	"fourth key": "fourth value",
	"fifth key": "fifth value",
}

Isn’t this beautiful, I know it is ;)