goland how to use gofmt?

Question

I started learning golang and installed GoLand from JetBrains. I am reading the book The Go Programming Language, and in the first chapter author strongly recommends using the gofmt tool before each save. How I can follow this recommendation in GoLand?

Solution 1

GoLand have commands to go fmt your file or project. Right click on your file and you will find it under "Go tools". You could see its shortcut there.

You can also use "Reformat code" command (bound to Command-Alt-L for me). It's not 100% same as go fmt but very close. Also works for other languages.

If you have an open terminal, you can run go fmt ./... to format all files in a directory (including sub directories). You can put this in a git commit hook to run it every time you commit.

As others mentioned there's a file watcher section under Preferences → Tools → File Watchers, in there you can setup to run go fmt or goimports everytime you save a Go file.

Solution 2

You can do that in one of these two ways:

1. For Goland: preferences ->Tools ->File Watchers and enable go fmt. This way on each saves it will format the file.

2. once your code is done. just run the command gofmt -s -w . in the terminal in the required directory or else in the needed file. it will format your whole directory/file as per your need.

Solution 3

Just want to add 1 more option. You can automatically apply go fmt every time when you are about to commit to git. When you open the commit window, under the Before Commit section, there is a Go fmt checkbox. Just check it. Later when you do another commit, the default value for that checkbox is checked. So, you only need to check it once. Then go fmt will run automatically before you commit.

Solution 4

Now Goland has a section that will reformat your code on file save without setting up File Watchers:

• Under Settings -> Tools -> Actions On Save you can activate the first entry

Solution 5

If your version of GoLand 2021.2 or higher, you can enable Run gofmt on code reformat option under Preferences/Settings | Editor | Code Style | Go | Other (it is enabled by default).

After that, execute Code | Reformat Code (Option + Command + L on macOS) and gofmt will be executed after internal GoLand formatter.

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Comments

[Amin Shojaei]

Personally, I required the Goland to execute go fmt before committing, it's in the commit setting.

[Arjan]

You can also do it every time you save using File Watchers plugin

[Peter Gloor]

When working with GoLand most of the time I have a terminal window open below my code and just time "go fmt" in there if my code feels cluttered.

[KH.Lee]

This could also be set in Preference > Version Control > Commit