C/C++ Lint Workflow Guide

🔍 C/C++ Code Quality Checks

The C/C++ Lint workflow runs clang-format and clang-tidy using cpp-linter for code quality enforcement.

📋 Table of Contents

🎯 Overview

Purpose: C/C++ code quality enforcement using cpp-linter-action Key Features:

  • clang-format for code style
  • clang-tidy for static analysis
  • PR annotations and comments
  • Configurable file extensions
  • Configurable exclude paths
  • Direct integration with cpp-linter/cpp-linter-action@v2

Use Case: Code style consistency and quality enforcement

⚙️ Inputs

🔧 Clang Configuration

Input Type Required Default Description
clang_version string ❌ 20 Clang major version
style string ❌ "file" clang-format style (llvm, google, webkit, or ‘file’ to use .clang-format)
tidy_checks string ❌ "" clang-tidy checks (comma-separated glob patterns, use - prefix to disable)

📁 File Selection

Input Type Required Default Description
extensions string ❌ "c,cpp,cc,cxx,h,hpp" File extensions to check (comma-separated)
ignore string ❌ "build\|.git" Files or directories to exclude from linting (pipe-separated)
files_changed_only boolean ❌ false Only lint files that have been changed in the pull request
lines_changed_only boolean ❌ false Only inspect lines that have changed in the pull request

📊 Output Options

Input Type Required Default Description
step_summary boolean ❌ true Add a summary of linting results to the workflow step summary
file_annotations boolean ❌ true Display linting errors and warnings as file annotations in the GitHub UI
thread_comments boolean ❌ false Post a collapsible thread comment in pull requests with linting issues

📤 Outputs

Output Description
PR annotations File-level annotations for style issues
PR comments Summary comments with issue counts
Step summary Workflow step summary with linting results

🚀 Usage Examples

Basic Usage 

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jobs:
  lint:
    uses: N3b3x/hf-general-ci-tools/.github/workflows/c-cpp-lint.yml@v1
    with:
      clang_version: "20"

Custom File Extensions 

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jobs:
  lint:
    uses: N3b3x/hf-general-ci-tools/.github/workflows/c-cpp-lint.yml@v1
    with:
      extensions: "c,cpp,h,hpp,cc,cxx"
      clang_version: "18"

Custom Exclude Paths 

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jobs:
  lint:
    uses: N3b3x/hf-general-ci-tools/.github/workflows/c-cpp-lint.yml@v1
    with:
      ignore: "build|.git|third_party|vendor|test"
      clang_version: "20"

Advanced Configuration 

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jobs:
  lint:
    uses: N3b3x/hf-general-ci-tools/.github/workflows/c-cpp-lint.yml@v1
    with:
      clang_version: "20"
      style: "google"  # Use Google style instead of .clang-format file
      tidy_checks: "readability-*,performance-*,modernize-*"  # Specific checks
      extensions: "c,cpp,h,hpp"
      ignore: "build|.git|third_party"
      files_changed_only: true  # Only check changed files in PRs
      thread_comments: true     # Post collapsible thread comments

Performance Optimized for Large Projects 

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jobs:
  lint:
    uses: N3b3x/hf-general-ci-tools/.github/workflows/c-cpp-lint.yml@v1
    with:
      clang_version: "20"
      files_changed_only: true   # Only lint changed files
      lines_changed_only: true   # Only check changed lines
      ignore: "build|.git|third_party|vendor"  # Exclude more directories
      step_summary: true         # Show summary in workflow
      file_annotations: true     # Show inline annotations
      thread_comments: false     # Disable thread comments for performance

🔧 Linting Behavior

The workflow provides:

  • Code Style Checking: clang-format checks for style violations
  • Static Analysis: clang-tidy performs static analysis checks
  • PR Feedback: Annotations and comments on pull requests
  • Configurable Scope: Control which files and paths are checked
  • Performance Options: Check only changed files/lines for faster runs
  • File Annotations: Provides PR annotations for linting issues

⚠️ Important Notes

  • Permissions Required: The workflow needs pull-requests: write permission for PR comments
  • File Discovery: The action automatically discovers C/C++ files in your repository
  • Configuration Files: Uses .clang-format and .clang-tidy files if present

⚙️ Configuration

.clang-format

Create a .clang-format file in your project root:

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BasedOnStyle: Google
IndentWidth: 2
ColumnLimit: 100
AccessModifierOffset: -2

.clang-tidy

Create a .clang-tidy file for static analysis:

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Checks: '*,readability-*,performance-*,modernize-*'
WarningsAsErrors: ''
HeaderFilterRegex: ''

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Style Issues Not Detected

  • Verify .clang-format exists and is valid
  • Check file extensions are included
  • Ensure paths match your project structure

Clang Version Issues

  • Use supported versions (18, 19, 20)
  • Check cpp-linter compatibility

📚 Related Workflows

🔗 Related Resources

Next: Static Analysis Workflow →

📚 All Documentation 🏠 Main README