cppi ☆

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Description:
Indent C preprocessor directives to reflect their nesting

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 1.18@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: c-preprocessor code-formatting c c++ developer-tools cli

Install: brew install cppi

About:
cppi is a command-line utility that automatically formats C preprocessor directives by indenting them according to their conditional nesting levels. This transforms often unreadable preprocessor code into a visually structured format that mirrors the logical structure of the code. It is invaluable for developers needing to quickly understand complex conditional compilation blocks in legacy or large C/C++ projects.

Key Features:

Automatically indents #if, #else, #elif, #endif directives
Preserves code logic while improving visual hierarchy
Supports both in-place file modification and standard output
Handles complex nested conditional blocks reliably

Use Cases:

Refactoring and understanding legacy C/C++ codebases with extensive preprocessor usage
Standardizing formatting of preprocessor directives in a project
Auditing conditional compilation paths for debugging or porting

Alternatives:

clang-format – A full-featured C/C++ code formatter that can handle some preprocessor formatting but is much heavier and focuses on the entire codebase.
unifdef – Focuses on removing or evaluating conditional blocks rather than reformatting them for readability.

License: GPL-3.0-or-later

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, arm64_monterey, arm64_big_sur, sonoma, ventura, monterey, big_sur, catalina, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 14, 2025 2:45am		0	VERSION_BUMP	ad7fd977