Go Formatting

Go Formatting

Use When

• Setting up or validating code formatting for Go projects.
• Configuring gofmt, goimports, and linters.
• Integrating formatting into IDE or pre-commit hooks.

Standard Formatters

1. gofmt (built-in)

• Go's standard formatter; enforced by convention.
• No configuration needed; opinionated about style.
• Run: gofmt -w . to format in place.

1. goimports (import management)

• Extends gofmt to organize imports and add missing dependencies.
• Removes unused imports automatically.
• Install: go install golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports@latest.
• Run: goimports -w . to format and organize imports.

1. golangci-lint (comprehensive linting)

• Aggregates multiple linters; catches style and logical issues.
• Can auto-fix many issues with --fix flag.
• Install: go install github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/cmd/golangci-lint@latest.

Configuration

.golangci.yml (golangci-lint):

linters:
  enable:
    - gofmt
    - goimports
    - vet
    - errcheck
    - staticcheck
    - unused

linters-settings:
  gofmt:
    simplify: true

VS Code .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "[go]": {
    "editor.formatOnSave": true,
    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
      "source.fixAll": true
    },
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "golang.go"
  },
  "go.formatOnSave": true,
  "go.formatTool": "goimports",
  "go.lintOnSave": "package",
  "go.lintTool": "golangci-lint"
}

Checklist

1. Consistency

• gofmt baseline is applied (Go convention).
• goimports is used to manage imports.
• golangci-lint is configured and shared with team.

1. IDE integration

• Format-on-save is enabled in VS Code.
• Go extension is installed and active.

1. Pre-commit hooks

• Use pre-commit framework or git hooks to run gofmt and goimports.
• Prevents unformatted code from entering the repository.

1. Import organization

• goimports automatically removes unused imports.
• Imports are grouped: stdlib, third-party, local.

Formatting Rules

• Indentation: Tabs (Go standard, not spaces).
• Line width: No hard limit; keep readable (convention is ~80 chars for exported docs).
• Naming: camelCase for functions and variables, PascalCase for exported symbols.
• Brackets: Opening bracket stays on same line as declaration (Go convention).

Common Commands

• Format: gofmt -w ..
• Format and organize imports: goimports -w ..
• Check formatting: gofmt -d . (shows diffs without changing files).
• Lint: golangci-lint run ./....
• Lint and fix: golangci-lint run --fix ./....

Output Requirements

When setting up or validating formatting, provide:

• Formatter versions and configuration.
• IDE integration status.
• Pre-commit hook setup summary.
• Any conflicts or inconsistencies found.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: caraya
• Source: caraya/agent-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.