---
title: "C Beautifier"
type: "article"
slug: "c-beautifier"
url: "http://localhost/article/c-beautifier/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/c-beautifier.md"
published_at: "2025-11-18T13:50:51+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-06-21T23:21:07+00:00"
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  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "The C User's Group has disk full of C programs that have been written for portability. One of these programs is a C beautifier (cb_c). This is a program that takes any C code and outputs a file with the C code in \"proper\" formating. It does things like indenting, putting single statements on a…"
category:
  - name: "QL Hacker's Journal"
    slug: "ql-hackers-journal"
    taxonomy: "category"
    url: "http://localhost/category/periodicals/ql-hackers-journal/"
post_tag:
  - name: "C (programming language)"
    slug: "c-programming-language"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/c-programming-language/"
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    slug: "ql"
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    url: "http://localhost/tag/ql/"
  - name: "Type-in program"
    slug: "type-in-program"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/type-in-program/"
model:
  - name: "Sinclair QL"
    slug: "sinclair-ql"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/sinclair-ql/"
indiv:
  - name: "Tim Swenson"
    slug: "tim-swenson"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/tim-swenson/"
publication_r:
  id: 33686
  title: "QL Hacker’s Journal"
  type: "periodical"
  url: "http://localhost/periodical/ql-hackers-journal/"
authors_r:
  - name: "Tim Swenson"
    slug: "tim-swenson"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/tim-swenson/"
issue: "2"
issues_articles:
  - id: 61538
    title: "QL Hacker’s Journal 2"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/ql-hackers-journal-2/"
pubdate: "February 1991"
archive_link: true
---

# C Beautifier

The C User’s Group has disk full of C programs that have been written for portability. One of these programs is a C beautifier (cb_c). This is a program that takes any C code and outputs a file with the C code in “proper” formating. It does things like indenting, putting single statements on a line, etc. Below (listing 1) is a listing of a C program that is not written nicely. Listing 2 is the same program after it has gone throught the C beautifier.

To get the program to compile under Lattice C, I only had to make some changes to the Include statements, since Lattice C expects the drive specifier. The program compiled fine after those minor changes. The only thing I have noticed that might need to be changed, is that the program uses Tabs instead of X number of spaces. This is fine on other computers, but the QL does not display tabs as so many blanks on the screen. There is a function called ptabs() that can be changed to output X number of spaces, instead of tabs.

Listing 1:

```
#include <stdio_h>
main() {
int x; int y;  int z;
   for (x = 1; x <= 10; ++x) { printf("test"; }
   for (y = 1; y <= 10; ++y) 
     {
        printf("test"); }
   for (z = 1; z <= 10; ++z) {
        printf("test");
   }
}
```

Listing 2:

```
#include <stdio_h>
main() {
    int x;
    int y;
    int z;
    for (x = 1; x <= 10; ++x) {
         printf("test");
    }
    for (y = 1; y <= 10; ++y) 
    {
         printf("test");
    }
    for (z = 1; z <= 10; ++z) {
         printf("test");
    }
}

USAGE:
     CRUN "CB inputfile { outputfile }"

HELP:
     Typing CB with no file name displays a short hel
reminder.

/*
   HEADER:      CUG236;
   TITLE:      C Source Formatter;
   DATE:      04/04/1987;
   DESCRIPTION:   "Formats a C source program with proper
indents for each statement.";
   VERSION:   2.1;
   KEYWORDS:   Pretty Printer;
   FILENAME:   CB.C;
   SEE-ALSO:   CB.DOC;
   COMPILERS:   vanilla;
   AUTHORS:   W. C. Colley III, J. W. Kindschi Jr.;
*/

/*
   Modified for Portable C
   by: William C. Colley, III (4 APR 1987)

   Modified for Lattice C Ver 1.01
   by: John W. Kindschi Jr. (10-30-83)

   Swiped from CPIG'S UNIX system and modified to
   run under BDS C by William C. Colley, III


To use the program type the following command line:

   A>cb input.fil [output.fil]

   Where input.fil is the file to be pretty printed and
[output.fil] is the destination file. If no output file is
specified, then the output goes to standard output.
*/

#include <flp1_stdio_h>

/*
 * Portability Note:  The AZTEC C compilers handle the
binary/text file dichotomy differently from most other
compilers.  Uncomment the following pair of #defines if you
are running AZTEC C:
 */

/*
#define getc(f)      agetc(f)
#define putc(c,f)   aputc(c,f)
*/

char cc, lchar, pchar, string[200];
char *wif[] =   {   "if",   NULL      };
char *welse[] = {   "else", NULL      };
char *wfor[] =   {   "for",  NULL      };
char *wds[] =   {   "case", "default",   NULL   };

int clevel, ct, iflev, ind[10], level, paren, sifflg[10],
siflev[10];
int sind[20][10], slevel[10], spflg[20][10], stabs[20][10];
int aflg, bflg, eflg, ifflg = -1, pflg[10], qflg, sflg = 1;
int c, j, lastchar, peek = -1, tabs;
FILE *f1, *f2 = stdout;

void comment(), gotelse(), ptabs(), put_str();

int main(argc,argv)
int argc;
char *argv[];
{
    int getchr(), get_nl(), get_str(), lookup();

    /* Initialize everything here */

    if (argc < 2 || argc > 3) {
   fprintf(stderr,"Usage:  CB input.fil { output.fil }\n");
return !0;
    }
    if (!(f1 = fopen(*++argv,"r"))) {
   fprintf(stderr,"ERROR:  Cannot find file %s\n",*argv);
return !0;
    }
    if (argc == 3 && !(f2 = fopen(*++argv,"w"))) {
   fprintf(stderr,"ERROR:  Cannot create file %s\n",*argv);
return !0;
    }

    /* End of Initialization */

    while ((c = getchr()) != EOF) {
   switch (c) {
       default:   string[j++] = c;
         if (c != ',') lchar = c;
         break;

       case ' ':
       case '\t':   if (lookup(welse) == 1) {
             gotelse();
             if (sflg == 0 || j > 0) string[j++] = c;
             put_str();   sflg = 0;  break;
         }
         if (sflg == 0 || j > 0) string[j++] = c;
         break;

       case '\n':   if (eflg = lookup(welse) == 1)
gotelse();
         put_str();  fprintf(f2,"\n");  sflg = 1;
         if (eflg == 1) {  pflg[level]++;  tabs++; }
         else if(pchar == lchar) aflg = 1;
         break;

       case '{':   if (lookup(welse) == 1) gotelse();
         siflev[clevel] = iflev;    sifflg[clevel] = ifflg;
         iflev = ifflg = 0;  clevel++;
         if (sflg == 1 && pflg[level] != 0) {
             pflg[level]--;  tabs--;
         }
         string[j++] = c;  put_str();  get_nl();
put_str();
         fprintf(f2,"\n");  tabs++;  sflg = 1;
         if (pflg[level] > 0) {
             ind[level] = 1;  level++;  slevel[level] =
clevel;
         }
         break;

       case '}':   clevel--;
         if ((iflev = siflev[clevel]-1) < 0) iflev = 0;
         ifflg = sifflg[clevel];    put_str();  tabs--;
ptabs();
         if ((peek = getchr()) == ';') {
             fprintf(f2,"%c;",c);  peek = -1;
         }
         else fprintf(f2,"%c",c);
         get_nl();  put_str();  fprintf(f2,"\n");  sflg = 1;
         if (clevel < slevel[level] && level > 0) level--;
         if (ind[level] != 0) {
             tabs -= pflg[level];  pflg[level] = ind[level]
= 0;
         }
         break;

       case '"':
       case '\'':   string[j++] = c;
         while ((cc = getchr()) != c) {
             string[j++] = cc;
             if (cc == '\\') string[j++] = getchr();
             if (cc == '\n') { put_str();  sflg = 1; }
         }
         string[j++] = cc;
         if (get_nl() == 1) { lchar = cc;  peek = '\n'; }
         break;

       case ';':   string[j++] = c;  put_str();
         if (pflg[level] > 0 && ind[level] == 0) {
             tabs -= pflg[level];  pflg[level] = 0;
         }
         get_nl();  put_str();  fprintf(f2,"\n");  sflg = 1;
         if(iflev > 0 && ifflg == 1){ iflev--;  ifflg = 0; }
         else iflev = 0;
         break;

       case '\\':   string[j++] = c;  string[j++] =
getchr();  break;

       case '?':   qflg = 1;  string[j++] = c;  break;

       case ':':   string[j++] = c;
         if (qflg == 1) { qflg = 0;  break; }
         if (!lookup(wds)) { sflg = 0;  put_str(); }
         else { tabs--;   put_str();  tabs++; }
         if ((peek = getchr()) == ';') {
             fprintf(f2,";");  peek = -1;
         }
         get_nl();  put_str();  fprintf(f2,"\n");  sflg = 1;
         break;

       case '/':   string[j++] = c;
         if ((peek = getchr()) != '*') break;
         string[j++] = peek;  peek = -1;    comment();
break;

       case ')':   paren--;  string[j++] = c;  put_str();
         if (get_nl() == 1) {
             peek = '\n';
             if (paren != 0) aflg = 1;
             else if (tabs > 0) {
            pflg[level]++;   tabs++;    ind[level] = 0;
             }
         }
         break;

       case '#':   string[j++] = c;
         while ((cc = getchr()) != '\n') string[j++] = cc;
         string[j++] = cc;  sflg = 0;  put_str();  sflg = 1;
         break;

       case '(':   string[j++] = c;  paren++;
         if (lookup(wfor) == 1) {
             while ((c = get_str()) != ';');
             ct = 0;
cont:             while ((c = get_str()) != ')')
            if(c == '(') ct++;
             if (ct != 0) { ct--;  goto cont; }
             paren--;  put_str();
             if (get_nl() == 1) {
            peek = '\n';  pflg[level]++;
            tabs++;    ind[level] = 0;
             }
             break;
         }
         if (lookup(wif) == 1) {
             put_str();
             stabs[clevel][iflev] = tabs;
             spflg[clevel][iflev] = pflg[level];
             sind[clevel][iflev] = ind[level];
             iflev++;  ifflg = 1;
         }
   }
    }
    if (f2 != stdout && (ferror(f2) || fclose(f2))) {
   fprintf(stderr,"ERROR:  Disk full\n");   return !0;
    }
    fclose(f1);    return 0;
}

void ptabs()
{
    int i;

    for (i=0; i < tabs; i++) fprintf(f2,"\t");
}

int getchr()
{
    if (peek < 0 && lastchar != ' ' && lastchar != '\t')
pchar = lastchar;
    lastchar = (peek < 0) ? getc(f1) : peek;  peek = -1;
    return lastchar;
}

void put_str()
{
    if (j > 0) {
   if (sflg != 0) {
       ptabs();  sflg = 0;
       if (aflg == 1) {
      aflg = 0;
      if (tabs > 0) fprintf(f2,"    ");
       }
   }
   string[j] = '\\0';  fprintf(f2,"%s",string);  j = 0;
    }
    else if (sflg != 0) { sflg = 0;  aflg = 0; }
}

int lookup(tab)
char *tab[];
{
    char r;
    int i,kk,k,l;

    if (j < 1) return 0;
    for (kk = 0; string[kk] == ' '; ++kk);
    for (i = 0; tab[i] != 0; i++) {
   l = 0;
   for (k=kk; (r = tab[i][l++]) == string[k] && r != '\\0';
++k);
   if (r == '\\0' && (string[k] < 'a' || string[k] > 'z'))
return 1;
    }
    return 0;
}

int get_str()
{
    char ch;

beg:
    if ((ch = string[j++] = getchr()) == '\\') {
   string[j++] = getchr();    goto beg;
    }
    if (ch == '\'' || ch == '"') {
   while ((cc = string[j++] = getchr()) != ch)
       if (cc == '\\') string[j++] = getchr();
   goto beg;
    }
    if (ch == '\\n') { put_str();  aflg = 1;  goto beg; }
    else return ch;
}

void gotelse()
{
    tabs = stabs[clevel][iflev];  pflg[level] =
spflg[clevel][iflev];
    ind[level] = sind[clevel][iflev];  ifflg = 1;
}

int get_nl()
{
    while ((peek = getchr()) == '\\t' || peek == ' ') {
   string[j++] = peek;  peek = -1;
    }
    if ((peek = getchr()) == '/') {
   peek = -1;
   if ((peek = getchr()) == '*') {
       string[j++] = '/';   string[j++] = '*';
       peek = -1;   comment();
   }
   else string[j++] = '/';
    }
    if ((peek = getchr()) == '\n') { peek = -1;    return 1;
}
    return 0;
}

void comment()
{
rep:
    while ((c = string[j++] = getchr()) != '*')
   if (c == '\n') { put_str();  sflg = 1; }
gotstar:
    if ((c = string[j++] = getchr()) != '/') {
   if (c == '*') goto gotstar;
   goto rep;
    }
}
```