cpplint

What cpplint is

cpplint is a free, open-source command-line tool for developers checking C and C++ source files against Google’s C++ style guide. It runs on Linux, macOS and Windows, and the project recommends installing the cpplint package from PyPI as a uv tool. The package requires Python 3.9 or later and is distributed under the BSD-3-Clause license.

The tool can find files recursively, exclude selected files and use customized file extensions. The project also lists support for newer C++ features and `#pragma once` as an alternative to header include guards. Developers can suppress checks across a block using `// NOLINTBEGIN` and `// NOLINTEND`. cpplint can run as a pre-commit hook and is included in MegaLinter for CI workflows. The project says Google no longer maintains the public version; this fork aims to update it for modern specifications and wider use. The repository identifies maintainers and offers GitHub issues, pull requests, discussions and contribution guidance. PyPI provides a platform-independent Python wheel and a source distribution; it reports that the 2.0.2 release artifacts were signed by GitHub Actions and verified on April 8, 2025.

Who it suits

cpplint suits developers who want command-line checks for C and C++ style issues across Linux, macOS or Windows. It can also fit workflows that run checks through pre-commit or CI with MegaLinter.

Getting started

1. Visit the cpplint GitHub repository
2. Install the cpplint package from PyPI as a uv tool
3. Use Python 3.9 or later
4. Run cpplint on C or C++ files, configuring recursive discovery, exclusions or file extensions as needed

Verdict

Choose cpplint if you need a free command-line style checker for C and C++ and want to run it in pre-commit or CI workflows. Developers looking for IDE support should consider that no IDE support is listed. The project is a community fork aiming to update the public version Google no longer maintains.