Repolode
Submit
diffplug

diffplug/spotless

A build-plugin framework for Gradle and Maven that runs code formatters and linters across many languages and file types.

View on GitHub
Stars
5,720
Forks
565
Open issues
251
Last commit
5 days ago

What is it?

Spotless is a build-tool plugin that applies code formatters to a project's source files and fails the build when files are not formatted. It works with Gradle and Maven, with an SBT plugin maintained separately. Running a single command such as spotlessApply rewrites violating files, and spotlessCheck reports them, so formatting can be enforced in CI.

Spotless supports a wide range of languages, including Java, Kotlin, Groovy, Scala, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, YAML, Markdown, Python, C++, and shell scripts. It wraps well-known formatters such as google-java-format, ktlint, Prettier, Black, and clang-format, and it also offers generic steps for regex replacement, whitespace trimming, license headers, and running arbitrary native commands.

The project also handles integration concerns: idempotency checks, encoding and line-ending handling, Git-based ratcheting to format only changed files, and Gradle build-cache and configuration-cache support.

Key features

  • 01Checks and auto-fixes formatting with spotlessCheck and spotlessApply tasks.
  • 02Supports Java, Kotlin, Groovy, Scala, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, YAML, Markdown, and more.
  • 03Wraps formatters such as google-java-format, ktlint, Prettier, Black, and clang-format.
  • 04Ratchets formatting against a Git ref so only changed files are processed.
  • 05Includes generic steps for regex replacement, whitespace trimming, and license headers.

Use cases

  • Enforcing a consistent code style across a multi-language Java or Kotlin monorepo in CI.
  • Auto-formatting only the files changed in a pull request during local development.
  • Applying license headers or import-order rules to every source file in a build.
  • Formatting SQL, YAML, or Markdown alongside application code using one tool.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Add the Spotless plugin to your Gradle or Maven build, following the plugin-gradle or plugin-maven guide

  2. 2

    Apply formatting with Gradle

    ./gradlew spotlessApply
  3. 3

    Apply formatting with Maven

    mvn spotless:apply

Things to know

  • First-party support covers only Gradle and Maven; the SBT integration is external.
  • Feature and formatter support varies by build tool, so some steps are available only on Gradle.

In collections

Code linters & formatters

Topics

#code-formatter#linter#gradle#maven#java#kotlin#build-plugin#code-style#css#formatter

FAQ

What is spotless?
A build-plugin framework for Gradle and Maven that runs code formatters and linters across many languages and file types. Spotless is a build-tool plugin that applies code formatters to a project's source files and fails the build when files are not formatted. It works with Gradle and Maven, with an SBT plugin maintained separately. Running a single command such as spotlessApply rewrites violating files, and spotlessCheck reports them, so formatting can be enforced in CI.
Is spotless free to use? What license does it have?
spotless is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is spotless still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to spotless was on Nov 2, 2026.
What can I use spotless for?
Enforcing a consistent code style across a multi-language Java or Kotlin monorepo in CI. Auto-formatting only the files changed in a pull request during local development. Applying license headers or import-order rules to every source file in a build. Formatting SQL, YAML, or Markdown alongside application code using one tool.
How do I install spotless?
Add the Spotless plugin to your Gradle or Maven build, following the plugin-gradle or plugin-maven guide Apply formatting with Gradle: ./gradlew spotlessApply Apply formatting with Maven: mvn spotless:apply
Where can I get spotless?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/diffplug/spotless

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects