recommended: tab = 5 shiftwidth = 5 required: use tab character for indents for (init; condition; increment) { statement; } switch (variable) { case 1: statement; statement; break; case 2: statement; break; case 3: statement; break; case 4: statement; break; default: statement; break; } if (condition) statement; else statement; if (condition) { statement; statement; } else { statement; statement; } class ClassDef { private: protected: /** This method does something * @param paramName1 the first parameter name * @param param2 the second parameter name * @return error status */ char methodName(int paramName1, char param2 = -1); /** This method does something too */ void anotherMethodName() { someShortExpression; } public: ClassDef(); }; char ClassDef::methodName(int paramName1, char param2) { char retVal = 0; // do something; return retVal; } ClassDef classDef; classDef.methodName(1, '2'); if (((reallyLongCondition) && (moreLogic)) || (otherCondition)) { expression; } int varName1 = 1; char *variable2 = "2"; int &var3 = varName1; int variable4, variable5, var6, var7; variable4 = 4; variable5 = 5; var6 = 6; var7 = 7;