I agree with this 100%. I would extend it by saying that one you make formatting mandatory, the rules themselves don't matter, as long as they are the same for

I agree with this 100%. I would extend it by saying that one you make formatting mandatory, the rules themselves don't matter, as long as they are the same for everyone on the project. One could also make formatting automatic through git hooks and then every one can override their local formatting rules to their liking without breaking the common rules. Eventually you realize that what's really needed is AST-based semantic revision control. Text is a lowest common denominator that all programming tools should go beyond, not just the compilers.