Command line¶

The formatter comes as a native binary that needs no Java, and as a runnable jar for every platform the binaries do not cover.

Download¶

Pick the file for your platform from the latest release.

Platform	File
Linux x86-64, glibc	`open-java-format-linux-glibc_x86-64`
Linux AArch64, glibc	`open-java-format-linux-glibc_aarch64`
macOS, Apple silicon	`open-java-format-macos_aarch64`
macOS, Intel	`open-java-format-macos_x86-64`
Windows, x86-64	`open-java-format-windows_x86-64.exe`
Anything else with Java 21 or later	`open-java-format-2.98.0.3-all.jar`

There is no native binary for Windows on ARM or for musl-based Linux such as Alpine. Use the jar there.

Native binary, here for Apple silicon

curl -LO https://github.com/openjavaformat/open-java-format/releases/download/2.98.0.3/open-java-format-macos_aarch64
chmod +x open-java-format-macos_aarch64
./open-java-format-macos_aarch64 --version

Rename the file to open-java-format, or open-java-format.exe on Windows, and move it to a directory on your PATH. The examples below assume you did.

macOS and files downloaded with a browser

macOS refuses to run a binary that a browser downloaded. Clear the quarantine flag first with xattr -d com.apple.quarantine open-java-format-macos_aarch64. A file fetched with curl does not get the flag.

Runnable jar

curl -LO https://github.com/openjavaformat/open-java-format/releases/download/2.98.0.3/open-java-format-2.98.0.3-all.jar
java -jar open-java-format-2.98.0.3-all.jar --version

The jar carries its dependencies and the Add-Exports entries the formatter needs, so it runs without JVM flags.

Verify the download¶

Every release has a checksums_sha256.txt. Download it next to your file and check:

macOSLinux

shasum -a 256 --ignore-missing -c checksums_sha256.txt

sha256sum --ignore-missing -c checksums_sha256.txt

Format and check¶

There is one style, so no flag chooses it. Version 2.98.0.1 needed --ojf: later versions still accept it, print a warning and format as usual, so drop it from your scripts.

Format files in place

open-java-format --replace src/main/java/com/example/Hello.java

Format every tracked Java file

open-java-format --replace $(git ls-files '*.java')

Check without changing anything

open-java-format --dry-run --set-exit-if-changed $(git ls-files '*.java')

The check prints the files that would change and exits with 1 if there are any, which is what a CI step needs.

Format standard input

cat Hello.java | open-java-format -

Options¶

Option	What it does
`--replace`, `-i`	Write the result back to the files instead of printing it
`--dry-run`, `-n`	Print the files that would change, change nothing
`--set-exit-if-changed`	Exit with 1 if anything would change
`-`	Format standard input to standard output
`--lines 5:10`	Format only these lines, counted from 1
`--fix-imports-only`	Sort imports and remove unused ones, format nothing else
`--skip-sorting-imports`	Leave the import order alone
`--skip-removing-unused-imports`	Keep unused imports
`--skip-reflowing-long-strings`	Do not rewrap string literals that pass the column limit
`@file`	Read options and file names from a file
`--version`, `--help`	Print the version, or every option

Exit codes¶

Code	Meaning
0	Every file was formatted or checked without a problem
1	With `--set-exit-if-changed`: a file is not formatted
2	A file could not be read, parsed or written, or an option is wrong. The reason is on standard error

A file that does not parse is left as it is. When a run hits both, a file that is not formatted and one it cannot format, the exit code is 2.