# Install findent with Homebrew, apt, Nix

Indent and beautify Fortran sources and generate dependency information. Version 4.3.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-27.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:findent
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install findent
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install findent
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: findent from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#findent
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fi/findent/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:findent
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/findent>
- **Version:** 4.3.7
- **Source summary:** Indent and beautify Fortran sources and generate dependency information
- **Homepage:** <https://www.ratrabbit.nl/ratrabbit/findent/index.html>
- **Repository:** <https://sourceforge.net/p/findent/code/HEAD/tree>
- **Upstream docs:** <https://www.ratrabbit.nl/ratrabbit/findent/design_and_usage/index.html>
- **License:** BSD-3-Clause
- **Source archive:** <https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/findent/findent-4.3.7.tar.gz>
- **Last updated:** 2026-05-27T13:37:25Z
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00

## Executables

- findent (cli)
- wfindent (cli)
- findent (alias)
- wfindent (alias)

## Install behavior

- Post-install hook: not defined
- Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-07-08
- Package-manager version: 4.3.7
- Package-manager updated: 2026-05-27
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://www.ratrabbit.nl/ratrabbit/findent/index.html
- info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.
## Project history and usage

findent is a command-line indenter, formatter, converter, relabeler, and dependency helper for Fortran source code.

It matters to package users because Fortran tooling often lives in long-lived scientific and engineering codebases, where a small formatter that understands fixed and free form source is more useful than a general-purpose beautifier.

### Project history

The official site describes findent as a program to indent and relabel Fortran sources, with conversion between fixed and free form in both directions. The design document says the program became more complex than originally expected, leading to written documentation of its internals.

The design objectives emphasize reliability for serious projects involving large Fortran programs. findent deliberately reads from standard input and writes to standard output, avoids configuration files, and is controlled by command-line options plus an environment variable.

The changelog shows the tool growing from indentation into broader Fortran maintenance support: relabeling, OpenMP awareness, dependency generation through --deps and --makefdeps, editor integration, Debian compliance work, and continued handling of older dialect constructs.

### Adoption history

findent's adoption is rooted in the Fortran ecosystem rather than the general developer-tool mainstream. It appears where users need repeatable formatting for legacy and modern Fortran, including fixed-form sources and code using older extensions.

The project ships wrappers and editor integration for vim, emacs, and gedit, which is strong evidence that its intended users include people editing real Fortran projects rather than only running one-off conversions.

Its presence in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, and Nix reflects a cross-platform scientific-programming tool that package managers keep available because rebuilding or maintaining Fortran code often depends on small specialized utilities.

### How it is used

Basic use is intentionally Unix-like: run `findent < program.f90 > newprogram.f90`, with automatic detection of fixed or free format where possible.

Users can tune indentation categories from the command line, convert between fixed and free forms, relabel source, refactor END statements, and generate dependency information for build systems.

The design document says findent uses no configuration files; options come from command-line parameters and an environment variable, which keeps package installation simple and avoids per-user config discovery.

### Why package nerds care

findent is the kind of niche compiler-adjacent tool package managers are good at preserving: tiny executable surface, real language knowledge, and disproportionate value for legacy code maintainers.

Its support for stdin/stdout, wrappers, editor integrations, and dependency-generation flags makes it useful in scripts, editor hooks, and build systems without needing a larger Fortran IDE.

### Timeline

- 1.2: Early archived release listed in official SourceForge files.
- 2.8.0: Changelog notes `! findentfix` and documentation cleanup.
- 2.8.5: OpenMP awareness implemented.
- 3.0.0: Dependency generation added with --deps and --makefdeps.
- 4.1.x: Relabeling and additional editor/wrapper improvements documented.
- 2024: Design and usage document published on the official site.
- 2026: 4.3.7 release files published on SourceForge.

### Related projects

- findent is related to Fortran compilers, editor integrations for vim/emacs/gedit, build dependency tools, and other Fortran source formatters.
- It sits near formatter and refactoring utilities rather than language servers or full IDEs.

### Sources

- <https://www.ratrabbit.nl/ratrabbit/findent/index.html>
- <https://www.ratrabbit.nl/ratrabbit/findent/design_and_usage/index.html>
- <https://www.ratrabbit.nl/ratrabbit/findent/changelog/index.html>
- <https://www.ratrabbit.nl/ratrabbit/findent/man_page/index.html>
- <https://sourceforge.net/projects/findent/files/>
- <https://sourceforge.net/p/findent/code/HEAD/tree>


## Security Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

## Source Database Details

- **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API
- **Tap:** homebrew/core
- **Full Name:** findent
- **Version Scheme:** 0
- **Revision:** 0
- **Bottle Stable Root URL:** <https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core>
- **Deprecated:** no
- **Disabled:** no
- **Keg Only:** no
- **URL Keys:** stable

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - findent - 4.3.5-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: findent from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | indents/converts Fortran sources | https://sourceforge.net/projects/findent/
- Nix - findent: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/fi/findent/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - findent - 4.3.2-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: findent from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | indents/converts Fortran sources | https://sourceforge.net/projects/findent/


## Related links

- [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata.
- [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata.
- [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata.
- [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata.
- [fprettify](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fprettify/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, formatter, fortran, source-code.
- [hindent](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/hindent/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-formatting, developer-tools, formatter, source-code.
- [perltidy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/perltidy/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: beautifier, cli, code-formatting, developer-tools, formatter.
- [scalariform](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/scalariform/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-formatting, developer-tools, formatter, source-code.
- [swift-format](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/swift-format/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-formatting, developer-tools, formatter, source-code.
- [air](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/air/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-formatting, developer-tools, formatter.
- [alejandra](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alejandra/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-formatting, developer-tools, formatter.
- [astyle](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/astyle/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, code-formatting, developer-tools, formatter.

## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/findent.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/findent.yml)


## Sources

- Nucleus package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- package-page enrichment
- curated package history
- package version freshness
- av.db category and tag curation
- package relationship graph
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
