When should you prefer Perl::Tidy, and when should you avoid it?

When to Prefer Perl::Tidy:

• Consistent Code Style: If your team has multiple developers contributing to a codebase, using Perl::Tidy can help ensure a consistent code style across the project.
• Improving Readability: Formatting code for readability can help new developers understand the codebase faster and reduce the learning curve.
• Refactoring: When refactoring code, employing Perl::Tidy can ensure that the new changes adhere to a clean format.

When to Avoid Perl::Tidy:

• Highly Customized Formatting: If your project already has a specific formatting style that diverges significantly from Perl::Tidy’s defaults, it may be better to stick with existing conventions.
• Legacy Code: Applying Perl::Tidy indiscriminately to legacy code can sometimes introduce unwanted changes or hide issues that were intentionally present.
• Code Reviews: During the code review process, pre-formatted code may detract from the focus on logic and functionality.

Example:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;

my $var = 'Hello, World!';
print "$var\n";