uttrflow / uttrflow/uttrflow-swift

`make help` runs four target names into their descriptions, because the name column is 16 characters wide

Open Beginner friendly
#635 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
area:general bug good first issue P2
Dominant language
Swift
Stars
4
Forks
17
Avg merge
3h 32m
Merged PRs (30d)
277

Description

## What happens

`Makefile:208` formats each target with `printf " \033[36m%-16s\033[0m %s\n"`. Four targets are 16 characters or longer, so their names touch or run into the description:

```
perf-budget-models Fail when the model harness reads memory over the budget. ...
pasteboard-audit Prove only the clipboard adapters touch NSPasteboard. ...
disclosure-audit Prove nothing private to building this reached the tree. ...
disclosure-history Scan every commit on every ref. ...
```

(`perf-budget-models` and `disclosure-history` have no space before the description at all once the colour codes are stripped.)

## Why it matters

`make help` is what the README (line 225, "every target") sends a newcomer to, and the misaligned rows are the audits they are most likely to need to run by hand.

## Acceptance criteria

- Every row of `make help` has at least one space between the name and the description, and the descriptions line up.
- Preferably the width is computed from the longest target name rather than raised to another fixed number, so the next long name does not bring this back.

## Where to start

- `Makefile`, the `help` target (lines 206-208).
- Check with `make help | cat -v`.
- Read [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/uttrflow/uttrflow-swift/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) first, and say on this issue that you are taking it.
- Before pushing, run `make verify` (with `DEVELOPER_DIR` pointing at Xcode 26.6 or later). It is the same command CI runs.

**Size:** XS, under 30 minutes.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Read the help target in Makefile around lines 206-208, then run `make help | cat -v` to inspect the spacing and alignment. Adjust the target-name column behavior so every row has a separating space and descriptions line up, then run `make verify` with the required DEVELOPER_DIR before pushing.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
build-system
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
1/5
Estimated time
Under an hour
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
92/100

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