diff --git a/.clang-format b/.clang-format
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba26f5568a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.clang-format
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+Language : Cpp
+# BasedOnStyle : GNU
+AlwaysBreakAfterReturnType: TopLevelDefinitions
+AlwaysBreakTemplateDeclarations: true
+BraceWrapping:
+  SplitEmptyFunction: false
+ColumnLimit:     130
+IndentPPDirectives: AfterHash
+PointerAlignment: Left
+SortIncludes:    false
+SortUsingDeclarations: false
+SpaceBeforeParens: ControlStatements
+Standard:        Cpp11
+...
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 70faca108b..7d845e399e 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+# currently empty attributes (using pre-commit)
+[attr]cppfiles
+[attr]cfiles
+[attr]pyfiles
+*.cpp  cppfiles
+*.cxx  cppfiles
+*.h  cppfiles
+*.inl  cppfiles
+*.txx  cppfiles
+*.c    cfiles
+*.py   pyfiles
 *.v     -text -diff
 *.s     -text -diff
 *.scn     -text -diff
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c5655a3205
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+repos:
+-   repo: git://github.com/doublify/pre-commit-clang-format
+    rev: master
+    hooks:
+    -   id: clang-format
+        files: \.(c|cc|cxx|cpp|h|hpp|hxx|inl|txx)
diff --git a/documentation/devel/README.md b/documentation/devel/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f3226412f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/devel/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Information specific for developers
+
+Please check files here for information/code practices for developers.
+
+- Do read our [contribution guidelines](../../CONTRIBUTING.md)
+- Set your editor settings appropriately: [instructions](editor-settings.md)
+- Install git hooks for serious development: [instructions](git-hooks.md)
+- Read the documentation, including the STIR developers guide
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/documentation/devel/editor-settings.md b/documentation/devel/editor-settings.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..999f00a84d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/devel/editor-settings.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Developer documentation: editor settings
+
+White-spaces and indentation with multiple developers are a pain. Please adhere to
+our white-space policy, which we try to enforce via [clang-format](https://clang.llvm.org/docs/ClangFormat.html).
+Check that site for integration with your editor/IDE.
diff --git a/documentation/devel/git-hooks.md b/documentation/devel/git-hooks.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..28ec3a5d86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/devel/git-hooks.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Developer documentation: how to install (software for) git hooks
+
+You first need to have Python and pip
+
+## Install [pre-commit](https://pre-commit.com)
+See https://pre-commit.com/#install but the following might work.
+
+    pip install pre-commit
+
+If this fails with a permission error, try adding `--user` to the command.
+
+If that fails with a message about `PyYAML` and `distutils`, try
+
+    pip install --ignore-installed PyYAML
+
+## Install clang-format
+### debian/Ubuntu
+    sudo apt install clang-format
+### MacOS
+    brew install clang-format
+### Others
+search the internet and tell us
+
+## Enable pre-commit hooks
+```sh
+cd /whereever/STIR
+pre-commit install
+```