diff --git a/xml_converter/.clang-format b/xml_converter/.clang-format
index bf384993..76cbc3dc 100644
--- a/xml_converter/.clang-format
+++ b/xml_converter/.clang-format
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ ConstructorInitializerIndentWidth: 4
 ContinuationIndentWidth: 4
 Cpp11BracedListStyle: true
 DeriveLineEnding: true
-DerivePointerAlignment: false
+DerivePointerAlignment: true
 DisableFormat:   false
 ExperimentalAutoDetectBinPacking: false
 FixNamespaceComments: true
diff --git a/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.cpp b/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.cpp
index c7583d83..62b3c35b 100644
--- a/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.cpp
+++ b/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.cpp
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ bool StringHierarchy::in_hierarchy(
     return true;
 }
 
-
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // in_hierarchy
 //
@@ -39,8 +37,7 @@ bool StringHierarchy::in_hierarchy(
 // ambiguity between the vector and string overloads of the function.
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool StringHierarchy::in_hierarchy(
-    const std::initializer_list<std::string> input
-) const {
+    const std::initializer_list<std::string> input) const {
     std::vector<std::string> vec;
     vec.insert(vec.end(), input.begin(), input.end());
     return this->in_hierarchy(vec);
@@ -78,7 +75,7 @@ bool StringHierarchy::_in_hierarchy(
 //
 // A helper function to grab a sub hierarchy one level down from the top.
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const StringHierarchy* StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
+const StringHierarchy *StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
     const std::string &node) const {
     if (this->all_children_included) {
         return this;
@@ -91,21 +88,19 @@ const StringHierarchy* StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
     return &(iterator->second);
 }
 
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // sub_hierarchy
 //
 // An explicit version of sub_hierarchy that takes an initalizer list to
 // prevent ambiguity between the vector and string overloads of the function.
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const StringHierarchy* StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
+const StringHierarchy *StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
     const std::initializer_list<std::string> input) const {
     std::vector<std::string> vec;
     vec.insert(vec.end(), input.begin(), input.end());
     return this->sub_hierarchy(vec);
 }
 
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // sub_hierarchy
 //
@@ -113,9 +108,9 @@ const StringHierarchy* StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
 // entire hierarchy in the case where the use case is traversing down a tree
 // anyways and does not want to keep track of the parent's values.
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-const StringHierarchy* StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
+const StringHierarchy *StringHierarchy::sub_hierarchy(
     const std::vector<std::string> &path) const {
-    const StringHierarchy* sub_hierarchy = this;
+    const StringHierarchy *sub_hierarchy = this;
     for (size_t i = 0; i < path.size(); i++) {
         sub_hierarchy = sub_hierarchy->sub_hierarchy(path[i]);
         // Escape before segfaulting.
diff --git a/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.hpp b/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.hpp
index 94e2fc7c..3b323b11 100644
--- a/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.hpp
+++ b/xml_converter/src/string_hierarchy.hpp
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ class StringHierarchy {
     bool in_hierarchy(
         const std::initializer_list<std::string>) const;
 
-    const StringHierarchy* sub_hierarchy(
+    const StringHierarchy *sub_hierarchy(
         const std::string &node) const;
 
-    const StringHierarchy* sub_hierarchy(
+    const StringHierarchy *sub_hierarchy(
         const std::initializer_list<std::string> input) const;
 
-    const StringHierarchy* sub_hierarchy(
+    const StringHierarchy *sub_hierarchy(
         const std::vector<std::string> &path) const;
 
     void add_path(