diff --git a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index afae97c..a0cdad0 100644
--- a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,19 +11,41 @@ set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED True)
 # set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE ON)
 
 # configure clang-tidy
+find_program(CLANG_TIDY "clang-tidy")
 set(CLANG_TIDY_HEADER_FILTER "src/")
-set(CLANG_TIDY_CHECKS "-*,bugprone-*,cert-*,modernize-*,-modernize-use-trailing-return-type,readability-*,performance-*,llvm-*,-llvm-header-guard,google-*,-google-readability-todo,cppcoreguidelines-*,-cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory,-cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-vararg,-cppcoreguidelines-pro-bounds-pointer-arithmetic,-cppcoreguidelines-macro-usage,-cppcoreguidelines-non-private-member-variables-in-classes")
+set(CLANG_TIDY_CHECKS "-*,bugprone-*,cert-*,modernize-*,-modernize-use-trailing-return-type,readability-*,performance-*,llvm-*,-llvm-header-guard,google-*,-google-readability-todo,cppcoreguidelines-*,-cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory,-cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-vararg,-cppcoreguidelines-pro-bounds-pointer-arithmetic,-cppcoreguidelines-macro-usage,-cppcoreguidelines-non-private-member-variables-in-classes,-cppcoreguidelines-pro-type-union-access,-readability-function-cognitive-complexity")
 set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 
 # run clang-tidy on Release builds, disable with `set_target_properties(lib_foobar PROPERTIES CXX_CLANG_TIDY "")`
-if (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Release")
+if (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Release" AND CLANG_TIDY)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_CLANG_TIDY
-    clang-tidy;
+    ${CLANG_TIDY};
     -header-filter=${CLANG_TIDY_HEADER_FILTER};
     -checks=${CLANG_TIDY_CHECKS};
   )
 endif()
 
+# generate a header file with the version number from git tag/ commit
+# execute_process(
+#   COMMAND git describe --always --tags --dirty
+#   OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_VERSION_TAG
+#   OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+#   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+#   )
+# execute_process(
+#   COMMAND git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
+#   OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_BRANCH_NAME
+#   OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+#   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}
+#   )
+# message(STATUS "Git version: ${GIT_BRANCH_NAME}, ${GIT_VERSION_TAG}")
+
+# configure_file(
+#   autogen/version.h.in
+#   generated/version.h
+# )
+# set_directory_properties(PROPERTIES ADDITIONAL_MAKE_CLEAN_FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/generated/version.h)
+
 
 ## CONFIGURE LIBRARIES
 
@@ -78,12 +100,11 @@ install(TARGETS ctestapp
 # Caveat: This only works well, when all sources are added to the SOURCES variable.
 #   If your project is separated into multiple (internal) libraries, use the integrated
 #   clang-tidy runner of CMake, which is already enabled on Release builds.
-find_program(CLANG_TIDY "clang-tidy")
 if(CLANG_TIDY)
   # get include directories and convert them to compiler flags (prepend "-I")
-  get_property(TIDY_INCLUDE_DIRS TARGET ctestapp PROPERTY INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
-  foreach(X IN ITEMS ${TIDY_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-    list(APPEND TIDY_INCLUDE_DIRS_ARG "-I${X}")
+  get_target_property(TIDY_INCLUDE_DIRS ctestapp INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+  foreach(dir IN ITEMS ${TIDY_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    list(APPEND TIDY_INCLUDE_DIRS_ARG "-I${dir}")
   endforeach()
 
   # add a Make target named "tidy" (to run clang-tidy manually)
diff --git a/cpp/autogen/version.h.in b/cpp/autogen/version.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a94df13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpp/autogen/version.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/**
+ * @file      version.h
+ * @brief     Auto-generated version number preprocessor definitions
+ *
+ * These values will be calculated by CMake. Do not modify manually!
+ *
+ * @author    Jannik Beyerstedt <beyerstedt@consider-it.de>
+ * @copyright (c) consider it GmbH, 2020
+ */
+
+#ifndef VERSION_H
+#define VERSION_H
+
+#define GIT_VERSION_TAG "@GIT_VERSION_TAG@"
+#define GIT_BRANCH_NAME "@GIT_BRANCH_NAME@"
+
+#endif /* VERSION_H */
diff --git a/cpp/template-file.cpp b/cpp/template-file.cpp
index 313f43e..fd30a58 100644
--- a/cpp/template-file.cpp
+++ b/cpp/template-file.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * @file      template-file.h
  * @brief     File containing example of doxygen usage for quick reference.
- * 
+ *
  * Here typically goes a more extensive explanation of what the header defines.
  *
  * @author    Name <email@example.com>
diff --git a/cpp/template-file.h b/cpp/template-file.h
index 9bed9ab..0191376 100644
--- a/cpp/template-file.h
+++ b/cpp/template-file.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * @file      template-file.h
  * @brief     File containing example of doxygen usage for quick reference.
- * 
+ *
  * Here typically goes a more extensive explanation of what the header defines.
  *
  * @author    Name <email@example.com>
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
  * @copyright Licensed under the GNU GPLv3 License <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.txt>
  */
 
-#ifndef _TEMPLATE_FILE_H
-#define _TEMPLATE_FILE_H
+#ifndef TEMPLATE_FILE_H
+#define TEMPLATE_FILE_H
 
 // only include what is needed by this header file here!
 // starting with the most generic (standard library)
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ typedef enum BoxEnum_enum {
 
 /**
  * @brief This method adds two integers.
- * 
+ *
  * Detailed explanation.
  * @param a             First integer to add.
  * @param b             Second integer to add.
@@ -39,4 +39,4 @@ typedef enum BoxEnum_enum {
  */
 int add(int a, int b);
 
-#endif /* _TEMPLATE_FILE_H */
+#endif /* TEMPLATE_FILE_H */