diff --git a/src/communication/exporter_interface.hpp b/src/communication/exporter_interface.hpp
index 6c22fddeca667cb34d3df5469979ef25895ed908..d0370a92b609773b06cb8663563129a242385cb1 100644
--- a/src/communication/exporter_interface.hpp
+++ b/src/communication/exporter_interface.hpp
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ namespace communication {
 // interface for exporters.
 // Exposes one virtual functions: 
 //    do_export(vector<type>) receiving a vector of parameters to export
-template <typename Time, typename CommunicationPolicy>  // TODO: Templating on data type
+
+template <typename Time, typename CommunicationPolicy>  
 class exporter_interface {
 
 public:
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ public:
     virtual void do_export(const std::vector<spike_type>&) = 0;
 
     // Returns the status of the exporter
-    bool good() const;
+    virtual bool good() const = 0;
 };
 
 } //communication
diff --git a/src/communication/exporter_spike_file.hpp b/src/communication/exporter_spike_file.hpp
index adf185d8520f37b6bc4f7d7ec3bf9a7fa3fe2bcb..cad61fbb7774594d234fd3761c740738f12c7bc6 100644
--- a/src/communication/exporter_spike_file.hpp
+++ b/src/communication/exporter_spike_file.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ namespace nest {
 namespace mc {
 namespace communication {
 
-template <typename Time, typename CommunicationPolicy> // TODO: Templating on data type, for now only spike_type
+template <typename Time, typename CommunicationPolicy>
 class exporter_spike_file : public exporter_interface<Time, CommunicationPolicy> 
 {
 public:
@@ -35,12 +35,14 @@ public:
         const std::string& file_extention, bool over_write=true)
     {
         auto file_path =
-            create_output_file_path(file_name, path, file_extention, communication_policy_.id());
+            create_output_file_path(file_name, path, file_extention, 
+                communication_policy_.id());
 
         //test if the file exist and depending on over_write throw or delete
         if (!over_write && file_exists(file_path)) 
         {
-            std::string error_string("Tried opening file for writing but it exists and over_write is false: " + file_path);
+            std::string error_string("Tried opening file for writing but it exists and over_write is false: "
+                + file_path);
             throw std::runtime_error(error_string);
         }
 
@@ -48,27 +50,30 @@ public:
     }
        
     // Performs the a export of the spikes to file
-    // one id and spike time with 4 decimals after the comma on a line space separated
+    // one id and spike time with 4 decimals after the comma on a
+    // line space separated
     void do_export(const std::vector<spike_type>& spikes) override
     {       
         for (auto spike : spikes) {
             char linebuf[45];  
-            auto n = std::snprintf(linebuf, sizeof(linebuf), "%u %.4f\n", spike.source.gid, spike.time);
+            auto n = std::snprintf(linebuf, sizeof(linebuf), "%u %.4f\n",
+                spike.source.gid, spike.time);
             file_handle_.write(linebuf, n);
         }
     }
 
-    bool good() const
+    bool good() const override
     {
         return file_handle_.good();
     }
 
     // Creates an indexed filename
-    static std::string create_output_file_path(const std::string& file_name, const std::string& path,
-        const std::string& file_extention, unsigned index)
+    static std::string create_output_file_path(const std::string& file_name, 
+        const std::string& path, const std::string& file_extention,
+        unsigned index)
     {
-        std::string file_path = path + file_name + "_" + std::to_string(index) +
-                                "." + file_extention;
+        std::string file_path = path + file_name + "_" + 
+            std::to_string(index) + "." + file_extention;
         // Nest does not produce the indexing for nrank == 0
         // I have the feeling this disrupts consistent output. Id rather
         // always put the zero in. it allows a simpler regex when opening
diff --git a/tests/global_communication/test_exporter_spike_file.cpp b/tests/global_communication/test_exporter_spike_file.cpp
index 00808e12856ee55392eaf7f259f2f86e5b733294..85065a0c64b81be75a6797ffde8eb3308546210b 100644
--- a/tests/global_communication/test_exporter_spike_file.cpp
+++ b/tests/global_communication/test_exporter_spike_file.cpp
@@ -16,17 +16,19 @@ protected:
     using time_type = float;
     using communicator_type = nest::mc::communication::global_policy;
 
-    using spike_type = nest::mc::communication::exporter_spike_file<time_type, 
+    using spike_type = 
+        nest::mc::communication::exporter_spike_file<time_type,
         communicator_type>::spike_type;
 
-    using exporter_type = nest::mc::communication::exporter_spike_file<time_type, communicator_type>;
+    using exporter_type = 
+        nest::mc::communication::exporter_spike_file<time_type, 
+        communicator_type>;
     std::string file_name;
     std::string path;
     std::string extention;
     unsigned index;
 
-    exporter_spike_file_fixture()
-        :
+    exporter_spike_file_fixture() :
         file_name("spikes_exporter_spike_file_fixture"),
         path("./"),
         extention("gdf"),
diff --git a/tests/performance/io/disk_io.cpp b/tests/performance/io/disk_io.cpp
index 791cf07d94f85c209a0e9097fbab136c3f4d19e0..a93d627f028519ae02d564ba4b73cf1c412b6dc3 100644
--- a/tests/performance/io/disk_io.cpp
+++ b/tests/performance/io/disk_io.cpp
@@ -46,14 +46,16 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 
     if (nr_spikes == 0) {
         std::cout << "disk_io <nrspikes>" << std::endl;
-        std::cout << "  nrspikes should be a valid integer higher then zero" << std::endl;
+        std::cout << "  nrspikes should be a valid integer higher then zero" 
+                  << std::endl;
         exit(1);
     }
     int nr_repeats = atoi(argv[2]);
 
     if (nr_repeats == 0) {
         std::cout << "disk_io <nrspikes>" << std::endl;
-        std::cout << "  nr_repeats should be a valid integer higher then zero" << std::endl;
+        std::cout << "  nr_repeats should be a valid integer higher then zero" 
+                  << std::endl;
         exit(1);
     }
 
@@ -121,7 +123,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     std::vector<double> diff(timings.size());
     std::transform(timings.begin(), timings.end(), diff.begin(),
         std::bind2nd(std::minus<double>(), mean));
-    double sq_sum = std::inner_product(diff.begin(), diff.end(), diff.begin(), 0.0);
+    double sq_sum = std::inner_product(diff.begin(), diff.end(), diff.begin(),
+        0.0);
     double stdev = std::sqrt(sq_sum / timings.size());
 
     if (communication_policy.id() != 0) {
@@ -135,9 +138,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
             stdev / double(CLOCKS_PER_SEC) * 1000;
     }
     else {
-        std::cout << "total time (ms): " << time_total / double(CLOCKS_PER_SEC) * 1000 << std::endl;
-        std::cout << "mean  time (ms): " << mean / double(CLOCKS_PER_SEC) * 1000 << std::endl;
-        std::cout << "stdev  time (ms): " << stdev / double(CLOCKS_PER_SEC) * 1000 << std::endl;
+        std::cout << "total time (ms): " 
+                  << time_total / double(CLOCKS_PER_SEC) * 1000 << std::endl;
+        std::cout << "mean  time (ms): " 
+                  << mean / double(CLOCKS_PER_SEC) * 1000 << std::endl;
+        std::cout << "stdev  time (ms): " 
+                  << stdev / double(CLOCKS_PER_SEC) * 1000 << std::endl;
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/performance/io/disk_io.py b/tests/performance/io/disk_io.py
index d813c7e3721025f87cc87ff902da2f83e52ba34d..17d8b29fae423ade937b7eb4cd4cbfb5cd5618c9 100644
--- a/tests/performance/io/disk_io.py
+++ b/tests/performance/io/disk_io.py
@@ -10,11 +10,10 @@ range_nr_rank = [1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64]
 mean = []
 std = []
 for n_rank in range_nr_rank:
-    # open the disk_io executable 
-    p1 = subprocess.Popen(["mpirun", "-n",str(n_rank), 
+    # open the disk_io executable
+    p1 = subprocess.Popen(["mpirun", "-n",str(n_rank),
                            os.path.join(current_script_dir, "disk_io.exe"),
-                           str(spikes_to_save), str(10), "true" ,"true"],                         
-                          
+                           str(spikes_to_save), str(10), "true" ,"true"],
                           stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
     
     #and grab the raw stats
@@ -26,11 +25,11 @@ for n_rank in range_nr_rank:
     mean.append(float(stats[1]))
     std.append(float(stats[2]))
 
-    print ( "performed test for n_rank= " + str(n_rank))
+    print ("performed test for n_rank= " + str(n_rank))
 
-print ( range_nr_rank )
-print ( mean )
-print ( std )
+print (range_nr_rank)
+print (mean)
+print (std)
 
 plt.errorbar(range_nr_rank, mean, yerr=std, fmt='-o')
 plt.show()
\ No newline at end of file