The Best Code Formatters for VS Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is one of the most popular code editors among developers due to its flexibility, extensive plugin ecosystem, and user-friendly interface. One of the essential aspects of maintaining high code quality and readability is using code formatters. Code formatters automatically adjust your code to conform to consistent style guidelines, making it easier to read, understand, and maintain. Here are some of the best code formatters for VS Code that you should consider incorporating into your workflow.

1. Prettier

Overview

Prettier is an opinionated code formatter that supports a wide range of languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, HTML, and more. It enforces a consistent style by parsing your code and reprinting it with its rules.

Features

• Supports Multiple Languages: Prettier works with many languages out of the box.
• Configurable: You can customize Prettier’s settings to match your preferred code style.
• Integrated with VS Code: Prettier can be easily integrated with VS Code to format code on save.

Installation

To install Prettier in VS Code:

1. Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Search for “Prettier — Code formatter” and install it.
3. Configure Prettier to format on save by adding the following settings in your settings.json:

"editor.formatOnSave": true,
"prettier.singleQuote": true,
"prettier.trailingComma": "all"

2. ESLint

Overview

ESLint is primarily a linting tool for JavaScript and TypeScript, but it also has powerful formatting capabilities. It can automatically fix many formatting issues based on your defined rules.

Features

• Highly Configurable: ESLint allows you to define your own rules or use pre-configured sets of rules.
• Integration with Prettier: ESLint can work alongside Prettier to handle both linting and formatting.
• Supports Plugins: Extend ESLint’s functionality with a variety of plugins.

Installation

To install ESLint in VS Code:

1. Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Search for “ESLint” and install it.
3. Configure ESLint in your project by running npx eslint --init in your terminal.
4. Add the following settings in your settings.json to enable formatting on save:

"editor.formatOnSave": true,
"eslint.autoFixOnSave": true

3. Beautify

Overview

Beautify is another popular code formatter for VS Code that supports various languages such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and JSON. It focuses on making your code more readable and aesthetically pleasing.

Features

• Language Support: Beautify supports a wide range of languages.
• Configurable Options: Customize Beautify’s settings to match your desired code style.
• Integration: Easily integrates with VS Code for a seamless formatting experience.

Installation

To install Beautify in VS Code:

1. Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Search for “Beautify” and install it.
3. Add the following settings in your settings.json to configure Beautify:

"editor.formatOnSave": true,
"beautify.language": {
    "js": {
        "type": [
            "javascript",
            "json"
        ],
        "filename": [
            ".jshintrc",
            ".jsbeautifyrc"
        ]
    },
    "css": ["css", "scss"],
    "html": ["htm", "html"]
}

Conclusion

Using a code formatter in VS Code can significantly improve your coding efficiency, maintainability, and overall code quality. Whether you prefer the comprehensive support of Prettier, the linting and formatting capabilities of ESLint, the readability focus of Beautify, or the powerful formatting of clang-format, there is a tool that fits your needs. Integrate these formatters into your workflow and take your coding experience to the next level, just like Iron Man with his advanced technology.

I hope you find this blog post useful! Let me know if there are any additional points or adjustments you’d like to make.