Visual Studio Code: How to Auto Format Your Code

In Visual Studio Code, auto formatting your code can be done in just a few clicks. In this article, we will explore the steps to configure code cleanup and apply it to your codebase.

To open the dialog box for configuring code cleanup, click on the expander arrow next to the code cleanup broom icon and then choose Configure Code Cleanup. After you have configured code cleanup, you can either click on the broom icon or press Ctrl+K, Ctrl+E to run code cleanup.

When configuring code cleanup, you will need to decide which code styles you want to apply. You can do this by selecting one of two profiles in the Configure Code Cleanup dialog box. This allows you to strictly enforce consistent code styles throughout your codebase.

During code cleanup, .NET code style violations will appear as warnings or errors with an 'IDE' prefix. Additionally, starting from Visual Studio 2019 version 16.8, a new icon appears when a non-preferred style is used, and you can choose an option on the Quick Actions list to automatically rewrite code to the preferred style.

When configuring code styles, make sure that the Severity setting is set to something other than Refactoring Only. The Severity value can be set to Refactoring Only, Suggestion, Warning, or Error.

You can also set the Preference and Severity values for each code style setting on this page using the drop-downs on each line. This allows you to customize your code styles according to your preferences.

In addition to configuring code cleanup in Visual Studio Code, you can also specify code style preferences in an editorconfig file associated with the project. However, note that these preferences are not enforced during build time, including in continuous integration (CI) builds.

It's also important to note that options set in this window are applicable to your Visual Studio personalization account and are not associated with a particular project or codebase.

By following these simple steps, you can auto format your code using Visual Studio Code. With consistent code styles, you can improve the readability of your code and make it easier for others to collaborate on your projects.

Visual studio code auto format code