user719550
user719550

Reputation: 12277

How do you auto format code in Visual Studio?

I know Visual Studio can auto format to make my methods and loops indented properly, but I cannot find the setting.

Upvotes: 1225

Views: 2375557

Answers (28)

Chris Catignani
Chris Catignani

Reputation: 5306

In Visual Studio 2017, 2019, 2022

Format Document is Ctrl + E, D.

But...if you want to add the Format Document button to a tool bar do this:

  • Right click on tool bar.
  • Select "Customize.."
  • Select the "Commands" Tab.
  • Select the "Toolbar" radio button.
  • Select "Text Editor" from the pull down next to the radio button (or whatever tool bar you want the button on)

Now...

  • Click the Add Command button.
  • Categories: Edit
  • Commands: Document Format
  • Click OK

Upvotes: 16

ono2012
ono2012

Reputation: 5267

For Visual Studio 2010/2013/2015/2017/2019

  • Format Document (Ctrl+K,Ctrl+D), i.e. press&hold Ctrl, press&release K then tap D as it is a sequence
  • Format Selection (Ctrl+K,Ctrl+F)

Toolbar Edit -> Advanced -> Format Document (If you can't see Advanced, select a code file in solution explorer and try again) screenshot showing Visual Studio with Edit -> Advanced -> Format Document menu open Your shortcuts might display differently to mine as I am set up for C# coding but navigating via the toolbar will get you to your ones.

If it isn't working, look for errors in your code, like missing brackets which stop auto format from working

Upvotes: 215

Zahra
Zahra

Reputation: 119

In Visual Studio 2022, I use the search bar in the top menu (Feature Search) and type "fix format" then press Enter.

Of course keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D is easier, but often I forgot it!

Upvotes: 2

podzach
podzach

Reputation: 47

In Visual Studio 2015 and 2017 for C# code.

  1. Scroll to the end of the file
  2. Remove the last "curly bracket", }
  3. Wait until the line above it shows an error
  4. Replace the "curly bracket", }

Upvotes: 0

Sergey Vlasov
Sergey Vlasov

Reputation: 27930

With the Continuous Formatting extension (commercial, developed by me), the code is formatted really automatically as you type.

Upvotes: 1

Kraego
Kraego

Reputation: 3912

Since Visual Studio 2022 17.1 there is a built-in Feature to run code formatting on save (see Microsoft Devblogs), meaning there is no need to install extensions like "Format document on Save".

enter image description here

Upvotes: 46

CAM
CAM

Reputation: 1

Using VS 2017 I wanted to format web page HTML which somehow had become entirely left aligned. Even after installing Productivity Power Tools this wouldn't work.

To fix, for HTML I had to go to Tools --> Options --> Text Editor --> HTML (Web Forms) and change; Tabs Indenting = Smart and Tab = Keep Tabs.

Upvotes: -1

Ali.Ghodrat
Ali.Ghodrat

Reputation: 3704

Visual Studio 2019 & 2022

  1. Format Document, While you're holding down Ctrl button, first press K then D
  2. Format Selection, While you're holding down Ctrl button, first press K then F

or just click Edit => Advanced => Format Document / Format Selection

enter image description here

Upvotes: 59

Slava Latun
Slava Latun

Reputation: 491

  1. Go to menu ToolsExtensions & Updates and type "productivity" in search:

    1

  2. Install 'Productivity Power Tools 2015'

  3. Restart Visual Studio.

  4. Go to menu ToolsOptionsProductivity Power ToolsPower Commands and check "Format document on save":

    2

Note: In VS2022 we don't have power commands.

  • If anyone want to have "Format document on save" and "Remove and sort using on save" install Mads Kristensen extension for VS2022 https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=MadsKristensen.CodeCleanupOnSave
  • After installing this extension it will automatically "Format document on save", "Remove and sort using on save" and "Apply file header preferences".
  • If we want to customize default settings click on "Configure Code Cleanup" menu item to add/remove any available fixers. enter image description here

Upvotes: 49

ohthepain
ohthepain

Reputation: 2080

If it's still not working then you can select your entire document, copy and paste and it will reformat.

So ...

  • Ctrl + A
  • Ctrl + C
  • Ctrl + V

This is the only thing that I have found that works in Visual Studio Community Edition on Mac.

Upvotes: 2

Keshav Gera
Keshav Gera

Reputation: 11264

Select the text you want to automatically indent.

Click menu EditAdvanced → *Format Selection, or press Ctrl + K, Ctrl + F. Format Selection applies the smart indenting rules for the language in which you are programming to the selected text.

Step (1): Ctrl + A

Step (2): Ctrl + K

Step (3): Ctrl + F

Upvotes: 9

Suresh K
Suresh K

Reputation: 36

You can also try the right click menu (context menu) option to format the selection of the coding document. Take a look at the below screenshot:

Enter image description here

Upvotes: 1

Starwfanatic
Starwfanatic

Reputation: 614

If you display the HTML Source Editing toolbar, there is a "Format the Whole Document" button as well.

Upvotes: 13

VMM
VMM

Reputation: 1071

I have installed an extension named "Format document on Save" which formats the whole document every time you save it.

For installing it in Visual Studio 2015 or Visual Studio 2017, on Tools just click the "Extensions and Updates...":

Enter image description here

And then just go to "Online" at the left panel and search for "Format document on save":

Enter image description here

Upvotes: 70

zipzit
zipzit

Reputation: 4017

The original question said "I cannot find the setting."

Simple answer is: Look at top menu, then

Edit --> Advanced --> Format Document

You will also see the currently assigned key strokes for that function. Nothing special to memorize. This really helps if you use multiple developer environments on different operating systems.

Upvotes: 5

dcmorse
dcmorse

Reputation: 1171

If you can afford it (or if you're eligible for the 30-day free trial) JetBrains' ReSharper can reformat a whole project directory.

Just install → right-click a directory → select Cleanup Code from the context menu.

Upvotes: 0

RayLoveless
RayLoveless

Reputation: 21088

Right click:

Enter image description here

It works in Visual Studio 2015, maybe earlier version.

Upvotes: 6

spaced - out
spaced - out

Reputation: 113

Just to further Starwfanatic and Ewan's answers, you can customise your IDE to add any button to any toolbar - so you can add the Format button (as the HTML Source Editing toolbar has) to any other toolbar (like Text Editing with all the other edit controls like increase/decrease indent).

Click the arrow to the right of the toolbar → Add or Remove ButtonsCustomize... → Commands tab → button.

Document Format and Selection Format are both under the Edit group.

(Tested in Visual Studio 2010 and Visual Studio 2013)

Upvotes: 2

Sami
Sami

Reputation: 4006

You can define new key bindings by going to ToolsOptionsEnvironmentkeyboard:

Enter image description here

Upvotes: 31

Eric
Eric

Reputation: 399

Under menu ToolsOptionsText Editor, then going to the FormattingGeneral section of whatever language you wish to format you will find General. Check all three formatting check-boxes.

Under menuToolsOptionsText Editor, then going to the TABS section of whatever language you wish to format you will find Indenting. Select Smart and it will activate automatic formatting whenever you use one of the closing elements ; ) } within that block.

There isn't any need for keystrokes.

Upvotes: 8

Geowil
Geowil

Reputation: 680

The solution provided in accepted answer does not apply to Microsoft Visual Studio 2012.

In case of Visual Studio 2012, the shortcuts are:

  • For a highlighted block of code: Ctrl + K, Ctrl + F
  • For the document-wide formatting: Ctrl + K, Ctrl + D

Upvotes: 11

mynkow
mynkow

Reputation: 4548

I used to use these combinations. I automated this process on Save of a document. You can try my extension Format Document on Save.

Upvotes: 14

Softmixt
Softmixt

Reputation: 1756

You can also use the CodeMaid Extension.

You can get the extension from Visual Studio Market Place.
Here is the link to the extension. CodeMaid

Upvotes: 0

Paul Sumpner
Paul Sumpner

Reputation: 487

In Visual Studio 2019 , "Code Cleanup" (RunDefaultCodeCleanup) is more advanced (taken from ReSharper): Ctrl + K, Ctrl + E

Options dialog box: Text EditorC#Code StyleFormatting

Auto formatting settings in Visual Studio

Upvotes: 10

Bogdan Verbenets
Bogdan Verbenets

Reputation: 26976

To format a selection: Ctrl+K, Ctrl+F

To format a document: Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D

See the pre-defined keyboard shortcuts. (These two are Edit.FormatSelection and Edit.FormatDocument.)

Note for macOS

On macOS, use the CMD ⌘ key instead of Ctrl:

  • To format a selection: CMD ⌘+K, CMD ⌘+F
  • To format a document: CMD ⌘+K, CMD ⌘+D

Upvotes: 1823

Pete
Pete

Reputation: 10871

Follow the steps below:

  • Go to menu Tools
  • Go to Options
  • Go to the Text Editor options
  • Click the language of your choice. I used C# as an example.

See the below image:

Enter image description here

Upvotes: 43

Jackson Smith
Jackson Smith

Reputation: 716

On mac : Shift + Option + F

On ubuntu : Ctrl + Shift + I

Upvotes: 26

Ewan
Ewan

Reputation: 581

You can add the buttons to your toolbar by clicking the little drop down arrow to the right of the last toolbar button, select "Add or Remove Buttons" and then click the buttons you want to add a tick to them. The button(s) you select will appear on your toolbar ...

enter image description here

Then you just select text and click the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent buttons. I tested this on Visual Studio 2013 only.

Upvotes: 6

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