Format Directory - VS Code Extension

A VS Code extension that allows you to format entire directories with a right-click context menu option.

Features

Right-click directory formatting: Format all files in a directory directly from the Explorer
Recursive formatting: Optionally format files in subdirectories
Customizable file types: Configure which file extensions to format
Exclude patterns: Skip specific directories or files (e.g., node_modules, dist)
Progress tracking: Visual progress notification with cancellation support
Error handling: Detailed error reporting for failed files
Internationalization (i18n): Supports English and Chinese, automatically switches based on VS Code language settings
Respects user settings: Uses your configured formatters and editor settings from settings.json
Two formatting modes:
- Default: Use saved configuration settings
- Reconfigure: Customize settings on-the-fly before formatting

Usage

Format with Default Settings

Right-click on any folder in the Explorer
Select "Format Directory (Default Settings)" or "格式化目录 (默认配置)" (depending on your VS Code language)
The extension will format all matching files based on your settings

Format with Custom Settings

Right-click on any folder in the Explorer
Select "Format Directory (Reconfigure)" or "格式化目录 (重新配置)"
Enter file extensions to format (comma-separated)
Choose whether to format subdirectories recursively
Formatting will begin with your custom settings

Internationalization

The extension automatically detects your VS Code language setting and displays the interface accordingly:

English: When VS Code is set to English
中文: When VS Code is set to Chinese (Simplified)

All menu items, notifications, and prompts will be displayed in the appropriate language.

Configuration

Open VS Code settings and search for "Format Directory" to configure:

`formatdir.fileExtensions`

Array of file extensions to format.

Default:

[
  ".js", ".ts", ".jsx", ".tsx", ".json", ".css", ".scss", ".less",
  ".html", ".xml", ".md", ".yaml", ".yml", ".vue", ".py", ".java",
  ".c", ".cpp", ".h", ".cs", ".go", ".rs", ".php", ".rb"
]

`formatdir.recursive`

Whether to recursively format files in subdirectories.

Default: true

`formatdir.excludePatterns`

Glob patterns to exclude from formatting.

Default:

[
  "**/node_modules/**",
  "**/dist/**",
  "**/build/**",
  "**/out/**",
  "**/.git/**",
  "**/vendor/**",
  "**/*.min.js",
  "**/*.min.css"
]

`formatdir.showProgress`

Show progress notification when formatting.

Default: true

Example Configuration

Add to your settings.json:

{
  "formatdir.fileExtensions": [".js", ".ts", ".json"],
  "formatdir.recursive": true,
  "formatdir.excludePatterns": [
    "**/node_modules/**",
    "**/dist/**"
  ],
  "formatdir.showProgress": true
}

Requirements

VS Code 1.85.0 or higher
Appropriate formatters installed for the file types you want to format (e.g., Prettier, ESLint)

How It Works

The extension uses VS Code's built-in formatting API (vscode.executeFormatDocumentProvider), which means it will:

Use your configured formatters: Automatically applies the formatter you've set for each file type (e.g., Prettier for JavaScript, Black for Python)
Respect your settings: Reads formatting preferences from your settings.json, including:
- editor.tabSize - Tab size for indentation
- editor.insertSpaces - Use spaces or tabs
- editor.defaultFormatter - Default formatter for each language
- Language-specific formatter settings (e.g., prettier.singleQuote, python.formatting.provider)
Apply workspace settings: Uses workspace-specific settings if available

Make sure you have the appropriate formatters installed and configured in your settings.json.

Format Directory