Format Directory - VS Code Extension

that formats entire directories or individual files using your configured VS Code formatter settings, accessible via right-click context menu.

Changelog

v1.2.3

Bug Fix: Batch formatting now uses VS Code's Format Document command instead of selecting the first formatting provider, respecting the configured default formatter, language-specific settings, and detected indentation.
Bug Fix: Formatter selection now prioritizes language-specific editor.defaultFormatter settings, then formatdir.formatterPriority, and finally general editor.defaultFormatter settings.
Reliability: Editor formatting operations are serialized, unsaved files are skipped, and editor-switch checks prevent saving the wrong target. Failure to restore the previous editor no longer discards a successfully formatted file's undo backup.
Preview: Preview now confirms the target-file list and opens original files on click, avoiding misleading diffs generated by a different formatter.
Test: Added 9 regression tests for formatter invocation, serialized execution, cancellation, unsaved files, editor switching, error recovery, and formatter precedence; all 24 tests, compilation, and lint pass.

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed release notes.

Features

Right-click formatting: Format individual files or entire directories 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)
.gitignore support: Optionally respect .gitignore patterns for automatic exclusions
Progress tracking: Visual progress notification with cancellation support
Error handling: Detailed error reporting for failed files
Internationalization (i18n): automatically switches based on VS Code language settings
Respects user settings: Uses your configured formatters and editor settings from settings.json
Install recommended formatters: Quickly discover and install popular formatting extensions via the settings page or command palette
Performance optimization: High-performance file scanning using VS Code's native index and concurrent file formatting for faster processing.

Usage

Format with Default Settings

Right-click on any file or folder in the Explorer
Select "Format"
The extension will format all matching files based on your 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)
日本語 (Japanese): When VS Code is set to Japanese
Français (French): When VS Code is set to French
Deutsch (German): When VS Code is set to German
Español (Spanish): When VS Code is set to Spanish
Italiano (Italian): When VS Code is set to Italian
Русский (Russian): When VS Code is set to Russian
Português (Portuguese - Brazil): When VS Code is set to Portuguese (Brazil)
한국어 (Korean): When VS Code is set to Korean
Türkçe (Turkish): When VS Code is set to Turkish
繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese): When VS Code is set to Traditional Chinese
العربية (Arabic): When VS Code is set to Arabic
हिन्दी (Hindi): When VS Code is set to Hindi
Nederlands (Dutch): When VS Code is set to Dutch
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese): When VS Code is set to Vietnamese
Polski (Polish): When VS Code is set to Polish
ไทย (Thai): When VS Code is set to Thai
Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian): When VS Code is set to Indonesian 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", ".sql"
]

`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",
  "**/.next/**",
  "**/.nuxt/**",
  "**/coverage/**",
  "**/__pycache__/**",
  "**/target/**",
  "**/.gradle/**",
  "**/Pods/**",
  "**/*.min.d.ts"
]

`formatdir.showProgress`

Show progress notification when formatting.

Default: true

`formatdir.concurrencyLimit`

Maximum number of files to format concurrently. Higher values may improve performance but use more system resources.

Default: 10 Range: 1-50

`formatdir.maxFileSize`

Maximum file size in bytes to format. Files larger than this will be skipped. Set to 0 for no limit.

Default: 1048576 (1MB)

`formatdir.language`

Override the language used by the extension.

auto: Use VS Code display language (default)
en: English
zh-cn: Chinese (Simplified)
ja: Japanese
fr: French
de: German
es: Spanish
it: Italian
ru: Russian
pt-br: Portuguese (Brazil)
ko: Korean
tr: Turkish
zh-tw: Chinese (Traditional)
ar: Arabic
hi: Hindi
nl: Dutch
vi: Vietnamese
pl: Polish
th: Thai
id: Indonesian

`formatdir.respectGitignore`

Automatically exclude files matching patterns in .gitignore. When enabled, the extension reads .gitignore from the workspace root and applies its patterns alongside the configured excludePatterns.

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,
  "formatdir.concurrencyLimit": 10,
  "formatdir.maxFileSize": 1048576,
  "formatdir.language": "auto",
  "formatdir.respectGitignore": 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 opens each target file and runs VS Code's Format Document command (editor.action.formatDocument), using the same default formatter selection as manual document formatting. These editor operations run sequentially to keep each command on the correct file. The preview option shows a target-file confirmation list; clicking a file opens its original content rather than generating a diff with a potentially different formatter.

This 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

Formatter selection follows this order: a language-specific editor.defaultFormatter (such as [php]), then formatdir.formatterPriority for that language, then the general editor.defaultFormatter. VS Code resolves user, workspace, and workspace-folder settings within each level. editor.formatOnSave controls save-time formatting separately.

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

FAQ

Why are some files being skipped?

Files might be skipped if:

They don't match the configured formatdir.fileExtensions.
They match an entry in formatdir.excludePatterns.
They match patterns in .gitignore (if respectGitignore is enabled).
Their file size exceeds formatdir.maxFileSize (default 1MB).
There is no formatter installed/configured in VS Code for that file type.

How do I use a specific formatter (e.g. Prettier instead of built-in)?

This extension uses your VS Code settings. Set the default formatter for a language in your settings.json:

"[javascript]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
}

You can also use the "Format Directory: Configure Formatter Priority" command to quickly jump to these settings.

Can I undo a formatting operation?

Yes! Use the command "Format Directory: Undo Last Format" from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) to revert the changes.

How do I install formatters for my project?

Use the command "Format Directory: Install Recommended Formatters" from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P). This will show a list of popular formatters (Prettier, ESLint, Black, etc.) that you can select and install with one click.

Format Directory