BicepFlex

Formats .bicep and .bicepparam with bundled Prettier and the official Bicep compiler. Does not require local npm dependencies or the Prettier VS Code extension. Install the .NET 10 runtime on the machine where VS Code runs the extension; for remote workspaces, install it on the remote host. This extension does not include or download the .NET runtime.

Select BicepFlex as the default formatter for Bicep and Bicep Parameters in VS Code's Format Document With... menu. The Microsoft Bicep extension is recommended for language features, but not required to format. Formatting selections or modified ranges is not supported; if you enable Format on Save, use "editor.formatOnSaveMode": "file" for both languages.

Defaults: two-space indentation, width 180, endOfLine: "auto", multiline objects and dependency-aware declaration ordering. Plain parameters form compact blocks; parameters with @description have a blank line on either side. A comment attached directly to the next plain parameter stays in that block. Set bicepFlex.bicepParameterSpacing to "inherit" to follow general declaration spacing instead. Resource properties place location before dependsOn by default; the property order is configurable. Multiline ternary branches indent one level, including wrapped conditions inside array loops. Nested ternaries inside wrapped calls retain their branch indentation without dedenting neighboring object properties. Wrapped lambda bodies align with their => header, including nested lambdas inside multiline calls. Calls under &&/|| stay inline by default in any expression, even beyond width. Arrays of one or two small objects stay compact when the line fits, including inside multiline calls; comments and preserve/multiline layout choices take precedence. Calls in if conditions and conditional loop headers remain inline by default; set bicepFlex.bicepIfConditionLayout to "wrap" for width-based wrapping. Direct resource/module if conditions stay on one line by default; when the header is long, if (...) { moves below =. Use bicepFlex.bicepConditionalHeader: "inline" for the previous placement or "auto" for width-based placement without compacting the condition. Extra spaces between syntax tokens on one line are collapsed without changing comments or strings. Change options in the VS Code Settings UI or User Settings JSON:

{
  "bicepFlex.bicepPrintWidth": 180,
  "bicepFlex.bicepTabWidth": 2,
  "bicepFlex.bicepIndentStyle": "spaces"
}

Call-expression loops, including union(..., { ... }) bodies, also compact when the entire line fits, with tight object braces ({slots: slots}); fitting calls in property values follow the same rule. Comments and preserved object layouts stay intact. Ternary object properties also collapse to one line when they fit, using tight braces such as enabled ? {url: endpoint} : null.

Set "bicepFlex.preset": "minimal" to avoid declaration and property reordering. Individual settings override options supplied by optional .prettierrc.json files, which receive offline Bicep option completion. In the VS Code Settings UI, Preset appears first when browsing the extension with an empty search box; frequently used layout and ordering options follow. Dropdown descriptions explain each available value. Searches may use VS Code's own ordering. Where applicable, choose "preserve" to retain authored layout or dependency-safe declaration placement; compact layouts may exceed the width target. Parameter spacing has its own preserve choice, separate from general declaration spacing. Safety checks still reject changed syntax or diagnostics; see the configuration reference. The extension always uses its bundled Bicep plugin; project plugin entries do not load into the extension, and no project npm install is necessary. Only trusted workspaces load project Prettier configuration. See the full configuration reference.

Formatting is whole-document only and refuses invalid input or generated code that changes syntax, comments, or compiler diagnostics. The formatter uses Azure.Bicep.Core 0.47.16 and may not understand later syntax. The Bicep language server's built-in formatting does not offer this formatter's ordering policies.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft or Prettier. License and dependency notices are included in the extension package.