Vscode formatter extension support for python files using yapf

A formatter extension with support for python files and notebook cell. Feel free to open an issue to tell me what feature else do you need since it's a preview version.
Note:

This extension is supported for all actively supported versions of the python language (i.e., python >= 3.9(EOL: 2025-10)).

Quick Start

Setting the following can enable this formatter quickly.

  "[python]": {
    "editor.formatOnSaveMode": "file",
    "editor.formatOnSave": true,
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "eeyore.yapf",
    "editor.formatOnType": false
  }

Usage

Install yapf package from pip in following. This is optional but recommended way, else it will use the bundled yapf=0.43.0

pip install yapf

Select this fotmatter eeyore.yapf by adding the following to your vscode settings

  "[python]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "eeyore.yapf"
  }

Enable format on save by adding the following

  "[python]": {
    "editor.formatOnSave": true
  }

Address crash for python3.8 or lower

Use yapf.interpreter property to select a python interpreter that 3.9 or higher to run this tool by subprocess

file mode & modifications mode

Choose the mode by the following

Use file mode

  "[python]": {
    "editor.formatOnSaveMode": "file"
  }

Use modifications mode

  "[python]": {
    "editor.formatOnSaveMode": "modifications"
  }

Format for notebook

Format on cell execution

  "notebook.formatOnCellExecution": true

Format on save

  "notebook.formatOnSave.enabled": true

Set your own yapf style

Note this setting has to be in the global scope of settings.json, not in a [python] block.

Set style by the following vscode settings which is equal to yapf --style '{based_on_style: pep8, indent_width: 2}'

  "yapf.args": ["--style", "{based_on_style: pep8, indent_width: 2}"]

Use a style file, like .style.yapf, setup.cfg, pyproject.toml, ~/.config/yapf/style. For details, see google/yapf

  "yapf.args": ["--style", "/home/example/.yapf"]

Add extra magic function for jupyter

This extension supports the following magic functions by default

"capture",
"prun",
"pypy",
"python",
"python3",
"time",
"timeit"

Other magic functions like %matplotlib inline, you need to add it to the yapf.cellMagics property.

"yapf.cellMagics": ["matplotlib inline"]

yapf

EeyoreLee