Universal SQL Prettier

Format SQL queries anywhere in your codebase — inside any file type, any string delimiter, multiple selections at once.

Features

• Vertical alignment — every clause keyword (SELECT, FROM, LEFT JOIN, ORDER BY, …) and its content align to one straight column
• Works in any file — detects and formats SQL inside ` template literals, "...", '...' strings, and raw .sql files
• Multi-selection — Ctrl+Click or Ctrl+D to select separate queries and format them all at once with one shortcut
• Multiple queries — select a block containing several SQL statements (separated by ;, blank lines, or stacked keywords) and each is formatted independently
• Keyword uppercase — all SQL keywords are uppercased; string literal values are never touched
• Subquery aware — nested (SELECT ...) blocks are preserved as-is inside their parentheses, not re-aligned as top-level clauses
• 4 dialects — PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, T-SQL

Demo

How it looks

Before

seLECT u.id,u.name,count(o.id)as order_count,sum(o.total)as revenue from users u LEFT join orders o on u.id=o.user_id where u.status='active' and u.created_at > '2024-01-01' group by u.id,u.name order by revenue desc limit 10 offset 20

After

SELECT      u.id,
            u.name,
            COUNT(o.id)  AS order_count,
            SUM(o.total) AS revenue
FROM        users u
LEFT JOIN   orders o
ON          u.id = o.user_id
WHERE       u.status = 'active'
  AND       u.created_at > '2024-01-01'
GROUP BY    u.id,
            u.name
ORDER BY    revenue DESC
LIMIT       10
OFFSET      20

Subquery — stays intact

SELECT    json_build_object(
            'loans', (
              SELECT COALESCE(json_agg(bl), '[]'::json)
              FROM loans.borrower_loans bl
              WHERE bl.customer_id = c.id
            )
          ) AS data
FROM      customers.customers c
ORDER BY  c.updated_at DESC
LIMIT     ?
OFFSET    ?

Usage

Format a single selection

1. Select any SQL text (raw query, template literal, quoted string)
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+P (Mac: Cmd+Alt+P)

Format multiple separate queries

1. Ctrl+Click or Ctrl+D to add selections on each query you want
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+P — each selection is formatted independently

Format a block with several queries

Select a block containing multiple statements separated by ;, blank lines, or just stacked — all are detected and formatted individually.

Format an entire .sql file

Use VS Code's built-in Shift+Alt+F (Format Document) — works automatically on .sql files.

Right-click

Right-click anywhere in the editor → SQL: Format Query

Supported string contexts

Commands

Configuration

{
  "sqlFormatter.dialect": "postgresql",
  "sqlFormatter.formatOnSave": false,
  "sqlFormatter.keywordCase": "upper"
}

FAQ

My SQL isn't being formatted. Make sure the selected text contains a recognisable SQL statement (SELECT … FROM, INSERT INTO, UPDATE … SET, DELETE FROM, or CREATE TABLE). If it doesn't match, a warning is shown.

Subqueries are being exploded onto separate lines. Update to the latest version — subquery-aware formatting (paren-depth tracking) was added to prevent this.

Can I format SQL in Go / Python / Java files? Yes. Select the SQL string (with or without the surrounding quotes/backticks) and press Ctrl+Alt+P.

Will Shift+Alt+F work on non-SQL files? No — the built-in Format Document provider is registered for .sql files only. Use Ctrl+Alt+P for other file types.

I have multiple queries in one selection — will both be formatted? Yes. Queries separated by ;, a blank line, or a new statement keyword at the top level are each formatted independently and joined back with a blank line between them.

License

MIT — see LICENSE

Issues & Requests

github.com/sagarr-singh/vs_code_universal_sql_formatter_ext/issues