How do you auto format code in Visual Studio?

Question

I know Visual Studio can auto format to make my methods and loops indented properly, but I cannot find the setting.

Answer 1

To format a selection: Ctrl+K, Ctrl+F

To format a document: Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D

See the pre-defined keyboard shortcuts. (These two are Edit.FormatSelection and Edit.FormatDocument.)

Note for macOS

On macOS, use the CMD ⌘ key instead of Ctrl:

• To format a selection: CMD ⌘+K, CMD ⌘+F
• To format a document: CMD ⌘+K, CMD ⌘+D

Answer 2

For Visual Studio 2010/2013/2015/2017/2019

• Format Document (Ctrl+K,Ctrl+D), i.e. press&hold Ctrl, press&release K then tap D as it is a sequence
• Format Selection (Ctrl+K,Ctrl+F)

Toolbar Edit -> Advanced (If you can't see Advanced, select a code file in solution explorer and try again)

Your shortcuts might display differently to mine as I am set up for C# coding but navigating via the toolbar will get you to your ones.

If it isn't working, look for errors in your code, like missing brackets which stop auto format from working

Answer 3

I have installed an extension named "Format document on Save" which formats the whole document every time you save it.

For installing it in Visual Studio 2015 or Visual Studio 2017, on Tools just click the "Extensions and Updates...":

And then just go to "Online" at the left panel and search for "Format document on save":

Answer 4

Follow the steps below:

• Go to menu Tools
• Go to Options
• Go to the Text Editor options
• Click the language of your choice. I used C# as an example.

See the below image:

Answer 5

1. Go to menu Tools → Extensions & Updates and type "productivity" in search:

   

2. Install 'Productivity Power Tools 2015'

3. Restart Visual Studio.

4. Go to menu Tools → Options → Productivity Power Tools → Power Commands and check "Format document on save":

   

Answer 6

You can define new key bindings by going to Tools → Options → Environment → keyboard:

Answer 7

On mac : Shift + Option + F

On ubuntu : Ctrl + Shift + I

Answer 8

If you display the HTML Source Editing toolbar, there is a "Format the Whole Document" button as well.

Answer 9

The solution provided in accepted answer does not apply to Microsoft Visual Studio 2012.

In case of Visual Studio 2012, the shortcuts are:

• For a highlighted block of code: Ctrl + K, Ctrl + F
• For the document-wide formatting: Ctrl + K, Ctrl + D

Answer 10

I used to use these combinations. I automated this process on Save of a document. You can try my extension Format Document on Save.

Answer 11

In Visual Studio 2019 , "Code Cleanup" (RunDefaultCodeCleanup) is more advanced (taken from ReSharper): Ctrl + K, Ctrl + E

Options dialog box: Text Editor → C# → Code Style → Formatting

Auto formatting settings in Visual Studio

Answer 12

In Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio 2019

Format Document is Ctrl + E, D.

But...if you want to add the Format Document button to a tool bar do this:

• Right click on tool bar.
• Select "Customize.."
• Select the "Commands" Tab.
• Select the "Toolbar" radio button.
• Select "Text Editor" from the pull down next to the radio button (or whatever tool bar you want the button on)

Now...

• Click the Add Command button.
• Categories: Edit
• Commands: Document Format
• Click OK

Answer 13

Select the text you want to automatically indent.

Click menu Edit → Advanced → *Format Selection, or press Ctrl + K, Ctrl + F. Format Selection applies the smart indenting rules for the language in which you are programming to the selected text.

Step (1): Ctrl + A

Step (2): Ctrl + K

Step (3): Ctrl + F

Answer 14

Under menu Tools → Options → Text Editor, then going to the Formatting → General section of whatever language you wish to format you will find General. Check all three formatting check-boxes.

Under menuTools → Options → Text Editor, then going to the TABS section of whatever language you wish to format you will find Indenting. Select Smart and it will activate automatic formatting whenever you use one of the closing elements ; ) } within that block.

There isn't any need for keystrokes.

Answer 15

You can add the buttons to your toolbar by clicking the little drop down arrow to the right of the last toolbar button, select "Add or Remove Buttons" and then click the buttons you want to add a tick to them. The button(s) you select will appear on your toolbar ...

Then you just select text and click the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent buttons. I tested this on Visual Studio 2013 only.

Answer 16

Right click:

It works in Visual Studio 2015, maybe earlier version.

Answer 17

The original question said "I cannot find the setting."

Simple answer is: Look at top menu, then

Edit --> Advanced --> Format Document

You will also see the currently assigned key strokes for that function. Nothing special to memorize. This really helps if you use multiple developer environments on different operating systems.

Answer 18

In newer versions, the shortcut for the document-wide formatting is: Shift + Alt + F

Answer 19

Select the data and the right click and you will find this option. Format Document and Format Selection:

Answer 20

Just to further Starwfanatic and Ewan's answers, you can customise your IDE to add any button to any toolbar - so you can add the Format button (as the HTML Source Editing toolbar has) to any other toolbar (like Text Editing with all the other edit controls like increase/decrease indent).

Click the arrow to the right of the toolbar → Add or Remove Buttons → Customize... → Commands tab → button.

Document Format and Selection Format are both under the Edit group.

(Tested in Visual Studio 2010 and Visual Studio 2013)

Answer 21

It's Shift + Alt + F in Windows.

But you can always double check by doing following.

1. Go to menu View → Command Palette or press Ctrl + Shift + P
2. Search for Format Document
3. You can press that to Auto Format Code or its hot key, written in front of it.

Answer 22

Visual Studio 2019

1. Format Document, While you're holding down Ctrl button, first press K then D
2. Format Selection, While you're holding down Ctrl button, first press K then F

or just click Edit => Advanced => Format Document / Format Selection

Answer 23

Simply hitting Ctrl+Shift+I will do the job.

Answer 24

With the Continuous Formatting extension (commercial, developed by me), the code is formatted really automatically as you type.

Answer 25

Visual Studio Extension - CodeMaid is pretty fine.

Answer 26

Cut/Paste of a section is another quick way (and easy to remember).

Answer 27

In Visual Studio 2015 and 2017 for C# code.

1. Scroll to the end of the file
2. Remove the last "curly bracket", }
3. Wait until the line above it shows an error
4. Replace the "curly bracket", } Fini. :)

Answer 28

You can also use the CodeMaid Extension.

You can get the extension from Visual Studio Market Place.
Here is the link to the extension. CodeMaid

Answer 29

If you can afford it (or if you're eligible for the 30-day free trial) JetBrains' ReSharper can reformat a whole project directory.

Just install → right-click a directory → select Cleanup Code from the context menu.

Answer 30

You can also try the right click menu (context menu) option to format the selection of the coding document. Take a look at the below screenshot: