Prettier

Last modified: 09 August 2022

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Prettier is a tool to format .js, .ts, .css, .less, .scss, .vue, and .json code. With PyCharm, you can format selected code fragments as well as entire files or directories using the Reformat with Prettier action. PyCharm adds this action as soon as you install Prettier as a dependency in your project or globally on your computer.

You can configure Prettier to reformat specific files every time such file is changed and the changes are saved automatically or manually.

Also, Prettier can be set as default formatter for specific files. It will run against such files every time you reformat your code with Ctrl+Alt+L.

See Reformat code with Prettier for details.

Before you start

Install and configure Prettier in PyCharm

Reformat code with Prettier

You can configure Prettier to reformat specific files every time such file is changed and the changes are saved automatically or manually.

Also, Prettier can be set as default formatter for specific files. It will run against such files every time you reformat your code with Ctrl+Alt+L.

This behaviour can be enabled in the current project as well as for all new projects.

Run Prettier automatically on save

  1. Open the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), go to Languages & Frameworks | JavaScript | Prettier, and select the On save checkbox.

  2. In the Run for files field, specify the pattern that defines the set of files to be reformatted every time such file is saved. You can accept the default pattern or type a custom one.

    With the default pattern, {**/*,*}.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}, Prettier will wake up and process any updated and saved JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX, or TSX file. To reformat files of other types or files stored in specific folders, use glob patterns to update the default pattern.

    • For example, to automatically reformat Style Sheet files as well, add css,sass,scss to the default pattern as follows:

      {**/*,*}.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,css,scss,sass}

    • To reformat files from a specific folder, replace {**/*,*} with <path to the folder>*.

      Suppose, you have a project with the following structure:

      Prettier: custom patterns. Example project structure

      To apply Prettier automatically only to the files in the src folder, update the pattern as follows:

      src/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}

      As a result, the file dog.ts will be reformatted on save while animal.ts will remain unchanged.

Set Prettier as default formatter

  1. Open the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), go to Languages & Frameworks | JavaScript | Prettier, and select the On code reformat checkbox.

  2. In the Run for files field, specify the pattern that defines the set of files to be always reformatted with Prettier. Accept the default pattern or customize it as described in Run Prettier automatically on save.

Configure Prettier to run on save or on reformat in new projects

  1. From the main menu, select File | New Projects Setup | Settings/Preferences for New Projects. In the dialog that opens, go to Languages & Frameworks | JavaScript | Prettier.

  2. Use the On code reformatting and On save checkboxes to specify the actions that will trigger Prettier.

  3. If necessary, update the default pattern in the Run for files field as described in Run Prettier automatically on save.

Apply Prettier code style rules

See also

Procedures

Reference