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Auto Code Formatting in Cursor

tip

Cursor provides powerful code formatting capabilities that help maintain consistent code style across your projects.

Setting Up Formatters​

Built-in Formatter​

Cursor comes with a built-in formatter that supports multiple languages. To use it:

  1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P)
  2. Type "Format Document"
  3. Press Enter
# Install Prettier
npm install --save-dev prettier

# Create config file
echo {} > .prettierrc.json

Configuration Files​

Prettier Configuration​

.prettierrc.json
{
  "semi": true,
  "trailingComma": "es5",
  "singleQuote": true,
  "printWidth": 80,
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "useTabs": false,
  "bracketSpacing": true,
  "arrowParens": "avoid"
}

ESLint Configuration​

.eslintrc.json
{
  "env": {
    "browser": true,
    "es2021": true
  },
  "extends": [
    "eslint:recommended",
    "prettier"
  ],
  "rules": {
    "indent": ["error", 2],
    "linebreak-style": ["error", "unix"],
    "quotes": ["error", "single"],
    "semi": ["error", "always"]
  }
}

Format on Save​

Enable Auto-formatting​

.vscode/settings.json
{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
  "[javascript]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
  },
  "[typescript]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
  }
}

Language-specific Settings​

{
  "[python]": {
    "editor.formatOnSave": true,
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.python"
  },
  "[java]": {
    "editor.formatOnSave": true,
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "redhat.java"
  }
}

Keyboard Shortcuts​

Default formatting shortcuts:

ActionWindows/LinuxmacOS
Format DocumentShift + Alt + FShift + Option + F
Format SelectionCtrl + K Ctrl + FCmd + K Cmd + F

Advanced Configuration​

Ignore Files​

.prettierignore
# Build output
dist/
build/

# Dependencies
node_modules/

# Generated files
*.generated.*

ESLint Integration​

.eslintrc.json
{
  "extends": [
    "eslint:recommended",
    "plugin:prettier/recommended"
  ],
  "plugins": ["prettier"],
  "rules": {
    "prettier/prettier": "error"
  }
}

Custom Formatting Rules​

Style Guide Enforcement​

.prettierrc.json
{
  "overrides": [
    {
      "files": "*.component.ts",
      "options": {
        "printWidth": 120,
        "singleQuote": true
      }
    },
    {
      "files": "*.spec.ts",
      "options": {
        "printWidth": 80,
        "semi": true
      }
    }
  ]
}

Project-specific Rules​

.editorconfig
root = true

[*]
end_of_line = lf
insert_final_newline = true
charset = utf-8
indent_style = space
indent_size = 2

[*.{js,ts}]
quote_type = single

[*.py]
indent_size = 4

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

  1. Formatting Not Working

    • Check formatter installation
    • Verify configuration files
    • Ensure file is not ignored

  2. Conflicts Between Tools

    .vscode/settings.json
    {
      "editor.formatOnSave": true,
      "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
        "source.fixAll.eslint": true
      },
      "eslint.format.enable": false
    }

  3. Performance Issues

    {
      "editor.formatOnSaveTimeout": 5000,
      "editor.formatOnPaste": false
    }

Best Practices​

1. Version Control​

.gitignore
# Don't ignore formatting configs
!.prettierrc
!.eslintrc
!.editorconfig

# Ignore cache files
.prettier-cache
.eslintcache

2. Team Consistency​

Create a shared configuration:

.vscode/extensions.json
{
  "recommendations": [
    "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
    "dbaeumer.vscode-eslint"
  ]
}

3. Pre-commit Hooks​

package.json
{
  "husky": {
    "hooks": {
      "pre-commit": "lint-staged"
    }
  },
  "lint-staged": {
    "*.{js,ts,tsx}": [
      "prettier --write",
      "eslint --fix"
    ]
  }
}

IDE Integration​

Custom Keybindings​

keybindings.json
[
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+i",
    "command": "editor.action.formatDocument",
    "when": "editorHasDocumentFormattingProvider"
  }
]

Workspace Settings​

.vscode/settings.json
{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.formatOnPaste": true,
  "editor.formatOnType": true,
  "files.trimTrailingWhitespace": true,
  "files.insertFinalNewline": true,
  "files.trimFinalNewlines": true
}
tip

Remember to commit your formatting configuration files to ensure consistent formatting across your team!