Introduction

Consistent code formatting is essential for maintaining readable, maintainable codebases, especially in team environments. However, remembering all the commands, configurations, and best practices for different formatters across various programming languages can be challenging.

That's why we've created this comprehensive formatter cheat sheet—a single reference document that brings together the most important formatting commands, configurations, and tips for all major programming languages.

Why Use a Formatter Cheat Sheet?

Even experienced developers can't memorize every formatter command and configuration option. Our cheat sheet offers several benefits:

• Time-saving reference: Quickly look up commands instead of searching documentation
• Cross-language consistency: Apply consistent formatting practices across different languages
• Onboarding tool: Help new team members adopt your code style standards
• Best practices guide: Learn recommended configurations from industry experts
• Offline access: Reference formatting commands even without internet access

What's Included in the Cheat Sheet

Our formatter cheat sheet covers:

• Installation commands for all major formatters
• Basic usage examples with the most common options
• Configuration file templates with recommended settings
• Editor integration instructions for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Vim, and more
• CI/CD integration snippets for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and others
• Troubleshooting tips for common formatting issues
• Language-specific best practices for consistent code style

JavaScript Formatting (Prettier & ESLint)

The cheat sheet includes comprehensive information on JavaScript formatting with Prettier and ESLint, including:

# Installation
npm install --save-dev prettier eslint eslint-config-prettier

# Basic usage
npx prettier --write "**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx,json,css,md}"
npx eslint --fix "**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}"

You'll also find sample configuration files and editor integration instructions:

// .prettierrc
{
  "semi": true,
  "singleQuote": true,
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "trailingComma": "es5",
  "printWidth": 100,
  "bracketSpacing": true,
  "arrowParens": "avoid"
}

Python Formatting (Black & Flake8)

For Python developers, the cheat sheet covers Black and Flake8 configuration:

# Installation
pip install black flake8

# Basic usage
black .
flake8

Sample configuration for Black in pyproject.toml:

[tool.black]
line-length = 88
target-version = ['py38']
include = '\.pyi?$'
exclude = '''
/(
    \.git
  | \.hg
  | \.mypy_cache
  | \.tox
  | \.venv
  | _build
  | buck-out
  | build
  | dist
)/
'''

Java Formatting (Google Java Format)

Java developers will find detailed information on Google Java Format:

# Installation
# Download the jar file or use Maven/Gradle dependency

# Basic usage
java -jar google-java-format-1.15.0-all-deps.jar --replace *.java

# Maven plugin configuration

  com.coveo
  fmt-maven-plugin
  2.13
  
    
      
        format
      
    
  

C# Formatting (dotnet format)

For C# developers, the cheat sheet includes dotnet format commands and EditorConfig examples:

# Installation
dotnet tool install -g dotnet-format

# Basic usage
dotnet format

# Format specific project
dotnet format ./MyProject.csproj

Sample EditorConfig settings:

# .editorconfig
root = true

[*.cs]
indent_style = space
indent_size = 4
end_of_line = crlf
charset = utf-8
trim_trailing_whitespace = true
insert_final_newline = true

# C# formatting rules
csharp_new_line_before_open_brace = all
csharp_space_between_method_declaration_parameter_list_parentheses = false

Ruby Formatting (RuboCop)

Ruby developers will find RuboCop commands and configuration examples:

# Installation
gem install rubocop

# Basic usage
rubocop
rubocop --auto-correct
rubocop --auto-correct-all

Sample .rubocop.yml configuration:

AllCops:
  NewCops: enable
  TargetRubyVersion: 3.1

Style/StringLiterals:
  EnforcedStyle: single_quotes

Layout/LineLength:
  Max: 100

Metrics/MethodLength:
  Max: 15

Go Formatting (gofmt)

Go developers will appreciate the gofmt and goimports reference:

# Basic usage (built into Go)
gofmt -w .

# With imports organization
go install golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports@latest
goimports -w .

HTML/CSS Formatting

The cheat sheet also covers HTML and CSS formatting with Prettier and other tools:

# Using Prettier for HTML/CSS
npx prettier --write "**/*.{html,css,scss}"

# Using stylelint for CSS
npm install --save-dev stylelint stylelint-config-standard
npx stylelint "**/*.css" --fix

Editor Integration Tips

The cheat sheet includes setup instructions for popular editors:

Download the Cheat Sheet

Ready to streamline your formatting workflow? Download our comprehensive formatter cheat sheet now:

Feedback and Updates

We're constantly improving our formatter cheat sheet based on user feedback and changes in the formatting ecosystem. If you have suggestions for improvements or notice any errors, please let us know:

• Email us at{" "} [email protected]
• Open an issue on our{" "} GitHub repository
• Connect with us on{" "} Twitter

We release updated versions of the cheat sheet quarterly to ensure all information remains current with the latest formatter versions and best practices.