Why Developers Use This C# Formatter
- Canonical, opinionated style via CSharpier for stable and predictable diffs across your whole team
- Normalizes whitespace, indentation, line breaks, and brace layout without touching the logic of your code
- Supports modern C# syntax (records, pattern matching, raw strings, top-level statements, file-scoped namespaces, and more)
- Easy copy and download of formatted C# code from the output panel — perfect for quick one-off fixes
- Ideal for code reviews, refactors, katas, and cleaning up legacy .cs files before migrating to .NET 6/7/8
- Plays nicely with linters and analyzers — let CSharpier handle layout, and let analyzers handle rules and style
- Designed for short-lived formatting — avoid pasting highly sensitive or secret code; use the CSharpier CLI for confidential projects
🔧 How to Format C# Code (Step-by-Step) for csharp-formatter
1. Paste or Drop Your C# Code
📥 Paste your C# code into the input editor, or drop a .cs file onto the dropzone. The formatter expects syntactically valid C# — anything you could compile in a typical .NET project.
2. Run the Formatter
⚙️ Click the "Format" button to apply CSharpier’s canonical layout. Indentation, braces, and line breaks are normalized while preserving behavior. For large snippets, this also makes deeply nested logic or LINQ pipelines much easier to read.
3. Review, Copy, or Download
🔍 Compare the original and formatted code. Once you are satisfied, copy the result back into your editor or download the formatted .cs file. Use it as a quick pre-commit cleanup or as a reference for your team’s style.
Technical Details & Style Notes
Formatting Engine & Style
This formatter uses CSharpier to apply a canonical, opinionated layout to your C# source. It focuses purely on formatting and does not change program behavior.
| Aspect | What It Does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Parsing | Parses C# syntax and rewrites the code layout | No semantic or behavioral changes; it only reshapes the source. |
| Indentation | Normalizes indentation to a consistent style | 4-space indentation is common in C# projects and is used by many teams. |
| Braces & Blocks | Applies a consistent brace and newline style | Improves readability and makes diffs smaller and easier to review. |
| Whitespace | Cleans up extra spaces and normalizes blank lines | Helps highlight real changes instead of formatting noise in reviews. |
| Long Lines | Wraps long expressions according to CSharpier rules | Reduces horizontal scrolling and keeps code visually scannable. |
Supported Input & Limits
The formatter is designed for typical C# files used in .NET applications, libraries, APIs, and game projects.
| Parameter | Limit / Behavior | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| File extensions | .cs | Best for standard C# source files, including Unity scripts and ASP.NET controllers. |
| MIME types | text/x-csharp | Used to detect C# input in the editor and configure syntax highlighting. |
| Max input size | ≈ 2 MB of source code | Very large solutions are better handled via the CSharpier CLI or editor integration. |
| Encoding | UTF-8 recommended | Convert legacy encodings (e.g., Windows-1252) before formatting for best results. |
Example: Before and After
Here is a small example showing how messy C# code is normalized into a clean, review-ready layout.
// Before
using System;using System.Collections.Generic;namespace App{class Z{public static int Sum(List<int> xs){int s=0;foreach(var x in xs){s+=x;}Console.WriteLine($"Sum={s}");return s;}}}
// After
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
namespace App
{
class Z
{
public static int Sum(List<int> xs)
{
int s = 0;
foreach (var x in xs)
{
s += x;
}
Console.WriteLine($"Sum={s}");
return s;
}
}
}
Command-Line & Editor Integrations
If you want the same formatting style in your local workflow or CI pipeline, install CSharpier as a .NET tool and integrate it into your build, editor, or pre-commit hooks.
All Platforms (.NET tool)
Install CSharpier globally
dotnet tool install -g csharpierAdds the `csharpier` CLI to your PATH so you can run it from any project.
Format all C# files in a repo
csharpier **/*.csRecursively formats every .cs file under the current directory.
CI check without changing files
csharpier --check **/*.csExits with a non-zero status if files are not properly formatted, ideal for pull request gates.
Editor Integrations
Visual Studio, VS Code, Rider
Install the CSharpier extension or configure it as an external tool, then enable "Format on Save".Keeps your codebase consistently formatted without manual steps.
Popular Use Cases for the C# Formatter
Team-Wide Consistency
Enforce a single, canonical style across your .NET codebase and keep diffs small.
- Apply the same formatting to all .cs files in shared repositories.
- Run CSharpier in CI to block unformatted changes on pull requests.
- Reduce noise in code reviews by avoiding style-only discussions.
Rapid Refactors
After large edits or refactors, re-format to restore readability and structure.
- Normalize indentation after moving or duplicating blocks of code.
- Make long LINQ queries and interpolated strings easier to read.
- Clean up stray spaces, inconsistent braces, and awkward breaks.
Unity & Game Development
Keep gameplay scripts and engine integrations tidy in big Unity projects.
- Consistent braces and layout across hundreds of small scripts.
- Easier code reviews in large mono-repos and multi-team projects.
- Combine with analyzers to keep performance-critical code clean and safe.
ASP.NET Core, APIs & Blazor
Make controllers, services, Razor components, and DTOs easier to read and maintain.
- Predictable layout for attributes, records, and minimal APIs.
- Cleaner diffs when changing endpoints, contracts or DTO shapes.
- Onboard new team members faster with a single, trusted style.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
🆚Formatter vs linter — what’s the difference?
🔒Does formatting change how my C# code behaves?
🧩Does this tool reorder usings or optimize imports?
📦Does it support modern C# features?
🏗️How do I enforce this formatting style in CI?
🔐Is it safe to paste proprietary or confidential C# code here?
Pro Tips
Commit a repo-local tool manifest so your whole team uses the exact same CSharpier version and avoids "works on my machine" diffs.
Add an `.editorconfig` with your preferred line width and style settings to keep C# formatting consistent across IDEs, contributors, and CI.
Use a Git pre-commit hook or tools like pre-commit/Husky to auto-format staged `.cs` files before every commit.
Combine this formatter with Roslyn analyzers or other linters so you get both clean layout and actionable diagnostics.
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