How to disable code formatting for some part of the code using comments?

Question

I'd like to selectively disable the IntelliJ IDEA code formatter for a portion of code just like I can in Eclipse. Does IntelliJ support this feature, and if so, how do I use it?

Effeminize

Official Documentation for skipping some part of the code using comments: jetbrains.com/help/idea/… – Palazzo

This feature should be definitively enabled by default! It would be nice – Rosannarosanne

Answer 1

Since version 13 it's possible to wrap the code with

// @formatter:off
...
// @formatter:on 

IntelliJ IDEA v.2018+:

File > Settings > Editor > Code Style

IntelliJ IDEA v.2016+:

Preferences > Editor > Code Style

IntelliJ IDEA v.14+:

Preferences > Editor > Code Style > Formatter Control

You can change the formatter control markers, as long as they're in comments.

---

Ensure formatter markers in comments are enabled, as shown in the following figure:

Rsfsr

Currently, @formatter:on (or whatever you define) does nothing unless @formatter:off was already present. There are likely other ways of turning off reformatting -- or getting the editor to not reformat your code automatically. Search your preferences. This setting is to control sections that shouldn't be reformatted when manually performing a "Reformat", for instance. – Dreyer

You must go to Preferences->Code Style->General->Formatter Control and check Enable formatter markers in comments for this to work. – Scottscotti

In 14, this is in Preferences > Editor > Code Style > Formatter Control – Leaden

In the 2016.x version it's found in Settings > Editor > Code Style. – Papeterie

Another thing is that you actually can amend the markers. Then if you want to use above example your markers must match. – Minier

Why does this option disabled by default? It seems very useful to put markers in the code and restrict formatting for the whole team. – Terracotta

one thing to note here: for html, I've seen the @formatter notation seem to have no effect when deep inside tags or template blocks – Mitchelmitchell

Note that // @formatter: off will not work (only without white-space) – Damiondamita

@TimurYarosh there is a ticket for it in the Intellij IDEA youtrack, feel free to upvote it, maybe Jetbrains will finally implement it: youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEA-118043 – Ellenaellender

is possible only for java format? for XML files? tnx – Winebaum

Answer 2

Note for Carlos' answer of @formatter:off and @formatter:on to work, you may need to enable the preference first:

Discovered via How to config intellij-idea not format some part of the code?

IDEA-56995 Disabled code formatting per region using comments

Dreyer

I want to disable this on entire project – Astral

Search preferences for "Reformat" to see checkboxes for quite a few of the ways IntelliJ reformats code automatically: on paste, on typing a closing brace, from templates... You can really dig in if you want to change the functionality. Not that it always makes sense. Use IntelliJ's support if asking a question, or their bug tracker if making a suggestion. – Dreyer

It's equally possible that enabling regular expressions, then using . as your formatter off instruction might work. So long as the first line in your file can be reformatted. No guarantees though. :) – Dreyer

Answer 3

In xml files, use:

<!-- @formatter:off -->
<!-- @formatter:on -->

Moorehead

Doesn't work in xml files. Android Studio 3.4.1 based on Intelli-J. – Stele

It doesn't work in IntelliJ IntelliJ IDEA 2020.1.2 unless you enable then, in “File/Settings/Editor/Code Style“, in “Formatter Control” section. – Hunch

Works in Rider. – Ulaulah

Answer 4

Obsolete answer from 2010:

No, it's not possible right now, I've submitted a new issue which you can track.

As a temporary solution you can use external formatter plug-in for IDEA which can utilize Eclipse code formatter (I didn't check whether this particular option is supported).

Haplosis

Answer 5

It's currently not possible to exclude entire files (like regression test data xmls) from formatting. See https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEA-167112

Wifehood

Answer 6

A related question is how to stop IntelliJ formatting all files of a certain extension. I recently started using ktlint for my codebase and wanted IntelliJ to not interfere.

Using the ktlint IntelliJ plugin, I setup ktlint to run on any save in distract-free mode.

Under Tools -> Action on Save I modified the reformat code action to exclude Kotlin files.

Under Keymap, I modified the Reformat Code command to not use the hot key I normally use for saving (CMD-s).

Under Keymap, I modified the Save All command to have the hotkey CMD-s.

Current for IntelliJ 2023.3.3, Ktlint IntelliJ plugin 0.21.0

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