Code-style rule options
You can define and maintain consistent code style in your codebase by defining .NET code-style rules and their associated options in a configuration file. These rules are surfaced by various development IDEs, such as Visual Studio, as you edit your code. For .NET projects, these rules can also be enforced at build time. You can enable or disable individual rules and configure the degree to which you want each rule enforced, via a severity level.
Tip
When you define code style options in an EditorConfig file, you're configuring how you want the code style analyzers to analyze your code. The EditorConfig file is the configuration file for these analyzers.
Code style options can also be set in Visual Studio in the Text editor options dialog. These are per-user options that are only respected while editing in Visual Studio. These options are not respected at build time or by other IDEs. Additionally, if the project or solution opened inside Visual Studio has an EditorConfig file, then options from the EditorConfig file take precedence. In Visual Studio on Windows, you can also generate an EditorConfig file from your text-editor options. Select Tools > Options > Text Editor > [C# or Basic] > Code Style > General, and then click Generate .editorconfig file from settings. For more information, see Code style preferences.
Code style rules are divided into following subcategories:
Each of these subcategories defines its own syntax for specifying options. For more information about these rules and the corresponding options, see Code-style rule reference.
Example EditorConfig file
To help you get started, here's an example .editorconfig file with the default options.
Note
The concise syntax seen in this file, where the severity is specified after the option value for language rules, for example, dotnet_style_readonly_field = true:suggestion, is only fully understood by Visual Studio. Compilers don't understand the :<severity-level> suffix and it is ignored if you compile your code from the command line. To set severity in a way that's understood by both Visual Studio and the C# and Visual Basic compilers, set the severity on the rule that contains the option by using the following syntax:
dotnet_diagnostic.<rule-ID>.severity = <severity-level>
For more information, see Option format.
Tip
- In Visual Studio, you can add the following default .NET .editorconfig file to your project from the Add New Item dialog box. For detailed steps, see Add and remove EditorConfig files.
- For information about using .editorconfig files in Visual Studio for Mac, see Creating and editing a custom EditorConfig file.
- For Visual Studio Code, you can use the EditorConfig for VS Code plugin to override user/workspace settings with settings found in .editorconfig files.
###############################
# Core EditorConfig Options #
###############################
root = true
# All files
[*]
indent_style = space
# XML project files
[*.{csproj,vbproj,vcxproj,vcxproj.filters,proj,projitems,shproj}]
indent_size = 2
# XML config files
[*.{props,targets,ruleset,config,nuspec,resx,vsixmanifest,vsct}]
indent_size = 2
# Code files
[*.{cs,csx,vb,vbx}]
indent_size = 4
insert_final_newline = true
charset = utf-8-bom
###############################
# .NET Coding Conventions #
###############################
[*.{cs,vb}]
# Organize usings
dotnet_sort_system_directives_first = true
# this. preferences
dotnet_style_qualification_for_field = false:silent
dotnet_style_qualification_for_property = false:silent
dotnet_style_qualification_for_method = false:silent
dotnet_style_qualification_for_event = false:silent
# Language keywords vs BCL types preferences
dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members = true:silent
dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access = true:silent
# Parentheses preferences
dotnet_style_parentheses_in_arithmetic_binary_operators = always_for_clarity:silent
dotnet_style_parentheses_in_relational_binary_operators = always_for_clarity:silent
dotnet_style_parentheses_in_other_binary_operators = always_for_clarity:silent
dotnet_style_parentheses_in_other_operators = never_if_unnecessary:silent
# Modifier preferences
dotnet_style_require_accessibility_modifiers = for_non_interface_members:silent
dotnet_style_readonly_field = true:suggestion
# Expression-level preferences
dotnet_style_object_initializer = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_collection_initializer = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_null_propagation = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_coalesce_expression = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_prefer_is_null_check_over_reference_equality_method = true:silent
dotnet_style_prefer_inferred_tuple_names = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_prefer_inferred_anonymous_type_member_names = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_prefer_auto_properties = true:silent
dotnet_style_prefer_conditional_expression_over_assignment = true:silent
dotnet_style_prefer_conditional_expression_over_return = true:silent
###############################
# Naming Conventions #
###############################
# Style Definitions
dotnet_naming_style.pascal_case_style.capitalization = pascal_case
# Use PascalCase for constant fields
dotnet_naming_rule.constant_fields_should_be_pascal_case.severity = suggestion
dotnet_naming_rule.constant_fields_should_be_pascal_case.symbols = constant_fields
dotnet_naming_rule.constant_fields_should_be_pascal_case.style = pascal_case_style
dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.applicable_kinds = field
dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.applicable_accessibilities = *
dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.required_modifiers = const
###############################
# C# Coding Conventions #
###############################
[*.cs]
# var preferences
csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types = true:silent
csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent = true:silent
csharp_style_var_elsewhere = true:silent
# Expression-bodied members
csharp_style_expression_bodied_methods = false:silent
csharp_style_expression_bodied_constructors = false:silent
csharp_style_expression_bodied_operators = false:silent
csharp_style_expression_bodied_properties = true:silent
csharp_style_expression_bodied_indexers = true:silent
csharp_style_expression_bodied_accessors = true:silent
# Pattern matching preferences
csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_is_with_cast_check = true:suggestion
csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_as_with_null_check = true:suggestion
# Null-checking preferences
csharp_style_throw_expression = true:suggestion
csharp_style_conditional_delegate_call = true:suggestion
# Modifier preferences
csharp_preferred_modifier_order = public,private,protected,internal,file,static,extern,new,virtual,abstract,sealed,override,readonly,unsafe,required,volatile,async:suggestion
# Expression-level preferences
csharp_prefer_braces = true:silent
csharp_style_deconstructed_variable_declaration = true:suggestion
csharp_prefer_simple_default_expression = true:suggestion
csharp_style_prefer_local_over_anonymous_function = true:suggestion
csharp_style_inlined_variable_declaration = true:suggestion
###############################
# C# Formatting Rules #
###############################
# New line preferences
csharp_new_line_before_open_brace = all
csharp_new_line_before_else = true
csharp_new_line_before_catch = true
csharp_new_line_before_finally = true
csharp_new_line_before_members_in_object_initializers = true
csharp_new_line_before_members_in_anonymous_types = true
csharp_new_line_between_query_expression_clauses = true
# Indentation preferences
csharp_indent_case_contents = true
csharp_indent_switch_labels = true
csharp_indent_labels = flush_left
# Space preferences
csharp_space_after_cast = false
csharp_space_after_keywords_in_control_flow_statements = true
csharp_space_between_method_call_parameter_list_parentheses = false
csharp_space_between_method_declaration_parameter_list_parentheses = false
csharp_space_between_parentheses = false
csharp_space_before_colon_in_inheritance_clause = true
csharp_space_after_colon_in_inheritance_clause = true
csharp_space_around_binary_operators = before_and_after
csharp_space_between_method_declaration_empty_parameter_list_parentheses = false
csharp_space_between_method_call_name_and_opening_parenthesis = false
csharp_space_between_method_call_empty_parameter_list_parentheses = false
# Wrapping preferences
csharp_preserve_single_line_statements = true
csharp_preserve_single_line_blocks = true
###############################
# VB Coding Conventions #
###############################
[*.vb]
# Modifier preferences
visual_basic_preferred_modifier_order = Partial,Default,Private,Protected,Public,Friend,NotOverridable,Overridable,MustOverride,Overloads,Overrides,MustInherit,NotInheritable,Static,Shared,Shadows,ReadOnly,WriteOnly,Dim,Const,WithEvents,Widening,Narrowing,Custom,Async:suggestion
See also
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