Prettier Rust
A Prettier plugin that formats Rust code, autocorrects syntax errors, and works with incomplete code.
What is Prettier Rust?
Prettier Rust is a Prettier plugin that formats Rust code. It provides error-tolerant formatting that works even with incomplete or syntactically incorrect code, and it automatically fixes common syntax errors like missing semicolons and parentheses.
Rust developers who use Prettier for other languages and want a consistent, editor-integrated formatting experience, especially those working in VS Code or other editors with Prettier support.
Developers choose Prettier Rust over alternatives like rustfmt for its ability to format code that won't compile, its strong editor integration with autocorrection, and its uniform, opinionated style with no configuration options.
Overview
Prettier Rust is an opinionated code formatter that autocorrects bad syntax.
Use Cases
Best For
- Formatting Rust code that contains syntax errors or is incomplete, such as drafts missing type annotations.
- Automatically fixing common Rust syntax errors like missing semicolons, blocks, and parentheses during development.
- Maintaining a consistent, opinionated code style across Rust projects with zero configuration.
- Integrating Rust formatting into a multi-language Prettier setup for languages like TypeScript, HTML, or Markdown.
- Using nightly Rust features in code that needs formatting, as it supports most nightly syntax.
- Formatting macro invocations in Rust code with conservative, token-sensitive rules.
Not Ideal For
- Projects deeply integrated with Rust's cargo ecosystem that rely on rustfmt for CI/CD pipelines
- Teams requiring highly customizable code style rules beyond Prettier's opinionated defaults
- Environments where installing Node.js is prohibitive, such as minimal Docker containers or pure Rust toolchains
Pros & Cons
Pros
Formats Rust code even with syntax errors or missing annotations, as shown in the README's example table, which fixes seven errors in incomplete code.
Automatically fixes common errors like missing semicolons and parentheses, acting like auto-applying Rust compiler suggestions to speed up development.
Offers a dedicated VS Code extension for easy installation and auto-updates, providing a seamless formatting experience directly in the editor.
Enforces a consistent, opinionated style with no configuration options, based on Prettier's battle-tested approach from TypeScript, reducing style debates.
Cons
The README admits that key Prettier options like 'trailingComma' and 'embeddedLanguageFormatting' are not yet supported, limiting customization for some use cases.
Requires Node.js and isn't as tightly integrated with Rust's native tooling like cargo, making it less convenient for projects that prefer Rust-only workflows.
Relies on jinx-rust instead of the official rustc parser, which may introduce stability risks or lag in supporting new Rust features compared to rustfmt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
ruffAn extremely fast Python linter and code formatter, written in Rust.
rustfmtFormat Rust code
dprintPluggable and configurable code formatting platform that unifies all your formatters.
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