Why Code Formatters Exist

  • Created to end style debates once and for all—opinionated by design
  • Parses your code into an AST, then reprints it from scratch—not just regex find/replace
  • Used by React, Vue, Angular, Babel, Webpack, and most major JS projects
  • Handles edge cases you'd never think of: long strings, nested ternaries, method chains

Style Debates Formatting Ends

  • Tabs vs spaces: The formatter picks for you (configurable)
  • Semicolons: Yes or no—both camps can configure their preference
  • Trailing commas: Always, never, or ES5-compatible—your choice
  • Single vs double quotes: Set once, never argue again
  • Line length: 80 chars default, but 100 or 120 also common

What Minify Actually Does

  • Removes all whitespace, newlines, and comments
  • Shortens code without changing behavior
  • Reduces file size by 30-60% typically
  • Essential for production bundles (though bundlers usually handle this)
  • Warning: Minified code is nearly impossible to debug

Pro Tips

  • Paste minified code → Beautify to make it readable (great for debugging production issues)
  • Format before committing to keep git diffs clean
  • TypeScript-specific: Type annotations are preserved perfectly
  • JSX/TSX: Handles React component formatting including props alignment