code-formatter_skill

Overview

This skill formats source code files using industry-standard formatters to enforce consistent style across projects. It supports multiple languages including Python, JavaScript, and JSON and exposes command-style triggers for file, directory, and check-only operations. The goal is predictable, tool-backed formatting to reduce style debates and pre-commit failures.

How this skill works

The skill runs appropriate formatters (for example Black for Python) against specified files or directories, with options for line length and recursive traversal. It can operate in-place or in a check-only mode that reports formatting differences without modifying files. The implementation maps file types to their recommended formatter and applies configurable flags passed by the user.

When to use it

• Before committing code to keep diffs small and consistent
• As part of a CI pipeline to enforce style automatically
• When onboarding new contributors to align code style
• Before code review to focus reviewers on logic rather than formatting
• When normalizing mixed or legacy codebases for refactoring

Best practices

• Run the formatter from a pre-commit hook or CI job to catch issues early
• Use the check-only mode in automated tests to prevent unformatted code from merging
• Keep formatter configuration (line length, excludes) in the repo so everyone shares the same settings
• Limit manual style changes in reviews; prefer reformatting with the tool to avoid churn
• Run formatting on the whole project periodically when adopting or updating rules

Example use cases

• Format a single Python file: code-formatter file.py (or using /format in chat)
• Check formatting in CI: run the tool with --check to fail builds on style issues
• Format an entire source directory recursively to standardize style across many files
• Format JSON config files to ensure consistent spacing and ordering before commits
• Customize line length for a file or project with a --line-length flag