settings.json error: "(json-to-ast) Cannot Tokenize Symbol </> at (1:1)"

[frankhale]

• VSCode Version: Code - Insiders 1.14.0-insider (b508e11, 2017-06-26T05:16:29.957Z)
• OS Version: Windows_NT ia32 10.0.15063
• Extensions:

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
aurelia	Aur	0.3.4
vscode-icontheme-nomo-dark	be5	1.3.2
path-intellisense	chr	1.4.2
githistory	don	0.2.0
vscode-generate-getter-setter	DSK	0.4.2
vscode-babel-coloring	dza	0.0.4
tslint	eg2	0.15.0
vscode-great-icons	emm	2.1.8
vsc-material-theme	Equ	1.0.0
prettier-vscode	esb	0.20.0
code-runner	for	0.6.24
beautify	Hoo	1.1.1
rest-client	hum	0.14.5
easy-icons	jam	0.3.1
continuum	jam	1.2.0
sublime-babel-vscode	jos	0.2.5
vscode-icon-theme	jtl	1.5.0
Lua	key	0.0.9
vscode-simple-icons	Lau	1.3.1
cpptools	ms-	0.12.0
typescript-javascript-grammar	ms-	0.0.22
debugger-for-chrome	msj	3.1.5
color-highlight	nau	2.2.0
material-icon-theme	PKi	2.0.9
vscode-icons	rob	7.10.1
code-settings-sync	Sha	2.8.1
vscode-parinfer	sha	0.6.1
bunker	sld	0.2.5
guides	spy	0.8.3
visualclojure	sti	0.0.2
ayu	tea	0.4.0
ReactSnippets	xab	1.4.0
maple	yjt	1.1.6
markdown-pdf	yza	0.1.7

(93 theme extensions excluded)

---

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Not sure how to reproduce this. It just started happening after I updated tonight. I've been using VS Code Insiders for a really long time but have never seen this issue.

"(json-to-ast) Cannot Tokenize Symbol </> at (1:1)"

I get this error on my VS Code settings.json file.

[PerplexDaniel]

I experience this issue as well, with a very minimal custom config so far.
In my case, it appears to be caused by editor.formatOnSave. When I remove the setting or set it to false (the default), the error disappears (sometimes after saving settings a few times).

{
    "editor.wordBasedSuggestions": false,
    "javascript.nameSuggestions": false,
    "workbench.colorTheme": "Blackboard",
    "prettier.tabWidth": 4,
    "editor.fontFamily": "'Source Code Pro', Consolas, 'Courier New', monospace",
    "editor.minimap.enabled": false,    
    "editor.fontSize": 14,
    "editor.formatOnSave": false
}

[kpman]

Having the same problem here. @PerplexDaniel
After remove the editor.formatOnSave and restart the VSCode, the error message will disappear.

[Chillee]

This is caused by prettier, not VSCode.

[geirman]

Wait, so it's caused by prettier... fine... but is there a work around? Is there an open issue with prettier? How do we deal with this. Feeling a little stranded.

I opened an issue at prettier, but then quickly realized it was the leading comment causing the error.

[frankhale]

@geirman here is the reference issue on the Prettier repo: prettier/prettier-vscode#149

[frankhale]

In the case of my settings.json file it had a comment at the top. Pretty sure that is a stock comment added by VS Code and Prettier as of a week ago is now strictly parsing JSON and comments are not part of the spec. See the issue for details on the Prettier repo, issue linked above.

[geirman]

@frankhale thank you! I figured out it was the comment pretty quickly after posting this and updated my earlier comment to highlight my oversight. Appreciate it though!

[thedamon]

This is weird. It kind of is an issue with vsCode then if they're using invalid json, isn't it? ;-)

Wonder if there's any specific reason to not just use *.js for settings