Genet JSON Formatter

Complete JSON toolkit with intelligent formatting

Genet JSON Formatter provides a comprehensive suite of JSON tools with intelligent, adaptive formatting. Keep small objects compact for readability while properly formatting complex structures, plus minification, selection-based formatting, compact list formatting, interactive list sorting, and comprehensive JSON validation.

🎬 Feature Demos

Smart JSON Formatting (Ctrl+Alt+F)

Transform messy JSON into beautifully formatted, readable code with intelligent line-length optimization.

Formats complex nested JSON with perfect indentation and smart single-line optimization

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Compact List Formatting (Ctrl+Alt+L)

Perfect for data arrays where you want each item on its own line for easy scanning.

Each array item becomes a compact single line - ideal for API responses and data lists

Key differences from regular format:

• Each array item gets its own line but stays compact on that line
• Objects remain single-line with proper spacing for readability
• Perfect for data lists, logs, and tabular JSON data

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Interactive Array Sorting (Ctrl+Alt+S)

Sort JSON arrays by any property with an intuitive property picker, plus automatic formatting.

Choose any property to sort by, with smart defaults and mixed-type support

Features:

• Interactive property picker - Choose from available object properties
• Sort direction selection - Choose ascending (A→Z, 0→9) or descending (Z→A, 9→0) order
• Smart defaults - Uses first property if none selected
• Primitive value sorting - Sorts arrays of strings, numbers, booleans by value
• Mixed-type arrays - Handles arrays with both objects and primitives (primitives first, then objects by property)
• Type-aware sorting - Numbers, strings, mixed types handled correctly
• Null-safe - Handles null/undefined values gracefully
• Auto-formatting - Applies compact list formatting after sorting

✨ Features

🎯 Smart Compact Formatting

• Small objects stay on one line for better readability
• Large objects get proper indentation for clarity
• Configurable size threshold (default: 100 characters)

🔧 Intelligent Array Handling

• Arrays with objects → Each item on separate lines
• Simple arrays → Compact on single line (when small)
• Mixed arrays → Smart formatting based on content

📋 List Formatting Mode

• Force each array item on new line → Perfect for data lists
• Keep items compact on single line → Clean tabular appearance
• Ideal for logs and data arrays → Maximum scan-ability

⚙️ Fully Configurable

• Adjustable line length limit (10-500 characters)
• Custom indentation (1-8 spaces per level)
• Real-time configuration - no reload needed

🎨 Enhanced Readability

• Proper spacing in compact objects: { "key": "value" }
• Clean formatting with spaces after colons and commas
• Consistent indentation for nested structures

🔥 Complete JSON Toolkit

• Smart Formatting → Intelligent compact/expanded formatting
• JSON Minification → Ultra-compact single-line output
• JSON Validation → Syntax checking with detailed error reporting
• Selection Support → Format specific parts of large JSON files
• Document Formatting → Integration with VS Code's Format Document (Shift+Alt+F)
• Format on Save → Automatic formatting when saving JSON files

🎯 Flexible Usage

• Format entire documents or selected text only
• Multiple formatter options available in VS Code
• Command Palette access for all formatting operations
• Keyboard shortcut support via Format Document
• Automatic formatting with configurable format-on-save

🚀 Quick Start

1. Install the extension
2. Open any JSON file
3. Choose your formatting method:

Method 1: Command Palette

• Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
• Run Genet: JSON Format (smart formatting)
• Run Genet: JSON Minify (compact single-line)

Method 2: Format Document (Recommended)

• Press Shift+Alt+F (Windows/Linux) or Shift+Option+F (macOS)
• Choose "Genet JSON Formatter" when prompted
• Set as default formatter for seamless usage

Method 3: Format Document With...

• Command Palette → Format Document With...
• Select "Genet JSON Formatter" from the list

Method 4: Keyboard Shortcuts (Fastest)

• Format JSON: Ctrl+Alt+F (Windows/Linux) or Ctrl+Cmd+Option+F (macOS)
• Format List: Ctrl+Alt+L (Windows/Linux) or Ctrl+Cmd+Option+L (macOS)
• Sort List: Ctrl+Alt+S (Windows/Linux) or Ctrl+Cmd+Option+S (macOS)
• Minify JSON: Ctrl+Alt+M (Windows/Linux) or Ctrl+Cmd+Option+M (macOS)
• Validate JSON: Ctrl+Alt+V (Windows/Linux) or Ctrl+Cmd+Option+V (macOS)
• Works only in JSON files for context-aware operation
• Customizable: Can be changed in VS Code's Keyboard Shortcuts if needed

Method 5: Format Selection (Built-in)

• Select JSON text you want to format
• Format Selection: Ctrl+K Ctrl+F (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K Cmd+F (macOS)
• Uses Genet's smart formatting on the selected text only

Method 6: Format on Save (Automatic)

• Enable format-on-save in extension settings
• Save any JSON file (Cmd+S / Ctrl+S)
• Automatic formatting applied using your configured settings

⚙️ Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• genet-json-formatter.maxSingleLineLength: Maximum character length for objects and arrays to stay on a single line (default: 100, range: 10-500)
• genet-json-formatter.indentSpaces: Number of spaces to use for indentation (default: 2, range: 1-8)
• genet-json-formatter.formatOnSave: Automatically format JSON files when saving (default: false)

🔧 Configuration

Settings UI

1. Open Settings (Cmd+, / Ctrl+,)
2. Search for "Genet JSON Formatter"
3. Adjust the settings as needed

JSON Configuration

Add to your settings.json:

{
  "genet-json-formatter.maxSingleLineLength": 150,
  "genet-json-formatter.indentSpaces": 4,
  "genet-json-formatter.formatOnSave": true,
  "[json]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "ecleroux.genet-json-formatter"
  }
}

Format on Save Setup

To enable automatic formatting when saving JSON files:

Option 1: Settings UI

1. Open Settings (Cmd+, / Ctrl+,)
2. Search "Genet format on save"
3. Check "Format On Save" checkbox

Option 2: JSON Settings

{
  "genet-json-formatter.formatOnSave": true
}

Note: Format on save only applies to .json files and will safely skip files with invalid JSON syntax.

Set as Default Formatter

To make Genet your default JSON formatter:

1. Open a JSON file
2. Format Document With... (Cmd+Shift+P → Format Document With...)
3. Choose "Genet JSON Formatter"
4. Click "Configure..." and select "Set as default formatter for JSON files"

🎯 Use Cases

API Development

• Format API responses for better readability during development
• Minify JSON for production payloads to reduce size
• Debug specific objects using selection-based formatting

Configuration Files

• Maintain compact settings while organizing large configs
• Format sections of large config files without affecting others
• Clean up messy configuration imports

Data Processing

• Clean up messy JSON data with intelligent formatting
• Process large datasets by formatting specific sections
• Prepare data files for analysis with consistent formatting

Code Reviews & Documentation

• Make JSON diffs more readable with consistent formatting
• Format code examples in documentation
• Standardize JSON across team projects

Development Workflow

• Automatic formatting with format-on-save for seamless development
• Quick minification for copying compact JSON
• Selective formatting when working with large JSON files
• Integration with existing VS Code formatting workflows
• Team consistency with standardized formatting on every save
• Error-safe operations that never break your save process

🎮 Available Commands

Command	Description	Keyboard Shortcut	Usage
Genet: JSON Format	Smart formatting with intelligent compact/expanded layout	Ctrl+Alt+F / Ctrl+Cmd+Option+F	Command Palette, Format Document, or shortcut
Genet: JSON Format List Compact	Format arrays with each item on new line as compact single-line objects	Ctrl+Alt+L / Ctrl+Cmd+Option+L	Command Palette or shortcut
Genet: JSON Sort List	Sort JSON arrays by any property and format compact with interactive property selection	Ctrl+Alt+S / Ctrl+Cmd+Option+S	Command Palette or shortcut
Genet: JSON Minify	Ultra-compact single-line JSON output	Ctrl+Alt+M / Ctrl+Cmd+Option+M	Command Palette or shortcut
Genet: JSON Validate	Validate JSON syntax with detailed error reporting	Ctrl+Alt+V / Ctrl+Cmd+Option+V	Command Palette or shortcut
Format Document	VS Code's built-in formatter (uses Genet when set as default)	Shift+Alt+F / Shift+Option+F	Built-in VS Code shortcut, right-click menu
Format Selection	Format only selected JSON text	Ctrl+K Ctrl+F / Cmd+K Cmd+F	Built-in VS Code shortcut, right-click menu

VS Code Integration Notes

• Format Document and Format Selection appear in VS Code's right-click context menu when available
• Custom commands (Genet: JSON Format, Format List Compact, Sort List, Minify, Validate) are accessed via Command Palette or keyboard shortcuts
• No custom context menu items - integration works through VS Code's built-in formatting system

🔌 VS Code Integration

Document & Range Formatting Providers

• Format Document - Integrates with VS Code's Format Document feature (Shift+Alt+F)
• Format Selection - Integrates with VS Code's Format Selection feature (Ctrl+K Ctrl+F)
• Available in "Format Document With..." menu and right-click "Format Document"/"Format Selection"
• Can be set as default JSON formatter
• Works with format-on-save functionality

Language Support

• JSON file recognition (.json files)
• Proper MIME type handling (application/json)
• Language-specific configuration options

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Context-aware shortcuts that only work in JSON files
• Non-conflicting keybindings designed to work alongside VS Code defaults
• Cross-platform support with proper Windows/Linux and macOS variants

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS
Format JSON	Ctrl+Alt+F	Ctrl+Cmd+Option+F
Format List	Ctrl+Alt+L	Ctrl+Cmd+Option+L
Sort List	Ctrl+Alt+S	Ctrl+Cmd+Option+S
Minify JSON	Ctrl+Alt+M	Ctrl+Cmd+Option+M
Validate JSON	Ctrl+Alt+V	Ctrl+Cmd+Option+V

🛠️ Technical Features

Type Safety & Code Quality

• Full TypeScript implementation with strict type checking
• Comprehensive error handling for invalid JSON
• Input validation and bounds checking for configuration
• Professional code structure with proper interfaces and constants

Performance & Reliability

• Efficient JSON parsing and formatting algorithms
• Memory-conscious handling of large JSON files
• Progress indicators for large file operations (>50KB)
• Robust error recovery that doesn't break VS Code
• Optimized for real-time formatting operations

Testing & Quality Assurance

• 118 comprehensive unit tests covering all functionality
• Sorting algorithm tests for all array types (objects, primitives, mixed)
• Edge case testing (empty arrays, null values, malformed JSON)
• Performance testing for large datasets and deep nesting
• Integration testing with VS Code APIs and commands
• Cross-platform validation ensuring consistent behavior

📝 Release Notes

1.0.1 - 2025-10-22

• NEW: JSON List Compact Formatting - Genet: JSON Format List Compact command formats arrays with each item on a single line for optimal data scanning
• NEW: Interactive Array Sorting - Genet: JSON Sort List command with property selection, ascending/descending direction choice, and automatic compact formatting
• NEW: Mixed-Type Array Support - Sort arrays containing both objects and primitives intelligently (primitives first by value, then objects by property)
• NEW: Sort Direction Control - Choose ascending (A→Z, 0→9) or descending (Z→A, 9→0) for all sorting operations
• NEW: Enhanced Keyboard Shortcuts - Added Ctrl+Alt+L for list formatting and Ctrl+Alt+S for array sorting
• ENHANCED: Smart Sorting Algorithm - Type-aware sorting handles strings, numbers, booleans, null values, and mixed types with proper fallback comparisons
• ENHANCED: Interactive UI - Visual property picker with icons and descriptions for intuitive sorting
• ENHANCED: Comprehensive Testing - Added 118+ unit tests covering all sorting scenarios, edge cases, and performance validation
• TECHNICAL: Full TypeScript Safety - Maintained strict type checking with enhanced error handling for new features

1.0.0

• Initial release with comprehensive JSON toolkit
• Smart compact formatting with intelligent layout decisions
• JSON minification for ultra-compact output
• JSON validation with detailed syntax error reporting and position information
• Selection support for formatting specific parts of JSON
• VS Code integration with Format Document and Format Selection providers
• Format on save with configurable automatic formatting
• Progress indicators for large file operations to provide user feedback
• Comprehensive keyboard shortcuts for formatting (Ctrl+Alt+F), minification (Ctrl+Alt+M), and validation (Ctrl+Alt+V) with macOS variants
• Full configurability with line length, indentation, and save behavior settings
• Type-safe implementation with comprehensive error handling
• Professional code structure with proper TypeScript types
• Language association for seamless VS Code integration
• Error-safe operations that never interfere with file saving
• Comprehensive test suite with 118+ automated tests covering functionality, performance, sorting algorithms, and edge cases

🧪 Testing & Quality Assurance

Comprehensive Test Coverage

This extension includes a robust testing suite ensuring reliability and performance:

• 🎯 Functional Tests: 118+ automated tests covering all features including advanced sorting ✅
• ⚡ Performance Tests: Large file handling (1MB+ JSON) and stress testing ✅
• 🔧 Integration Tests: Complete VS Code API integration validation ✅
• 🐛 Edge Case Tests: Invalid JSON, malformed data, and error scenarios ✅
• 📊 Benchmarking: Performance monitoring and regression detection ✅

Test Categories

• Core Algorithm Tests: Smart formatting logic validation
• VS Code Integration: Document providers, commands, and configuration
• Performance Benchmarks: Large JSON files (1MB+), deep nesting (100+ levels)
• Error Handling: Malformed JSON, edge cases, and graceful degradation
• Memory Management: Leak detection and concurrent operation testing

For detailed testing documentation, see TESTING.md.