EditorConfig vs Prettier

July 30, 2025

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Decoding Your Dev Environment: .editorconfig vs. .prettierrc

In the world of software development, maintaining consistent code style across a project is crucial for readability and collaboration. Two popular tools that help enforce this consistency are .editorconfig and .prettierrc. While they both contribute to a standardized codebase, they operate at different levels and serve distinct, yet complementary, purposes.

What is `.editorconfig`?

Think of .editorconfig as a universal rulebook for your text editor or Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It’s a configuration file that dictates fundamental coding style preferences directly within your editor. This ensures that no matter which supported editor a team member uses, the basic formatting of the code they write remains consistent.

Key Responsibilities of .editorconfig:

Indentation Style: Defines whether to use tabs or spaces for indentation.
Indentation and Tab Size: Specifies the width of an indent.
End of Line Characters: Enforces consistent line endings (lf, crlf, or cr).
Character Set: Sets the file’s character encoding (e.g., utf-8).
Trimming Trailing Whitespace: Removes unnecessary whitespace at the end of lines.
Ensuring a Final Newline: Guarantees that files end with a newline character.

The primary goal of .editorconfig is to prevent common inconsistencies that arise from different editor configurations. It achieves this by directly influencing the editor’s behavior as you type.

What is `.prettierrc`?

On the other hand, .prettierrc is the configuration file for Prettier, an opinionated code formatter. Prettier takes a more active role by automatically reformatting your code to adhere to a predefined set of style rules. It’s less about guiding your typing and more about enforcing a consistent look and feel across the entire codebase with a single command or on save.

Key Responsibilities of .prettierrc:

Print Width: Determines the maximum line length before the code is wrapped.
Semicolon Usage: Specifies whether to include or omit semicolons at the end of statements.
Quote Style: Enforces the use of single or double quotes.
Trailing Commas: Manages the use of trailing commas in arrays and objects.
Bracket Spacing: Controls the spacing inside curly braces.
And many more language-specific formatting rules.

.prettierrc allows for a much more granular and comprehensive set of formatting rules compared to .editorconfig.

The Key Differences at a Glance

Feature	`.editorconfig`	`.prettierrc`
Purpose	Configures the editor’s basic coding style settings.	Configures an automated code formatter to rewrite code.
Scope	Basic settings like indentation, line endings, and charset.	A wide range of stylistic rules for code formatting.
Execution	Applies settings directly within the editor as you code.	Reformats code on demand (e.g., on save, pre-commit).
”Opinionated”	Less opinionated; focuses on fundamental consistency.	Highly opinionated; enforces a consistent style.

Working in Harmony: A Collaborative Approach 🤝

The real power comes from using .editorconfig and .prettierrc together. This combination provides a robust and layered approach to code consistency.

Here’s the recommended workflow:

.editorconfig as the Foundation: Use .editorconfig to set the most basic and universal coding style rules for your project. This ensures that even before any automated formatting takes place, your editor is configured correctly.
.prettierrc for the Finer Details: Let .prettierrc handle the more complex and opinionated formatting rules. Prettier can even be configured to read your .editorconfig file for its basic settings, ensuring a seamless integration. However, it’s important to note that any rules explicitly defined in your .prettierrc file will override the corresponding settings from .editorconfig.

By leveraging both, you create a development environment where your editor provides initial style guidance, and Prettier acts as the ultimate enforcer of a consistent and readable codebase. This two-pronged approach helps to minimize stylistic debates and allows developers to focus on what truly matters: writing quality code.