Guide to Enforcing .editorconfig Rules in Visual Studio

1. Understanding Key .editorconfig Rules

Line Endings: ``

• end_of_line = crlf → Uses Windows-style line endings (\r\n).
• end_of_line = lf → Uses Unix-style line endings (\n).

File Header Template: ``

• This removes any enforced file headers in new files.

Operator Placement: ``

• end_of_line → Operators appear at the end of the previous line.
• beginning_of_line → Operators appear at the start of the new line.

Field Qualification: ``

• true → Requires this. for fields.
• false → No this. needed for fields.

Method Qualification: ``

• true → Requires this. for methods.
• false → No this. needed for methods.

Collection Initializers: ``

• Prefers using collection initializers where possible.

Null Propagation: ``

• Prefers using ?. instead of explicit null checks.

Accessibility Modifiers: ``

• Requires accessibility modifiers for members where applicable.

Parentheses in Arithmetic Expressions: ``

• Defines whether arithmetic expressions should include explicit parentheses for clarity.

Experimental Settings (``)

• Example: dotnet_style_allow_multiple_blank_lines_experimental.
• _experimental means the feature is not yet finalized and may change.

Enforcing Naming Conventions

Example: PascalCase for Constants

# Enforce PascalCase for constants
dotnet_naming_rule.constant_fields_should_be_pascal_case.severity = warning
dotnet_naming_rule.constant_fields_should_be_pascal_case.symbols = constant_fields
dotnet_naming_rule.constant_fields_should_be_pascal_case.style = pascal_case_style

dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.applicable_kinds = field
dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.applicable_accessibilities = *
dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.required_modifiers = const

2. Fixing Line Endings in Your Solution

A. Fix Line Endings in Visual Studio

Option 1: Use "Advanced Save Options"

1. Open a file → File → Save As.
2. Click Save with Encoding → Advanced.
3. Select LF (Unix) under Line Endings.
4. Save the file.

Option 2: Find & Replace

1. Open Find and Replace (Ctrl + H).
2. Find: \r\n, Replace: \n.
3. Use Regular Expressions (Alt + E).
4. Click Replace All.

B. Fix Line Endings in ReSharper

1. Open ReSharper → Edit → Adjust Line Breaks.
2. Select LF (Unix).
3. Apply to the entire solution.

C. Fix Line Endings in VS Code

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P).
2. Search for Change End of Line Sequence.
3. Select LF (Unix) and save the file.
4. Install "Line Endings Unifier" for bulk fixes.

D. Fix Line Endings Using Git

1. Add to .gitattributes:

   * text eol=lf
   

2. Run:

   git rm --cached -r .
   git reset --hard
   

3. Scanning the Solution for Violations

A. Scan for Violations in Visual Studio

1. Open Analyze → Run Code Analysis on Solution.
2. Check the Error List (Ctrl + \, E).
3. Filter Warnings to find .editorconfig violations.

B. Scan Using ReSharper

1. Open ReSharper → Inspect → Code Issues in Solution.
2. Look for naming and formatting violations.

C. Scan in VS Code

1. Open the Problems Panel (Ctrl + Shift + M).
2. Run:

   dotnet format --verify-no-changes
   

D. Scan Using `` (Command Line)

1. Run:

   dotnet format --severity warn
   

   • This scans but does not auto-fix issues.
2. To auto-fix, run:

   dotnet format
   

4. Recommended Order for .editorconfig Rules

For readability, define rules in this order:

1. Naming Styles (``)
2. Applicable Symbols (``)
3. Naming Rules (``)

Example (PascalCase for Constants)

# 1️⃣ Define the style
dotnet_naming_style.upper_case_underscore_style.capitalization = all_upper
dotnet_naming_style.upper_case_underscore_style.word_separator = _

# 2️⃣ Define the applicable symbols
dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.applicable_kinds = field
dotnet_naming_symbols.constant_fields.required_modifiers = const

# 3️⃣ Define the naming rule
dotnet_naming_rule.constants_upper_case.severity = warning
dotnet_naming_rule.constants_upper_case.symbols = constant_fields
dotnet_naming_rule.constants_upper_case.style = upper_case_underscore_style

5. Summary: Best Methods to Check Violations

Tool	Scan for Violations	Auto-Fix?
Visual Studio (Run Code Analysis)	✅ Yes	❌ No
ReSharper (Code Issues in Solution)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (bulk fixes)
VS Code (dotnet format)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Terminal (dotnet format --verify-no-changes)	✅ Yes	❌ No