| Tutorials | Visual Studio Code |

How to Differentiate and Configure LF and CRLF in Visual Studio Code?

If you have ever worked on programming projects across different operating systems, you have probably encountered the terms LF and CRLF. These are the line ending formats used by text and code files, and understanding them is key to avoiding compatibility issues, especially when using Git or collaborating in a team.

How to Differentiate and Configure LF and CRLF in Visual Studio Code?

In this tutorial, you will learn:

  • What LF and CRLF are.
  • How to identify the line ending in Visual Studio Code.
  • How to change and configure LF or CRLF permanently.

1. What are LF and CRLF?

  • LF (Line Feed): Represents a line break with \n. It is the standard format on Linux, macOS, and other Unix systems.
  • CRLF (Carriage Return + Line Feed): Represents a line break with \r\n. It is the format used by Windows.

⚠️ Using the wrong format can cause issues when opening files on other systems or create conflicts in Git repositories.

2. How to Check Your File's Format in VS Code

  1. Open the file you want to check.
  2. Look at the bottom-right corner of Visual Studio Code.
  3. You will see LF or CRLF depending on the current file format.

3. How to Switch Between LF and CRLF

To change a file’s line ending format:

  1. Click on the LF or CRLF indicator in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Select the desired format (LF or CRLF) from the popup menu.
  3. Save the file to apply the change.

Tip: It is recommended to use LF in cross-platform projects to avoid conflicts when collaborating with other developers.

4. Default Configuration in Visual Studio Code

If you want all your new files to use a specific format:

  1. Go to File → Preferences → Settings.
  2. Search for End of Line.
  3. Select \n (LF) or \r\n (CRLF) as the default.

You can also set it directly in settings.json:

```json "files.eol": "\n" // For LF "files.eol": "\r\n" // For CRLF ````

Format Representation Common Systems
LF \n Linux, macOS
CRLF \r\n Windows

To maintain consistency in your projects:

  • Identify your files’ line ending format.
  • Change or configure LF/CRLF according to project needs.
  • Keep the same configuration if working in a team.

Learning to differentiate and configure LF and CRLF in Visual Studio Code is essential to avoid compatibility errors, improve your workflow, and keep your code clean and consistent.

| Tutorials | Visual Studio Code |