# VSCode extension formatting and running questions

**URL:** <https://community.seqera.io/t/vscode-extension-formatting-and-running-questions/1993>\
**Category:** Ask for help\
**Tags:** vscode\
**Created:** [March 19, 2025, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.seqera.io/t/vscode-extension-formatting-and-running-questions/1993 "2025-03-19T19:20:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tobsecret](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.seqera.io/tobsecret/32/1694_2.png) [@tobsecret](https://community.seqera.io/u/tobsecret)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.seqera.io/t/vscode-extension-formatting-and-running-questions/1993/1 "2025-03-19T19:20:36Z")

</div>

Need help with the VSCode extension.

Setup:  
VSCode on mac (Sequoia 15.3.1 (24D70)); fresh install of the latest nextflow extension for VSCode.

I just cloned `nf-core/sarek` and added some extra newlines in one of the include statements.

1. How can I format code with it? When I cmd+shift+p and Format Document, nothing happens.  
 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/seqera/optimized/2X/4/447d1dff1c7b9b0ae74742197a8d6730871697a2_2_690x65.png)

2. Why does the highlighting/intellisense only work inside sarek via dev containers? In another (private repo) when I try to Format Document, VSCode will tell me no formatter for nextflow is installed, and it will also not show any of the intellisense highlighting and problem indication.

3. Is there a format.on\_save option like with the VSCode extension for ruff?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bentsherman](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.seqera.io/bentsherman/32/52_2.png) [@bentsherman](https://community.seqera.io/u/bentsherman)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.seqera.io/t/vscode-extension-formatting-and-running-questions/1993/2 "2025-03-19T19:51:29Z")

</div>

My guess is that you installed the extension only in the “dev containers” environment and not globally.

For example, I use VS Code on Windows via WSL, and I can install extensions to “local” or to “WSL”. I’m guessing the dev containers is a similar situation

There is an editor-wide setting called “Editor: Format On Save”. However I would be careful with it because the formatter still has a few quirks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tobsecret](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.seqera.io/tobsecret/32/1694_2.png) [@tobsecret](https://community.seqera.io/u/tobsecret)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 8:46pm UTC](https://community.seqera.io/t/vscode-extension-formatting-and-running-questions/1993/3 "2025-03-19T20:46:24Z")

</div>

Thanks for the quick reply!  
I have had the extension installed for a while, so that wasn’t it. I just reloaded the extension and now it seems to be doing some highlighting, even outside the dev container.

However, I still see differences between the tooltips inside and outside the container:

When I open Sarek in the dev container I see the `IncludeNode`  
 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/seqera/original/2X/c/cbee7211431bea93af995dc252549124aa050a39.png)  
vs outside the dev container where I don’t see it.  
 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/seqera/original/2X/f/f7c7a24f49880c25f124af030a4ecf680f7fe40b.png)