Fix Line Ending Issues in VS Code

Learn how to fix CRLF (Carriage Return + Line Feed) and LF (Line Feed) issues in VS Code for consistent line endings in your files.

The CRLF (Carriage Return + Line Feed) and LF (Line Feed) issue in VS Code usually occurs due to different operating systems handling line endings differently:

• Windows uses CRLF (\r\n)
• Linux/macOS use LF (\n)

If you have inconsistent line endings in your files, VS Code may show warnings or unexpected formatting issues. Here’s how you can solve it:

Solution 1: Change Line Ending in VS Code

1. Open the affected file in VS Code.
2. Look at the bottom right corner of VS Code. You’ll see either “CRLF” or “LF” displayed.
3. Click on it, and a dropdown will appear with the options:
   • CRLF (Windows)
   • LF (Unix)
4. Select your preferred format (e.g., LF for Unix-based systems).
5. Save the file (Ctrl + S or Cmd + S).

Solution 2: Configure VS Code to Use Consistent Line Endings

If you want VS Code to always use LF, you can configure it globally:

1. Open Settings (Ctrl + , or Cmd + , on Mac).
2. Search for "files.eol".
3. Set it to \n (LF) for Linux/macOS compatibility or \r\n (CRLF) for Windows.
   • LF (Unix/macOS): "files.eol": "\n"
   • CRLF (Windows): "files.eol": "\r\n"
4. Save and restart VS Code.

Solution 3: Convert Multiple Files at Once Using Prettier

If multiple files have inconsistent line endings, use Prettier to enforce a uniform style:

1. Install Prettier if you haven’t:

   npm install --global prettier

2. Create a .prettierrc file in your project root with:

   {
     "endOfLine": "lf"
   }

3. Run the following command to format all files:

   npx prettier --write .

4. This will convert all files to LF (change "lf" to "crlf" if needed).

Solution 4: Use Git to Normalize Line Endings

If you’re dealing with line ending issues in Git, you can enforce consistent line endings:

For LF (Unix/macOS)

git config --global core.autocrlf input

For CRLF (Windows)

git config --global core.autocrlf true

To convert existing files:

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

Final Thoughts

• If you’re working on a team, it’s best to agree on a standard (LF is preferred for cross-platform development).
• Use .editorconfig or Prettier to automate line ending consistency.