794: Prettier JavaScript with Vjeux

Scott and Wes sit down with Vjeux from Meta to dive deep into the origins and evolution of Prettier, the widely-used code formatter. They discuss the challenges faced, the decision-making process behind its features, and what the future holds for this indispensable tool in the developer’s toolkit. Show Notes • 00:00 • Welcome to Syntax! • 01:45 • Brought to you by Sentry.io • . • 02:19 • New swag • ! • 03:25 • Who is Vjeux? • 06:56 • Is management the key to successful projects? • 08:50 • The genesis of Prettier. • 12:08 • Why other JS formatters didn’t work. • 16:56 • Focusing on edge-cases. • 17:41 • The goal for Prettier. • Prettier Philosophy • . • • 18:31 • Next step, integrations. • 19:37 • Should you run Prettier on save or commit? • 21:34 • Does Prettier’s limitations lead to higher adoption? • Prettier Config • . • • 25:01 • What was the most controversial default setting? • 28:14 • Does Facebook use semicolons? • 29:18 • Getting approval to devote 6 months to Prettier. • 31:42 • Working with Mark Zuckerberg. • 32:43 • Was there ever consideration to augment ESLint instead? • Prettier vs. Linters • . • • 35:34 • What are your thoughts on the Rust-based alternatives? • 36:44 • Prettier’s $10,000 bounty • . • 39:32 • What is the future of Prettier? • 44:54 • Prettier is available in almost every language • . • 47:59 • Advice for other open-source maintainers. • 53:26 • Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks • Vjeux: TransformersJS • . Shameless Plugs • Vjeux: Prettier x Syntax Swag • . Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads