How do I format an EK9 file that does not parse?

← Code Formatting · Ref: Q624

Use the -ff flag (force format) to attempt formatting on files that cannot be parsed. Use -fF to force-format all project files.

FORCE FORMAT SINGLE FILE

  ek9 -ff myfile.ek9

This attempts to reformat the file even if it contains syntax errors. The formatter applies what corrections it can based on the partial parse.

FORCE FORMAT ALL FILES

  ek9 -fF myproject.ek9

This force-formats every .ek9 file in the project, attempting to fix unparseable files.

ALL FOUR FORMAT FLAGS

  ek9 -f  myfile.ek9    Format single file (must parse).
  ek9 -F  myproject.ek9  Format all project files (must parse).
  ek9 -ff myfile.ek9    Force format single file (attempts fix).
  ek9 -fF myproject.ek9  Force format all project files (attempts fix).

WHEN TO USE FORCE FORMAT

- After pasting code from another language that needs significant restructuring.
- When a merge conflict leaves a file in a broken state.
- When indentation has become corrupted (tabs mixed with spaces, wrong levels).
- When AI-generated code has formatting issues that prevent parsing.

LIMITATIONS

Force format makes a best-effort attempt. If the file is severely broken (missing keywords, fundamentally wrong structure), the formatter cannot fully recover it. Always compile after force-formatting to verify the result.

See Q622 for standard single-file formatting. See Q623 for formatting all project files. See Q625 for why EK9 enforces a standard format.

Example

defines module qa.codeformatting.force

  defines function

    <?-
      A well-formatted function.
      After force-formatting a broken version, it would look like this.
    -?>
    sanitizeInput() as pure
      -> raw as String
      <- cleaned as String: raw.trim()

    isNonEmpty() as pure
      -> text as String
      <- result as Boolean: text?

  defines program

    ForceFormatDemo()
      stdout <- Stdout()

      userInput <- "  hello world  "
      cleaned <- sanitizeInput(userInput)
      hasContent <- isNonEmpty(cleaned)

      stdout.println(`Cleaned: '${cleaned}'`)
      stdout.println(`Has content: ${hasContent}`)

Common mistakes

E50001 — Removing the variable declaration means later references to the variable become unresolved, triggering E50001. See ek9 -h E50001 for details.

Incorrect:

sanitizeInput(userInput)

Correct:

cleaned <- sanitizeInput(userInput)

Coming from another language?

Go: gofmt requires valid Go syntax, no force mode. Rust: rustfmt requires valid Rust syntax, no force mode. Python: black requires valid Python syntax. JavaScript: prettier can handle some malformed code. EK9: ek9 -ff provides explicit force-format mode for broken files, a unique capability among language formatters.

Keywords: force, style, error, syntax, ff, indent, fix, recover, fF, format, broken, unparseable