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ST Formatter for TwinCAT

A Structured Text formatter for TwinCAT 3 - in the IDE, as a desktop app and on the command line.

Formats the declaration and the implementation of POUs, methods, properties, actions, transitions, DUTs, GVLs and interfaces: the object open in the TwinCAT editor, or everything in a PLC folder or project.

Format Document in the TwinCAT editor: the declaration and the implementation of a function block are formatted
Format Document (Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D), shown with the column alignment options switched on.

What it does

One shortcut or a whole project

Format Document with Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D - or right-click a PLC folder, object or project ▸ Format with ST Formatter to format everything below it.

Never changes your logic

Every result is lexed again and compared with the original. If anything but whitespace, keyword casing or comment positions would change, nothing is written.

Your style, with a live preview

Blank lines, line breaks and wrapping, indentation, column alignment, keyword casing - each option is described and previewed as you change it.

Shared settings

One settings file for every XAE Shell, Visual Studio, the desktop app and the command line. Import and export to keep a team on the same format.

Revert Last Format

TwinCAT does not record these changes in its undo history, so the formatter keeps its own: one object or a whole folder, back in one step.

Desktop app and CLI

stformat-ui.exe and stformat.exe format TwinCAT files on disk without the IDE - with --check for CI and pre-commit hooks.

The Options dialog: settings with descriptions on the left, original and formatted preview on the right
Every setting with a description and a live preview in the colors of your IDE theme.

Supported hosts

PackageHosts
VS2017-2019TwinCAT XAE Shell 32-bit (VS 2017 based), Visual Studio 2017, Visual Studio 2019
VS2022TwinCAT XAE Shell 64-bit (VS 2022 based), Visual Studio 2022, Visual Studio 2026 and newer

You do not have to choose: the setup installs the right package into each host. Visual Studio 2015 and older are not supported.

  • •TwinCAT 3.1.4024 or newer, integrated into the XAE Shell or Visual Studio.
  • •The desktop app and the command line tool run on the .NET Framework that is part of Windows 10 and 11.

Installation

  1. 1Close the TwinCAT XAE Shell and Visual Studio.
  2. 2Start StFormatter-Setup.exe. It lists every XAE Shell and Visual Studio on the PC and picks the right package for each.
  3. 3Click Install - only then does Windows ask for administrator rights.
  4. 4Start TwinCAT again: the formatter is in TwinCAT ▸ Formatter, on the ST Formatter toolbar and in the Solution Explorer's context menus.

Changelog

  1. 1.0.0