[Bug]: Visual Studio extension AXAML support

[jonathanp12]

Description

The Visual Studio extension for CSharpier seems to support AXAML files but for me it won't. I must use CLI to format them. I use the latest version, 2.2.0, with the latest version of Visual Studio Community 2026. I tried to call directly the VS command EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.ReformatWithCSharpier to no avail.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open a AXAML (Avalonia) file as source code
2. Right-click on the editor to open the contextual menu
3. Look for the menu "Reformat with CSharpier"

Expected Behavior

The menu "Reformat with CSharpier" should be there.

Actual Behavior

The menu "Reformat with CSharpier" is not there.

EDIT: Only AXAML is impacted. Here is below my .csharpierrc file content:

{
  "overrides": [
    {
      "files": "*.cs",
      "formatter": "csharp",
      "printWidth": 125,
      "useTabs": false,
      "indentSize": 3,
      "endOfLine": "lf"
    },
    {
      "files": "*.{axaml,csproj,manifest,slnx}",
      "formatter": "xml",
      "printWidth": 125,
      "useTabs": false,
      "indentSize": 2,
      "endOfLine": "lf"
    }
  ]
}

[belav]

Can you enable debug logging and check the content of the csharpier output window? That will show what version of csharpier is being found for a given file. My guess is that the extension is getting an older version for some reason.

I also wasn't aware of the axaml file extension and may need to update some of the extensions to get that working. I don't recall if the VS extension works off file extensions or off of the "file type" of a given extension. IE a csproj extension is considered an xml file type by some of the IDEs.

[jonathanp12]

Can you enable debug logging and check the content of the csharpier output window? That will show what version of csharpier is being found for a given file. My guess is that the extension is getting an older version for some reason.

I also wasn't aware of the axaml file extension and may need to update some of the extensions to get that working. I don't recall if the VS extension works off file extensions or off of the "file type" of a given extension. IE a csproj extension is considered an xml file type by some of the IDEs.

Here is the content of my output window for CSharpier when "Log Debug Messages" is set to True:

[Info - 1/10/2026 7:48:52 AM] Starting
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:48:53 AM] CSharpier.InstallerWarningShown was True
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:06 AM] Trying to find - C:\Projects\AvaloniaApplication1\AvaloniaApplication1\Views\MainWindow.axaml
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:06 AM] Ensure there is a csharpier process for C:\Projects\AvaloniaApplication1\AvaloniaApplication1\Views
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:06 AM] Looking for csproj in or above C:\Projects\AvaloniaApplication1\AvaloniaApplication1\Views that references CSharpier.MsBuild
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:06 AM] Running 'dotnet tool list' to look for version
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:06 AM] Output was: 
 Package Id      Version      Commands      Manifest
---------------------------------------------------
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Running 'dotnet tool list-g' to look for version
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Output was: 
 Package Id                     Version      Commands 
-----------------------------------------------------
avaloniaui.developertools      2.1.1        avdt     
avaloniaui.parcel              1.0.3        parcel   
csharpier                      1.2.5        csharpier
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Using 1.2.5 as the version number.
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] C:\Users\jonat\AppData\Local\CSharpier\1.2.5\csharpier --version output: 1.2.5
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Using 1.2.5 as the version number.
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] CSharpier at C:\Users\jonat\AppData\Local\CSharpier\1.2.5 already exists
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Adding new version 1.2.5 process for C:\Projects\AvaloniaApplication1\AvaloniaApplication1\Views
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] CSharpier server is disabled, falling back to piping via stdin
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Warm CSharpier with initial format
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Trying to find - C:\Projects\AvaloniaApplication1\AvaloniaApplication1\Views\MainWindow.axaml
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:07 AM] Ensure there is a csharpier process for C:\Projects\AvaloniaApplication1\AvaloniaApplication1\Views
[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:29 AM] Skipping formatting because language was AXAML

[jonathanp12]

I have edited both the title of the issue and my first message, to reflect my latest tests.

Because, I found that XAML is in fact totally okay. Sorry. In this case, for an open XAML file, the menu "Reformat with CSharpier" is there and of course the VS command EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.ReformatWithCSharpier works as expected.

[jonathanp12]

UPDATE

I found the culprit! This is the Avalonia extension itself. 🤔

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=AvaloniaTeam.AvaloniaVS

I disabled that extension temporarily, and now everything works as expected with the CSharpier VS Extension for AXAML files (when extension is overriden in my .csharpierrc). Great!

So, now, I will need to understand what is causing the issue when the Avalonia extension is enabled, as I want to use it as well.

EDIT: I suspect that with the Avalonia extension enabled, the file language is reported as "AXAML". So, the following line is returning False in this case.

csharpier/Src/CSharpier.VisualStudio/CSharpier.VisualStudio/FormattingService.cs

Line 29 in 838b331

return language is "CSharp" or "XML" or "XAML";

EDIT 2: I found this interesting line in the output window.

[Debug - 1/10/2026 7:49:29 AM] Skipping formatting because language was AXAML

[belav]

That line in the debug output pretty much confirms my suspicion.

When you don't have the Avalonia extension installed, then an axaml file is considered to be the language xaml, so the csharpier extension sees it as a supported language.

        public static bool IsSupportedLanguage(string language)
        {
            return language is "CSharp" or "XML" or "XAML";
        }

When the extension is installed, it must be configuring a new language type so that an axaml file is language AXAML, and csharpier does not think it is supported.

I can make a quick change in the csharpier extension to get this working for you, hopefully in the next few days. I'll also make changes so that axaml is formatted by cshaprier without any configuration. I'm guessing you had to modify your config file to have it use the xml formatter.

I have a long term plan of having the extension ask csharpier if a file can be formatted, instead of having this type of logic in each extension.

[jonathanp12]

That line in the debug output pretty much confirms my suspicion.

When you don't have the Avalonia extension installed, then an axaml file is considered to be the language xaml, so the csharpier extension sees it as a supported language.

Yes, sounds logic. But I am wondering how a .axaml file is considered XAML language? 🤔 Yes, I know that this is pretty much the same in fact. But, is there a logic of file parsing or something in the extension? I am curious. I have not checked the code yet.

I can make a quick change in the csharpier extension to get this working for you, hopefully in the next few days. I'll also make changes so that axaml is formatted by cshaprier without any configuration. I'm guessing you had to modify your config file to have it use the xml formatter.

👍 Great, I am looking forward for your change. And yes, making it formatted by default without any config change is a good idea. 💡 Indeed, one of the reasons I have modified my CSharpier config is to have .axaml formatted too.

I have a long term plan of having the extension ask csharpier if a file can be formatted, instead of having this type of logic in each extension.

Yes, that will be better in the long run. 👍