Rider plugin

The DressSharp plugin formats C# in Rider using your repository’s EditorConfig rules. It supports format on save, format as you type, and a Code | Format with DressSharp action.

Install the plugin

You need Rider 2025.2 or later and the .NET 10 SDK or later.

1. Open the DressSharp releases on GitHub.
2. Download DressSharpRider-<version>.zip from the release’s Assets. Leave the ZIP intact.
3. In Rider, open Settings | Plugins, click the gear icon, then choose Install Plugin from Disk.
4. Select the ZIP and restart Rider if prompted.

Set up your repository

The plugin formats a C# file when both of these apply:

• DressSharp is installed as a local .NET tool in the file’s directory or a parent directory. A global installation alone doesn’t enable the plugin.
• An .editorconfig in the file’s directory or a parent directory defines the formatting preferences you want to apply.

From the repository root, install the current release of DressSharp and initialize your preferences:

dotnet tool install DressSharp
dotnet dress init

Installation creates a tool manifest if needed. If DressSharp is already listed in it, run dotnet tool restore after cloning instead of installing it again. To update an existing installation, run dotnet tool update DressSharp.

Commit the tool manifest and .editorconfig so everyone uses the same formatter and rules. init adds missing preferences at their defaults and keeps your existing choices. See Choosing your rules to customize them.

DressSharp only changes what your EditorConfig asks it to. Preferences that are missing or set to unset leave that part of your code alone. Files without a local tool installation or an applicable EditorConfig are left alone too.

Format your code

• On save: save an eligible C# file to format it. This is enabled by default.
• As you type: enable the typing option in Settings | Tools | DressSharp. Typing ; formats the statement just finished; typing } formats the block just finished. The rest of the file stays as you left it. Formatting applies to whole lines, so statements sharing a line are formatted together.
• On demand: choose Code | Format with DressSharp for the current file, or select C# files in the Solution Explorer and run the same action.

Save and manual formatting skip generated files and files Git ignores. If a file isn’t being formatted, the manual action tells you why.

Typing leaves a change alone if it would also alter lines outside the statement or block you just finished. Use Code | Format with DressSharp to bring an existing file into line with your rules first.

Settings

Open Settings | Tools | DressSharp.

Setting	Default	What it does
Format C# files with DressSharp on save	On	Formats eligible C# files whenever Rider saves them. You can also control this from Settings | Tools | Actions on Save.
Format the statement or block just finished when you type ; or }	Off	Formats the lines you just completed while you type.
Keep a formatter process running in the background	On	Keeps DressSharp ready between save, typing, and manual formatting runs. Uses more memory while the Rider project is open. Turn it off to start a fresh formatter for each run.
dotnet executable	Automatic	Leave empty for Rider to find dotnet, or select the executable if your .NET installation isn’t found.

The three formatting options are stored with the solution. The dotnet executable setting applies to this machine.

If the repository’s DressSharp version doesn’t support background formatting, update it with dotnet tool update DressSharp or turn off the background option. Save and manual formatting still work with older tool versions.