Enable Word Wrapping Only for Specific File Extensions

Enable Word Wrapping Only for Specific File Extensions | Generated by AI

Home 2025.11

I assume you’re asking how to configure Visual Studio Code (VS Code) to enable word wrapping only for specific file extensions. Here’s how you can achieve that:

Open VS Code Settings:
- Press Ctrl + , (or Cmd + , on macOS) to open the settings, or go to File > Preferences > Settings.
Use the JSON Settings File:
- In the Settings UI, click the {} icon in the top-right corner to open the settings.json file. This allows for more granular control.

Configure Word Wrap per File Type:

Add a configuration using the "[filetype]": {} syntax to specify settings for specific file extensions. For example, to enable word wrapping only for .md (Markdown) and .txt (Text) files, you can add something like this:

{
    "editor.wordWrap": "off", // Default: no wrapping for all files
    "[markdown]": {
        "editor.wordWrap": "on" // Wrap only for .md files
    },
    "[plaintext]": {
        "editor.wordWrap": "on" // Wrap only for .txt files
    }
}

Explanation:
- "editor.wordWrap": "off" sets the global default to no wrapping.
- "[markdown]" and "[plaintext]" are language identifiers for Markdown and plain text files, respectively. You can replace them with other language identifiers like [javascript], [python], etc., based on the file extensions you want to target.
- "editor.wordWrap": "on" enables wrapping for those specific file types.
Find Language Identifiers:
- If you’re unsure of the language identifier for a file extension, open a file of that type in VS Code, click the language mode in the bottom-right corner (e.g., “Plain Text” or “Python”), and note the identifier shown in the command palette when selecting a language.
Save and Test:
- Save the settings.json file, and VS Code will apply the settings immediately. Open files with different extensions to confirm the behavior.

This approach ensures word wrapping is enabled only for the file types you specify, leaving all others unaffected. Let me know if you need help with specific extensions!

If you’re working with .log files in Visual Studio Code and want to enable word wrapping specifically for them, you’ll need to ensure VS Code recognizes these files as a distinct language mode. By default, .log files might not have a unique language identifier like [log]—they’re often treated as plain text ([plaintext]). However, you can configure this behavior. Here’s how to handle it:

Option 1: Use `[plaintext]` If `.log` Files Are Plain Text

If your .log files are being recognized as plain text (check the language mode in the bottom-right corner of VS Code when a .log file is open), you can simply use [plaintext]:

{
    "editor.wordWrap": "off", // Default: no wrapping
    "[plaintext]": {
        "editor.wordWrap": "on" // Enable for .txt and .log files (if recognized as plaintext)
    }
}

Note: This will apply to all plain text files (e.g., .txt, .log), not just .log files. If that’s too broad, proceed to Option 2.

Option 2: Associate `.log` Files with a Custom Language Mode

If you want [log] to work as a specific identifier, you need to tell VS Code to associate .log files with a “Log” language mode. Here’s how:

Install a Log File Extension (Optional):
- Install an extension like “Log File Highlighter” from the VS Code Marketplace. This extension often assigns .log files a specific language mode (e.g., log).
- After installing, check the language mode for a .log file (bottom-right corner). If it says “Log” or similar, you can use [log] directly.
Manually Associate .log Files:
- If you don’t want an extension, you can manually associate .log with a language mode via files.associations in settings.json:
```
{
  "files.associations": {
      "*.log": "log" // Associates .log with the "log" language mode
  },
  "editor.wordWrap": "off", // Default: no wrapping
  "[log]": {
      "editor.wordWrap": "on" // Enable for .log files only
  }
}
```
- Caveat: The log language mode must exist (e.g., provided by an extension or VS Code). If it doesn’t, VS Code might fall back to plain text, and [log] won’t work as expected without further customization.
Verify the Language Mode:
- Open a .log file, click the language mode in the bottom-right corner, and see what it’s set to. If it’s log after your changes, [log] will work. If it’s still plaintext, use [plaintext] or adjust the association.

Option 3: Fine-Tune with File Patterns (Most Precise)**

For ultimate control, you can use the "files.associations" setting to target .log files specifically, and then rely on a fallback language mode like plaintext only for .log:

{
    "files.associations": {
        "*.log": "plaintext" // Force .log files to be treated as plaintext
    },
    "editor.wordWrap": "off", // Default: no wrapping
    "[plaintext]": {
        "editor.wordWrap": "on" // Enable for .log (and .txt, if desired)
    }
}

To Exclude .txt: If you want .log but not .txt to wrap, you’d need a custom extension or a more advanced setup (e.g., a VS Code extension to define a unique log mode), as VS Code doesn’t natively distinguish .log from .txt without additional configuration.

Testing `[log]` Directly

If you’re unsure whether [log] works out of the box (due to an extension or VS Code’s built-in behavior), try this:

{
    "editor.wordWrap": "off",
    "[log]": {
        "editor.wordWrap": "on"
    }
}

Open a .log file and see if wrapping applies. If it doesn’t, the language mode isn’t log, and you’ll need to use one of the above options.

Recommendation

Simplest: Use [plaintext] if you’re okay with .txt and .log both wrapping.
Specific: Install a “Log File Highlighter” extension, confirm the mode is log, and use [log].
Let me know what language mode your .log files show, and I can refine the solution further!

I tested the configuration below, and it works great.

   {
       "editor.wordWrap": "off", // Default: no wrapping
       "[log]": {
           "editor.wordWrap": "on" // Enable for .log files only
       }
   }

Back Donate