Ctrl+D is back as an add-on
The MSys Delphi Formatter brings source code formatting back to RAD Studio 13 — lossless, configurable, and entirely according to your own rules.
RAD Studio 13 has removed the built-in formatter. This plug-in fills the gap — and goes far beyond what its predecessor ever did.
Who doesn’t remember this from earlier versions of Delphi? A quick press of Ctrl+D — and the source code would appear just as it should: neatly indented, consistently formatted, and easy to read. A shortcut deeply ingrained in the muscle memory of every Delphi developer, as second nature as F9 for compiling.
With RAD Studio 13, this gesture was suddenly a thing of the past: the built-in source code formatter is no longer included. Every project quickly feels the impact of this — inconsistent styling, haphazard spacing, and indentation that varies depending on the developer’s mood. And code reviews that focus on aesthetics rather than substance.
Ctrl+D works again — in exactly the same places as before: in the editor, in the Edit menu, and in the context menu. No need to get used to anything new, no new workflow. Just carry on working as if the formatter had never been gone.
Here's what the plugin looks like in the IDE: Press Ctrl+D right here on this page—or click the button.
The default profile in action: keywords, spaces, indentation, type formatting, and comment spacing—the line structure remains intact.
Three real-world examples — each rule can be enabled or disabled individually.
// Before
BEGIN
X:=A+B;
FOO(a,b,C1); {init}
end;
// After (Standard Profile)
begin
X := A + B;
FOO(a, b, C1); { init }
end;// “Like first occurrence”: one identifier, one spelling—unit-wide // Before MyVar := 1; myvar := 2; MYVAR := 3; // After MyVar := 1; MyVar := 2; MyVar := 3;
// “uses: one unit per line” = Line break // Before uses System.SysUtils, System.Classes, System.Generics.Collections; // After uses System.SysUtils, System.Classes, System.Generics.Collections;
A formatter works on your most valuable asset — the source code.
Only layout and spelling change. The semantics remain untouched in any case.
The lexer captures every character — string contents and comments are passed through verbatim.
Format(Format(x)) = Format(x). Already formatted code remains stable.
If the source code is faulty: nothing happens. The editor content remains exactly as it was.
Whether it's a support request, a suggestion for improvement, or a new feature request—you can easily submit your request through our ticket system and track its status at any time.
Settings are merged with clear priority — the closest one wins.
The formatting rules travel with the repository. Standard keys plus own delphi_*-namespace. Perfect for teams.
The personal settings under Tools > Options > MSys > Delphi Formatter
A deliberately conservative profile that delivers good results immediately — without overhauling the code.
— Standard refers to the built-in Maenken profile. —
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