enforce consistent indentation (indent)

The --fix option on the command line automatically fixes problems reported by this rule.

There are several common guidelines which require specific indentation of nested blocks and statements, like:

function hello(indentSize, type) {
    if (indentSize === 4 && type !== 'tab') {
        console.log('Each next indentation will increase on 4 spaces');
    }
}

These are the most common scenarios recommended in different style guides:

• Two spaces, not longer and no tabs: Google, npm, Node.js, Idiomatic, Felix
• Tabs: jQuery
• Four spaces: Crockford

Rule Details

This rule enforces a consistent indentation style. The default style is 4 spaces.

Options

This rule has a mixed option:

For example, for 2-space indentation:

{
    "indent": ["error", 2]
}

Or for tabbed indentation:

{
    "indent": ["error", "tab"]
}

Examples of incorrect code for this rule with the default options:

/*eslint indent: "error"*/

if (a) {
  b=c;
  function foo(d) {
    e=f;
  }
}

Examples of correct code for this rule with the default options:

/*eslint indent: "error"*/

if (a) {
    b=c;
    function foo(d) {
        e=f;
    }
}

This rule has an object option:

• "SwitchCase" (default: 0) enforces indentation level for case clauses in switch statements
• "VariableDeclarator" (default: 1) enforces indentation level for var declarators; can also take an object to define separate rules for var, let and const declarations.

Level of indentation denotes the multiple of the indent specified. Example:

• Indent of 4 spaces with VariableDeclarator set to 2 will indent the multi-line variable declarations with 8 spaces.
• Indent of 2 spaces with VariableDeclarator set to 2 will indent the multi-line variable declarations with 4 spaces.
• Indent of 2 spaces with VariableDeclarator set to {"var": 2, "let": 2, "const": 3} will indent the multi-line variable declarations with 4 spaces for var and let, 6 spaces for const statements.
• Indent of tab with VariableDeclarator set to 2 will indent the multi-line variable declarations with 2 tabs.
• Indent of 2 spaces with SwitchCase set to 0 will not indent case clauses with respect to switch statements.
• Indent of 2 spaces with SwitchCase set to 2 will indent case clauses with 4 spaces with respect to switch statements.
• Indent of tabs with SwitchCase set to 2 will indent case clauses with 2 tabs with respect to switch statements.

tab

Examples of incorrect code for this rule with the "tab" option:

/*eslint indent: ["error", "tab"]*/

if (a) {
     b=c;
function foo(d) {
           e=f;
 }
}

Examples of correct code for this rule with the "tab" option:

/*eslint indent: ["error", "tab"]*/

if (a) {
/*tab*/b=c;
/*tab*/function foo(d) {
/*tab*//*tab*/e=f;
/*tab*/}
}

SwitchCase

Examples of incorrect code for this rule with the 2, { "SwitchCase": 1 } options:

/*eslint indent: ["error", 2, { "SwitchCase": 1 }]*/

switch(a){
case "a":
    break;
case "b":
    break;
}

Examples of correct code for this rule with the 2, { "SwitchCase": 1 } option:

/*eslint indent: ["error", 2, { "SwitchCase": 1 }]*/

switch(a){
  case "a":
    break;
  case "b":
    break;
}

VariableDeclarator

Examples of incorrect code for this rule with the 2, { "VariableDeclarator": 1 } options:

/*eslint indent: ["error", 2, { "VariableDeclarator": 1 }]*/
/*eslint-env es6*/

var a,
    b,
    c;
let a,
    b,
    c;
const a = 1,
    b = 2,
    c = 3;

Examples of correct code for this rule with the 2, { "VariableDeclarator": 1 } options:

/*eslint indent: ["error", 2, { "VariableDeclarator": 1 }]*/
/*eslint-env es6*/

var a,
  b,
  c;
let a,
  b,
  c;
const a = 1,
  b = 2,
  c = 3;

Examples of correct code for this rule with the 2, { "VariableDeclarator": 2 } options:

/*eslint indent: ["error", 2, { "VariableDeclarator": 2 }]*/
/*eslint-env es6*/

var a,
    b,
    c;
let a,
    b,
    c;
const a = 1,
    b = 2,
    c = 3;

Examples of correct code for this rule with the 2, { "VariableDeclarator": { "var": 2, "let": 2, "const": 3 } } options:

/*eslint indent: ["error", 2, { "VariableDeclarator": { "var": 2, "let": 2, "const": 3 } }]*/
/*eslint-env es6*/

var a,
    b,
    c;
let a,
    b,
    c;
const a = 1,
      b = 2,
      c = 3;

Compatibility

• JSHint: indent
• JSCS: validateIndentation

Version

This rule was introduced in ESLint 0.14.0.

Resources

• Rule source
• Documentation source