How to fix "Black doesn't support Format selection command" Github Copilot, Python dev

Question

I'm learning python (v 3.13.1) development, and using VS community edition 2022.
With Github Copilot, everytime I use TAB key for auto-completion, I've got a pop up telling me : Black doesn't support Format selection command.

The same issue has been resolved in VS Code for years ago, but the problem remains in Visual Studio Community.
Any clue or hint will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi Nicolas Goffin,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q & A forum. 

The issue occurs because Black only supports formatting entire files, not specific code selections. To resolve this in Visual Studio Community, go to Tools > Options > Text Editor > Python > Code Style and disable selection-based formatting. Alternatively, save the file (Ctrl+S) to allow Black to format the entire document. You may also consider using a selection-based formatter like autopep8 or switch to Visual Studio Code for better compatibility with GitHub Copilot and Black. 

Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions.     

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