Here is the exact layout of what commands to execute in your terminal to get this working on your machine:

Step 1: Install Node.js, NPM, and PHP Utilities

You need the execution engines for both Javascript and PHP code management.

bash

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y nodejs npm php-cli

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y nodejs npm php-cli

Use code with caution.

Step 2: Install Prettier Globally

Installs the core formatter engine to your global system path.

bash

sudo npm install -g prettier

sudo npm install -g prettier

Use code with caution.

Step 3: Install the PHP Plugin for Prettier

By default, Prettier handles HTML, CSS, and JS. Running this command adds native support for PHP syntax.

bash

sudo npm install -g @prettier/plugin-php

sudo npm install -g @prettier/plugin-php

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Step 4: Run the All-In-One Global Command

Execute this to watch Prettier scan, clean, and fix every script file in your target location instantly.

bash

prettier --write "/home/sumnima/Desktop/**/*.{js,php,html,css}"

prettier --write "/home/sumnima/Desktop/**/*.{js,php,html,css}"

Option 1: Format only the files inside this test folder (Recommended)

Since you are already inside ~/Desktop/test, you can use . (which means “current folder”) to target just these files:

bash

prettier --write "./**/*.{js,php,html,css}"

prettier --write "./**/*.{js,php,html,css}"

Use code with caution.

(This will safely format your theme.css file without looking at the rest of your Desktop).

Use code with caution.

📘 Terminal Formatting Dictionary (Blog Post Reference)

Here is a quick-glance breakdown of what each terminal argument does under the hood when formatting your codebase:

• prettier
  The main executable command. It triggers the Prettier engine to analyze text files.
• --write
  Tells the engine to modify files in place. If omitted, Prettier will only print the beautiful code into your terminal window instead of saving it.
• **/*
  A wildcard expression called a “glob.” It tells the terminal to look inside the target directory and any nested subfolders.
• {js,php,html,css}
  A brace expansion rule. It acts as an OR filter, meaning the command only touches files matching those exact extensions while ignoring images or zip folders.