The implementation of Pinegrow’s internal editor is based on Monaco (GitHub - microsoft/monaco-editor: A browser based code editor) but in a very stripped-down, simplified version. It’s a fact that some advanced features, even if they are “available,” might not work as smoothly as they would in a dedicated external editor.
We are aware of this, which is why we recommend using an EXTERNAL editor for demanding users who absolutely need these features.
If you don’t like VSCODE, since Pinegrow edits standard files, you can use ANY external editor alongside Pinegrow. You might miss out on some cool features available through our extension, but you can precisely decide what you want.
NOTE: If I’m not mistaken, the auto format (Pinegrow’s option) happens when you save the file, not while you’re live editing it.