VS Code Extension

The XXML VS Code extension provides full IDE support including syntax highlighting, diagnostics, code navigation, and ownership visualization.

Features

Syntax Highlighting

Full syntax highlighting for XXML source files (.XXML):

• Keywords (Class, Method, Property, Instantiate, etc.)
• Types and type parameters
• Ownership modifiers (^, &, %)
• Strings and comments
• Annotations (@Derive, @Test, etc.)

Language Server Integration

Real-time IDE features powered by the XXML Language Server:

Ownership Visualization

Visual highlighting of ownership modifiers with distinct colors:

Installation

From VSIX Package

1. Build the extension package:
   bash

   Copy

   cd tools/vscode-xxml
   npm install
   npm run package

2. Install in VS Code:
   bash

   Copy

   code --install-extension xxml-language-0.1.0.vsix

For Development

1. Install dependencies:
   bash

   Copy

   cd tools/vscode-xxml
   npm install

2. Compile TypeScript:
   bash

   Copy

   npm run compile

3. Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host.

Configuration

Access settings via File > Preferences > Settings and search for "XXML".

Available Settings

Example settings.json

{
    "xxml.languageServer.path": "C:/path/to/xxml-lsp.exe",
    "xxml.languageServer.enabled": true,
    "xxml.ownershipVisualization.enabled": true
}

Ownership Visualization

The extension highlights ownership modifiers inline to help visualize memory management:

Property <data> Types Integer^;    // ^ highlighted in green
Method <process> Returns None Parameters (
    Parameter <input> Types String&    // & highlighted in blue
) Do { ... }

Enabling/Disabling

Toggle via settings:

{
    "xxml.ownershipVisualization.enabled": false
}

Or use the command palette:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
2. Search for "XXML: Toggle Ownership Visualization"

Language Server

The XXML Language Server (xxml-lsp) provides IDE intelligence.

LSP Capabilities

Building from Source

Build the Language Server

cd /path/to/XXMLCompiler
cmake --preset release
cmake --build --preset release --target xxml-lsp

The server is built at build/release/bin/xxml-lsp.exe.

Build the VS Code Extension

cd tools/vscode-xxml

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Package as VSIX
npm run package

Project Structure

tools/vscode-xxml/
├── src/
│   └── extension.ts          # Extension entry point
├── syntaxes/
│   └── xxml.tmLanguage.json  # TextMate grammar for highlighting
├── language-configuration.json # Bracket matching, comments
├── package.json              # Extension manifest
└── tsconfig.json             # TypeScript configuration

File Associations

The extension automatically associates with .XXML files. To add additional patterns:

{
    "files.associations": {
        "*.xxml": "xxml",
        "*.XXML": "xxml"
    }
}

Keyboard Shortcuts

Troubleshooting

"Language server not found"

• Verify xxml-lsp.exe is in PATH or configure xxml.languageServer.path
• Check the Output panel (View > Output > XXML Language Server)

"No diagnostics showing"

• Ensure xxml.languageServer.enabled is true
• Check that the language server started successfully
• Look for errors in the Output panel

Known Limitations

• Rename not fully implemented - Rename across files may not work correctly
• No debugging support - The extension does not include a debug adapter
• Limited refactoring - Extract method/variable not supported

Next Steps

Learn about the CLI Reference for compiler options, or explore the Compiler Architecture for internals.