Editor Integration
Overview¶
VDL works with any editor that supports the Language Server Protocol (LSP). First-class integrations are available for Visual Studio Code and it's forks.
Visual Studio Code¶
The official VDL extension provides full language support for Visual Studio Code and any VSCode-based editor (VSCodium, Cursor, Windsurf, and others).
Installation¶
Install the extension from either marketplace:
The extension is plug and play. The only requirement is having the vdl binary installed on your system. If you have not installed the CLI yet, follow the installation guide.
Extension source code: editors/vscode
Features¶
Once installed, opening any .vdl file gives you:
- Syntax highlighting
- Error highlighting and diagnostics
- Code autocompletion
- Auto-formatting on save
- Go-to-definition, hover info, find references, and rename
- Code snippets for types, fields, enums, constants, annotations, and more
For configuration options, available commands, and troubleshooting, see the extension page on the VSCode Marketplace or Open VSX.
Neovim¶
VDL's built-in LSP works with Neovim's native LSP client. The language server provides go-to-definition, hover, references, rename, completions, document symbols, and document links for .vdl files.
Syntax highlighting is not included through the LSP and may be added in a future release.
The vdl binary must be installed and available on your PATH. For setup instructions, see the Neovim integration README.
Other Editors¶
The vdl lsp command speaks the standard Language Server Protocol over stdin and stdout, so any editor with LSP support can integrate with it. Point your editor's LSP client to vdl lsp for .vdl files.
VDL's LSP does not provide syntax highlighting on its own. Some editors require a separate TextMate grammar (vdl.tmLanguage.json) or Tree-sitter parser for highlighting. Syntax highlighting for editors beyond VSCode is planned for a future release.
To get started, check your editor's documentation on configuring a custom language server.