Skip to main content

Running Rascal in VScode

rascal-0.40.17

After the installation procedure running Rascal in VScode is a matter of starting the Rascal Shell:

  1. Using an editor action
  2. Using the VScode command palette

Starting Rascal Shell from an editor​

This assumes there is a functional Rascal project in your workspace.

vscode-editor-screenshot

  • Every syntactically correct Rascal module has a Import in new Rascal terminal command link just about the module keyword.
  • Every syntactically correct Rascal module with a main function in it has a Run in new Rascal terminal command link just about the signature of the main function.
  • Clicking these links will start up a JVM process to run the Rascal terminal, and connect it via several sockets to the IDE.

Starting Rascal Shell from the command palette​

vscode-palette-screenshot

  • A Rascal Shell started from the palette has no source or library or classpath configuration and so it only knows about the standard library.
  • See above for well-configured instances of Rascal Shell.

Programmatic access to VScode features​

  • Use IDEServices to communicate with VScode, to register problems, to open files and browsers, etc.
  • Use util::LanguageServer to register languages designed and implemented in Rascal with the Language Server Protocol in VScode immediately.
  • The project://<projectName> location scheme provides access to the root of each registered folder in the VScode workspace.
  • Use getProjectPathConfig for Java and Rascal project configuration extracted from Maven configuration (classpaths, sourcepaths, library dependencies).
info

The util::LanguageServer module is waiting to be documented.