IC-CAP MDL (VSCode)

Syntax highlighting, code folding and typing completion for Keysight IC-CAP .mdl (MDIF model definition) files. Mirrors the structural rules used by the repo's iccap-mdl-edit skill/agent (agents/iccap-mdl-edit/mdl_edit.py, skills/iccap-mdl-edit/reference/grammar.md).

Features

• Highlighting (TextMate grammar):
  • LINK + block kinds (MODEL DUT DAT SWEEP OUT XFORM PLOT MACRO CIRC TCIRC PS DPS)
  • line keywords: list, element, param, fullprecision, View, dataset, datasize, type, member, BLKEDIT, TABLE, HYPTABLE, OPTIMEDIT, data, circuitdeck, __iccapDataBlockEnd
  • strings, engineering numbers (170m, 9f, 2.5e-7)
  • #load / #echo / #include directives, $dpar() / $mpar() / $xpar() / $var() references
  • inside circuitdeck bodies (per iccap-hpeesofsim): ADS keywords (define model end parameters global Options), VarEqn (if/then/else/endif/equals), functions (file{} list() dep_data() fg()), instance prefixes (C:Cpg R:Rg M:X1), ; comments, #uselib/#if-style C preprocessor directives
  • BLKEDIT "Program Body": PEL keywords (FOR/STEP/NEXT, IF/ELSE/ENDIF, WHILE, GLOBAL_VAR, ICCAP_FUNC, ..., case-insensitive), constants PI/2PI/J, ! comments
  • BLKEDIT "Macro Editor": embeds the regular Python grammar (source.python) for full Python highlighting
• Folding: column-0 brace blocks fold to their header line (same rule as the PyCharm plugin: only lines that are exactly {/} at column 0 open or close a block; indented braces in Program bodies are body text). Implemented as a FoldingRangeProvider. A freshly opened .mdl is folded recursively once (outline view), the closest VSCode equivalent to the IDE's collapsed-by-default blocks; reuse the fold state or run Fold All again as needed.
• Fold measured data quickly: the command MDL: Fold Data Blocks (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F) folds every data block (the raw point tables) in one go. VSCode has no API for "collapsed by default", so this is the equivalent of the PyCharm plugin's default-collapsed data blocks.
• Completion: at line start (keywords / netlist keywords inside circuitdeck), after LINK (block kinds), after # (directives), after $ (parameter references), plus snippets (link block, link transform, param + fullprecision).
• Typing helpers: auto-closing { } ( ) " ", bracket matching, indent increase on block headers (LINK/TABLE/...), decrease on }.

Publish / distribute

publish.cmd is the one-command publish check:

1. packages iccap-mdl-1.0.5.vsix with npx @vscode/vsce package
2. validates the .vsix structure (validate_vsix.py)
3. installs it locally via code --install-extension (skip with SKIP_INSTALL=1)
4. uploads to the VS Code Marketplace if VSCE_TOKEN is set, else prints the exact steps needed

Marketplace publishing requires a registered publisher (the publisher field in package.json must match it) and a PAT:

set VSCE_TOKEN=<token>
publish.cmd

Tokens are issued under https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/manage/publishers. set SKIP_PUBLISH=1 runs steps 1-3 only.

Deck checks (diagnostics)

The extension runs the same checks as the PyCharm plugin and marks problems in the Problems panel / squiggles as you type (debounced):

• column-0 brace integrity ({/} at column 0) and unpaired ( ) [ ] inline braces (Program/Python bodies and strings excluded)
• unterminated strings (Python bodies excluded)
• param / fullprecision pairing
• Optimize Use=Yes rows: numeric Min and Max required, no !-prefixed unresolved names (Stored is intentionally not checked)
• empty sentinel rows: the last Variable Table row and the last Optimize Param / Input Table row must be blank (empty Name / Target) — IC-CAP needs that trailing empty row to import the table
• legacy leaf optimizer tables: an Optimize TABLE "Param Table" (or TABLE "Input Table") header followed directly by element rows is reported as legacy leaf form — canonical IC-CAP 2025 saves open the table with { on the next line

Command MDL: Run Deck Checks (or set SKIP_PUBLISH=1 + the checks pass message) summarizes errors/warnings for the active file.

Install

install.cmd

copies the extension into %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions\iccap-mdl-1.0.5 (same effect as "Install from VSIX"; restart VSCode to load it).

The extension registers *.mdl itself; additionally a user-level files.associations entry ("*.mdl": "mdl") was added to %APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json so VSCode always maps the extension to this plugin (user settings beat extension fallbacks). Backup: settings.json.bak-*; remove that key to revert.

For a shareable vsix:

npx @vscode/vsce package
code --install-extension iccap-mdl-1.0.5.vsix

Layout

package.json                 manifest (language, grammar, activation)
language-configuration.json  brackets/auto-close/indentation
syntaxes/mdl.tmLanguage.json TextMate grammar
extension.js                 completion + folding providers
install.cmd                  copy into extensions dir

No runtime dependencies — plain Node with the vscode API only.