Expl-Highlight

A simple VS Code extension for providing syntax highlighting and code snippets for the ExpL (Experimental Language).

Features

• Syntax Highlighting: Comprehensive coloring for keywords, types, identifiers, and literals in .expl files.
• IntelliSense Snippets: Smart completions for common ExpL constructs:
  • Blocks: if-then-endif, while-do-endwhile, decl-enddecl, and type-endtype.
  • Main Function: Quick generator for the int main() skeleton.
  • Built-in Functions: Autocomplete for read(), write(), initialize(), alloc(), and free() (including automatic semicolon and bracket handling).

[!NOTE] This extension is primarily a highlighter and snippet provider. It does not include Language Server Protocol (LSP) features such as "Go to Definition", "Find References", or type checking.

Installation

Option 1: Install from VSIX (Recommended)

1. Download: Obtain the latest .vsix file from the Releases section of the repository.
2. Install:
   • Via GUI:
     • Open VS Code.
     • Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
     • Click on the "..." (Views and More Actions) menu in the top right of the Extensions sidebar.
     • Select "Install from VSIX...".
     • Browse and select the downloaded .vsix file.
   • Via Command Line:
     • Run the following command:

       code --install-extension path/to/expl-highlight-x.x.x.vsix
       

Option 2: From Source

If you prefer to build from source or make modifications:

1. Clone & Navigate: Clone this repository to your local machine and open the folder in VS Code.

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd expl-highlight
   

2. Install Dependencies: Run the following command to install the required Node.js packages:

   npm install
   

3. Compile: Build the extension:

   npm run compile
   

4. Test Modifications: If you are making changes to the source code, you can press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host window and try out your modifications instantly.
5. Install Manually: To install it permanently for regular use, copy the cloned folder to your VS Code extensions directory:
   • Linux: ~/.vscode/extensions/
   • Windows: C:\Users\USER_NAME\.vscode\extensions\
   • macOS: ~/.vscode/extensions/
6. Restart: Restart VS Code to activate the extension.

Usage

Simply open any file with the .expl extension, and the highlighting and snippets will be active automatically. You can trigger snippets by typing keywords like if, if-else, while, decl, type, or main and selecting the snippet from the autocomplete list.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.