Ninja IntelliSense

Ninja IntelliSense brings language support and IntelliSense features to Ninja build files (.ninja) in Visual Studio Code. Perfect for developers working with CMake-generated Ninja files or writing custom Ninja build scripts.

Features

Syntax Highlighting

Syntax highlighting for Ninja build file elements:

Keywords: rule, build, default, pool, include, subninja
Variables: $var and ${var} references
Compiler Flags: -D, -I, -W, -O, /EHsc, and more
Constants: DEBUG, RELEASE, WIN32, _WINDOWS
File Paths: Automatic detection and highlighting
Comments: Line comments with #

Syntax Highlighting Example

Auto-Completion

Context-aware completions that speed up your workflow:

Keyword Snippets: Type rule, build, etc., and get complete templates
Rule Variables: Inside rule blocks, get completions for command, description, depfile, and more
Built-in Variables: Type $ to see $in, $out, $builddir
User Variables: Automatic detection and completion of all variables defined in your file

Auto-Completion Example

Hover Documentation

Hover over any keyword or variable to see detailed documentation:

Ninja Keywords: Learn what each keyword does
Rule Variables: Understand command, depfile, deps, and more
Built-in Variables: See what $in, $out, and $builddir represent
CMake Variables: Get help with DEFINES, FLAGS, INCLUDES, TARGET_PDB, and more
User Variables: See where variables are defined and their values

Hover Documentation Example

Go to Definition

Navigate your build files effortlessly:

Ctrl+Click (or Cmd+Click on Mac) on variables to jump to their definitions
Ctrl+Click on rule names in build statements to jump to rule definitions
Quick navigation through complex build files

Document Outline

Get a bird's-eye view of your build file structure:

See all rules, build targets, variables, and pools
Click to navigate instantly
Perfect for large, auto-generated files

Document Outline Example

CMake Integration (Requires more testing)

Should be optimized for CMake-generated Ninja files with:

Recognition of CMake-specific variables
Hover documentation for common CMake build variables
Syntax highlighting for MSVC and GCC compiler flags
Support for C++20 module scanning variables

Supported CMake Variables

The extension provides hover documentation for:

Variable	Description
`DEFINES`	Preprocessor definitions (-D flags)
`FLAGS`	Compiler flags for the target
`INCLUDES`	Include directories (-I flags)
`DEP_FILE`	Dependency file path
`OBJECT_DIR`	Object file directory
`OBJECT_FILE_DIR`	Target-specific object directory
`TARGET_PDB`	Program database file (MSVC)
`CONFIG`	Build configuration (Debug/Release)
`DYNDEP_MODULE_MAP_FILE`	C++20 module map file

And many more!

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "Ninja IntelliSense"
Click Install

From Source

Clone this repository
Run npm install
Run npm run compile
Press F5 to launch the extension in a new VS Code window

Usage

Simply open any .ninja file and the extension will automatically activate!

Quick Start

Create or open a .ninja file
Start typing - Auto-completion should suggest keywords and snippets
Hover over keywords - See detailed documentation
Ctrl+Click variables - Jump to definitions
Open Outline view - Navigate through your build file structure

Example Ninja File

# Build configuration
builddir = build
cflags = -Wall -O2

rule cc
  command = gcc $cflags -c $in -o $out
  description = Compiling $in

rule link
  command = gcc $in -o $out
  description = Linking $out

build $builddir/main.o: cc src/main.c
build $builddir/app: link $builddir/main.o

default $builddir/app

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS
Trigger Completion	`Ctrl+Space`	`Cmd+Space`
Go to Definition	`Ctrl+Click` or `F12`	`Cmd+Click` or `F12`
Show Hover	`Ctrl+K Ctrl+I`	`Cmd+K Cmd+I`
Open Outline	`Ctrl+Shift+O`	`Cmd+Shift+O`

Requirements

Visual Studio Code version 1.107.0 or higher
Ninja v1.12+

Extension Settings

This extension does not add any VS Code settings. It works out of the box!

Issues

Please report issues on our GitHub repository

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Fork the repository
Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
Open a Pull Request

Release Notes

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed release notes.

License

This extension is licensed under the MIT License.

Acknowledgments

Built for the Ninja and CMake community
Inspired by the need for better tooling around build systems
Thanks to all contributors and users!

Enjoy building with Ninja!

If you find this extension helpful, please consider:

Starring the repository
Writing a review
Reporting issues
Suggesting features

Ninja Intellisense

Alec269