TCL Expect Formatter

A Visual Studio Code extension that formats TCL expect files according to GDB/GNU coding standards.

Features

Automatic Formatting: Format TCL expect files with proper indentation and GNU-style conventions
Advanced Syntax Highlighting: Professional-grade syntax highlighting with 200+ GDB-specific procedures
GDB Testsuite Support: Comprehensive highlighting for gdb.exp library functions with categorized coloring
Machine Interface (MI) Support: Special highlighting for GDB Machine Interface commands and variable objects
Configurable Options: Customizable formatting preferences to match your project requirements
GNU Standards Compliance: Follows GNU coding standards including 79-character line limits
String-Aware Formatting: Preserves content within quoted strings while formatting code structure
Expect Command Support: Special formatting for expect-specific commands like spawn, send, expect, interact

Installation

From VSIX (Recommended for development)

Clone or download this repository
Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Compile the extension:
```
npm run compile
```
Package the extension:
```
npx vsce package
```
Install the generated .vsix file in VS Code:
- Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
- Type "Extensions: Install from VSIX"
- Select the generated .vsix file

From VS Code Marketplace

(Once published)

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "TCL Expect Formatter"
Click Install

Usage

Automatic Formatting

The extension automatically detects files with the following extensions:

.exp
.expect
.tcl (when containing expect commands)

To format a file:

Open a TCL expect file
Right-click and select "Format Document"
Or use the keyboard shortcut: Shift+Alt+F (Windows/Linux) or Shift+Option+F (Mac)
Or use the Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P → "Format Document"

Manual Formatting

You can also use the dedicated command:

Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Type "TCL Expect Formatter: Format TCL Expect File"
Press Enter

VS Code Integration Benefits

Enhanced Development Experience

IntelliSense: Auto-completion for GDB testsuite procedures
Quick Info: Hover over functions to see context information
Go to Symbol: Navigate through procedures and test functions
Bracket Matching: Automatic closing of braces, brackets, and quotes
Comment Toggling: Use Ctrl+/ to toggle line comments

Function Outline: View all procedures in the Explorer sidebar
Symbol Search: Ctrl+Shift+O to jump to any function
Breadcrumbs: See current scope and navigate file structure
Folding: Collapse/expand code blocks and regions

Visual Improvements

Color Coding: Different colors for different types of GDB procedures
Semantic Highlighting: Context-aware highlighting based on function category
Error Prevention: Visual distinction between similar function names
Readability: Enhanced contrast for complex expect patterns and regex

Configuration

Configure the formatter through VS Code settings (File → Preferences → Settings):

{
  "tclExpectFormatter.indentSize": 4,
  "tclExpectFormatter.maxLineLength": 79,
  "tclExpectFormatter.insertFinalNewline": true,
  "tclExpectFormatter.trimTrailingWhitespace": true
}

Available Settings

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`indentSize`	number	4	Number of spaces for indentation
`maxLineLength`	number	79	Maximum line length (GNU standard)
`insertFinalNewline`	boolean	true	Insert final newline at end of file
`trimTrailingWhitespace`	boolean	true	Remove trailing whitespace

Syntax Highlighting Configuration

The extension provides comprehensive syntax highlighting that you can customize to match your preferences:

VS Code Color Theme Settings

The extension uses standard TextMate scopes, so you can customize colors through your VS Code color theme:

Built-in Theme Customization

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,)
Search for "colorCustomizations"
Add custom colors for specific scopes:

{
  "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
    "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
      "textMateRules": [
        {
          "scope": "support.function.gdb.core.tcl",
          "settings": {
            "foreground": "#ff6b6b",
            "fontStyle": "bold"
          }
        },
        {
          "scope": "support.function.gdb.breakpoint.tcl",
          "settings": {
            "foreground": "#ff9500",
            "fontStyle": "bold"
          }
        },
        {
          "scope": "support.function.gdb.assertion.tcl", 
          "settings": {
            "foreground": "#51cf66",
            "fontStyle": "bold"
          }
        },
        {
          "scope": "support.function.gdb.session.tcl",
          "settings": {
            "foreground": "#fd7e14",
            "fontStyle": "bold"
          }
        },
        {
          "scope": "support.function.mi.session.tcl",
          "settings": {
            "foreground": "#339af0",
            "fontStyle": "italic"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Available Highlighting Scopes

The extension defines these specific scopes you can customize:

GDB Function Categories

Scope	Functions	Description
`support.function.gdb.core.tcl`	`gdb_test`, `gdb_test_multiple`, `gdb_test_sequence`	Core test functions
`support.function.gdb.session.tcl`	`clean_restart`, `gdb_start`, `gdb_exit`, `gdb_spawn`	Session management
`support.function.gdb.execution.tcl`	`runto`, `gdb_continue`, `arrive_at_instruction`	Program execution
`support.function.gdb.assertion.tcl`	`pass`, `fail`, `xfail`, `gdb_assert`	Test assertions
`support.function.gdb.compilation.tcl`	`gdb_compile`, `build_executable`, `prepare_for_testing`	Compilation functions
`support.function.gdb.breakpoint.tcl`	`gdb_breakpoint`, `delete_breakpoints`, `gdb_get_line_number`	Breakpoint functions
`support.function.gdb.values.tcl`	`get_integer_valueof`, `get_var_address`, `get_sizeof`	Value retrieval
`support.function.gdb.communication.tcl`	`send_gdb`, `gdb_expect`, `gdb_expect_list`	Communication
`support.function.gdb.utility.tcl`	`with_test_prefix`, `multi_line`, `string_to_regexp`	Utility functions
`support.function.gdb.platform.tcl`	`is_x86_64_m64_target`, `allow_cplus_tests`	Platform detection
`support.function.gdb.language.tcl`	`set_lang_fortran`, `allow_ada_tests`	Language support
`support.function.gdb.requirements.tcl`	`require`, `allow_hw_breakpoint_tests`	Requirements/feature tests

Machine Interface (MI)

support.function.mi.session.tcl - MI session management (mi_gdb_start, mi_clean_restart)
support.function.mi.testing.tcl - MI testing functions (mi_gdb_test, mi_run_cmd)
support.function.mi.breakpoint.tcl - MI breakpoints (mi_create_breakpoint, mi_delete_breakpoints)
support.function.mi.varobj.tcl - MI variable objects (mi_create_varobj, mi_varobj_update)

Language Elements

keyword.control.expect.tcl - Expect commands (expect, send, spawn)
keyword.control.tcl - TCL control structures (if, while, for, proc)
variable.other.tcl - Variables ($var, ${complex_var})
string.quoted.double.tcl - Double-quoted strings
comment.line.number-sign.tcl - Comments

Theme-Specific Configuration

For Dark Themes

{
  "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
    "[Default Dark+]": {
      "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
        "textMateRules": [
          {
            "scope": "support.function.gdb.core.tcl",
            "settings": {
              "foreground": "#4FC1FF",
              "fontStyle": "bold"
            }
          },
          {
            "scope": "support.function.gdb.assertion.tcl",
            "settings": {
              "foreground": "#52C41A", 
              "fontStyle": "bold"
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

For Light Themes

{
  "workbench.colorCustomizations": {
    "[Default Light+]": {
      "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
        "textMateRules": [
          {
            "scope": "support.function.gdb.core.tcl",
            "settings": {
              "foreground": "#0066CC",
              "fontStyle": "bold"
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Quick Color Scheme Examples

Professional Scheme

"textMateRules": [
  {
    "scope": "support.function.gdb.core.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#0084FF", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  },
  {
    "scope": "support.function.gdb.breakpoint.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#FF6600", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  },
  {
    "scope": "support.function.gdb.assertion.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#00C851", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  },
  {
    "scope": "support.function.gdb.session.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#9C27B0", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  },
  {
    "scope": "support.function.mi.session.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#FF8800", "fontStyle": "italic" }
  },
  {
    "scope": "keyword.control.expect.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#AA00FF", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  }
]

High Contrast Scheme

"textMateRules": [
  {
    "scope": "support.function.gdb.core.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#FF0040", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  },
  {
    "scope": "support.function.gdb.assertion.tcl", 
    "settings": { "foreground": "#00FF00", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  },
  {
    "scope": "support.function.gdb.execution.tcl",
    "settings": { "foreground": "#FFFF00", "fontStyle": "bold" }
  }
]

Semantic Highlighting Control

You can also control semantic highlighting:

{
  "editor.semanticHighlighting.enabled": true,
  "editor.semanticTokenColorCustomizations": {
    "enabled": true
  }
}

The highlighting automatically applies to all .exp, .expect, and .tcl files when the extension is active!

Quick Test - Verify Your Highlighting Works

Create a test file with .exp extension and paste this code to see all the different highlighting categories:

# Test different GDB function categories
gdb_test "print var" "= 42" "core test"           # support.function.gdb.core.tcl
gdb_breakpoint "main"                              # support.function.gdb.breakpoint.tcl  
clean_restart $binfile                             # support.function.gdb.session.tcl
runto_main                                         # support.function.gdb.execution.tcl
pass "test passed"                                 # support.function.gdb.assertion.tcl
gdb_compile "test.c" "test" executable {debug}    # support.function.gdb.compilation.tcl
with_test_prefix "subtest" { gdb_test "print 1" } # support.function.gdb.utility.tcl

# Machine Interface
mi_gdb_start                                       # support.function.mi.session.tcl
mi_create_breakpoint "func"                        # support.function.mi.breakpoint.tcl

# Standard TCL/Expect
expect { "prompt" { send "cmd\r" } }              # keyword.control.expect.tcl
if {$var == "test"} { puts "found" }              # keyword.control.tcl

Each function should have different colors based on your configuration!

Formatting Rules

This extension applies the following GNU/GDB formatting standards:

Indentation

Uses 4-space indentation by default
Properly indents nested blocks (if, while, for, proc, etc.)
Maintains consistent indentation for continuation lines

Line Length

Enforces 79-character line limit (GNU standard)
Automatically wraps long lines with proper continuation
Breaks lines at logical points (operators, spaces, brackets)

Code Structure

Formats expect blocks with proper brace alignment
Standardizes spacing around operators (=, {, })
Ensures consistent formatting for procedure definitions
Properly formats control structures (if, while, for, foreach)

Comments

Ensures single space after # in comments
Preserves comment content while standardizing format
Maintains proper indentation for block comments

Example Formatting

Before:

proc test_function{arg1 arg2}{
if{$arg1=="value"}  {
send "command\\r"
expect{
"prompt>"{
send "another command\\r"
}
timeout{puts "Timeout occurred"}
}
}
}

After:

proc test_function {arg1 arg2} {
    if {$arg1 == "value"} {
        send "command\\r"
        expect {
            "prompt>" {
                send "another command\\r"
            }
            timeout {
                puts "Timeout occurred"
            }
        }
    }
}

Syntax Highlighting Features

The extension provides comprehensive syntax highlighting specifically designed for GDB testsuite development:

GDB Testsuite Library Support (200+ Procedures)

Core Testing Functions

gdb_test, gdb_test_multiple, gdb_test_sequence, gdb_test_exact
gdb_test_no_output, gdb_test_stdio, gdb_test_multiline

Session Management

clean_restart, gdb_start, gdb_exit, gdb_spawn
gdb_reinitialize_dir, gdb_unload, gdb_interact

Program Execution

runto, runto_main, gdb_run_cmd, gdb_continue
gdb_continue_to_breakpoint, arrive_at_instruction

Test Assertions

pass, fail, xfail, xpass, kfail, kpass
untested, unsupported, unresolved
gdb_assert, setup_kfail, setup_xfail

Compilation & Building

gdb_compile, gdb_compile_ada, gdb_compile_pthreads
build_executable, prepare_for_testing, standard_testfile

Machine Interface (MI) Commands

mi_gdb_start, mi_gdb_test, mi_run_cmd, mi_create_breakpoint
mi_create_varobj, mi_varobj_update, mi_list_varobj_children

Platform & Feature Detection

allow_cplus_tests, allow_hw_breakpoint_tests, is_x86_64_m64_target
supports_reverse, using_fission, require

Utility Functions

with_test_prefix, proc_with_prefix, multi_line
string_to_regexp, get_integer_valueof, delete_breakpoints

Advanced Language Features

String Highlighting

Variable interpolation: $var, ${complex_var}, $::namespace::var
Escape sequences: \n, \r, \\, \{, \}
Regex patterns: Special highlighting for -re patterns in expect blocks

TCL Language Support

Control structures: if, while, for, foreach, switch, proc
Operators: Comparison (==, !=), arithmetic (+, -, *), logical (&&, ||)
Data types: Numbers (int, float, hex), booleans, lists, arrays

Code Structure

Comments: # line comments with proper scoping
Brackets: Context-aware highlighting for [], {}, ()
Procedures: Function names and definitions
Namespaces: ::namespace::procedure highlighting

Supported TCL/Expect Commands

The formatter and highlighter recognize:

Expect commands: expect, send, spawn, interact, exp_continue
Control structures: if, while, for, foreach, switch
Procedures: proc, namespace
Variables: set, global, variable, array
I/O commands: puts, gets, open, close

Development

Building from Source

Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd tcl-expect-formatter

Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Compile TypeScript:
```
npm run compile
```
Run in development mode:
- Press F5 in VS Code to launch Extension Development Host

Testing

The extension includes comprehensive formatting logic that handles:

Nested code blocks
Line continuation with backslashes
Comment preservation and formatting
Variable substitution in strings
Complex expect patterns

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Test thoroughly with various TCL expect files
Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Changelog

1.0.11

Documentation Fix: Updated README to correctly reflect default indent size of 4 spaces
Fixed configuration examples and formatting samples to match actual defaults
Corrected settings table and description text

1.0.10

Bug Fix: Fixed closing brace indentation for incomplete selections
When formatting selections that start inside a block (missing the opening brace), closing braces were being over-indented
Improved bracket analysis to properly dedent closing braces from starting indentation level

1.0.9

Major Rewrite: Redesigned selection formatting with comprehensive bracket analysis
Added analyzeBracketStructure() method to map all brackets in selection
Uses bracket stack to match opening/closing braces correctly
Determines proper indentation based on complete bracket structure
Added BracketInfo interface for structured bracket tracking

1.0.8

Selection Formatting: Improved bracket indentation for partial selections
Refined logic for handling closing braces in partial selections
Closing braces that match opening braces within selection: dedent normally
Closing braces that close blocks from before selection: dedent to starting level

1.0.7

Selection Fix: Fixed bracket indentation for partial selections
Added tracking of opening braces within the selection
Only dedent closing braces when they have matching opening braces in selection
Ensures proper indentation when formatting partial code blocks

1.0.6

Operator Fix: Fixed == operator formatting issue
The formatter was incorrectly splitting == operators into = = by processing each = character individually
Updated formatOperatorsOutsideStrings to properly detect and handle comparison operators (==, !=, <=, >=) as single units
Preserves assignment operator (=) formatting

1.0.5

Selection Formatting: Fixed format selection indentation issue
Improved handling of partial code block selections
Better context calculation for range formatting

1.0.4

Major Feature: Added comprehensive syntax highlighting for 200+ GDB testsuite procedures
GDB Integration: Complete support for gdb.exp library functions with categorized highlighting:
- Core testing functions (gdb_test, gdb_test_multiple, etc.)
- Session management (clean_restart, gdb_spawn, etc.)
- Program execution (runto, gdb_continue, etc.)
- Compilation and building (gdb_compile, build_executable, etc.)
- Test assertions (pass, fail, gdb_assert, etc.)
Machine Interface Support: Full MI command highlighting (mi_gdb_test, mi_create_varobj, etc.)
Advanced Features: Platform detection, feature support, and utility function highlighting
Language Configuration: Enhanced auto-completion, bracket matching, and code folding
TextMate Grammar: Professional-grade syntax highlighting with context-aware scoping

1.0.3

Bug Fix: Fixed whitespace insertion inside quoted strings
Formatter now preserves content within strings (e.g., "= \\{0 <repeats 64 times>\\}" no longer becomes "= \\ {0 <repeats 64 times>\\}")
Improved string-aware formatting for braces and operators

1.0.2

Fixed indentation logic for commands after comments
Disabled long line wrapping by default
Added CLAUDE.md for development guidance

1.0.1

Added LICENSE and package repository information

1.0.0

Initial release
Basic TCL expect formatting
GNU coding standards compliance
Configurable formatting options
Basic syntax highlighting support

TCL Expect Formatter

Klaus Gerlicher

TCL Expect Formatter

Features

Installation

From VSIX (Recommended for development)

From VS Code Marketplace

Usage

Automatic Formatting

Manual Formatting

VS Code Integration Benefits

Enhanced Development Experience

Code Navigation

Visual Improvements

Configuration

Available Settings

Syntax Highlighting Configuration

VS Code Color Theme Settings

Built-in Theme Customization

Available Highlighting Scopes

GDB Function Categories

Machine Interface (MI)

Language Elements

Theme-Specific Configuration

For Dark Themes

For Light Themes

Quick Color Scheme Examples

Professional Scheme

High Contrast Scheme

Semantic Highlighting Control

Quick Test - Verify Your Highlighting Works

Formatting Rules

Indentation

Line Length

Code Structure

Comments

Example Formatting

Syntax Highlighting Features

GDB Testsuite Library Support (200+ Procedures)

Core Testing Functions

Session Management

Program Execution

Test Assertions

Compilation & Building

Machine Interface (MI) Commands

Platform & Feature Detection

Utility Functions

Advanced Language Features

String Highlighting

TCL Language Support

Code Structure

Supported TCL/Expect Commands

Development

Building from Source

Testing

Contributing

License

Changelog

1.0.11

1.0.10

1.0.9

1.0.8

1.0.7

1.0.6

1.0.5

1.0.4

1.0.3

1.0.2

1.0.1

1.0.0