Newo DSL Extension
Full IDE support for Newo Skill Language templates in VS Code and Cursor
Features
| Feature |
Description |
| Syntax Highlighting |
Color-coded templates with embedded JSON support |
| Custom File Icons |
Distinctive green {%} icon for Jinja/NSL, purple {{}} icon for Guidance/NSLG |
| IntelliSense |
Completions for 76 built-in actions, 81 Jinja built-ins, project skills, and variables |
| Variable Intelligence |
Variable completions, hover info, go-to-definition, undefined/unused diagnostics |
| Object Property Completions |
Dot-access completions for typed variables (e.g., user.name after GetUser()) |
| Type Inference |
Automatic type inference from action return values (12 object shapes) |
| Attribute Discovery |
Autocomplete for attribute field names discovered from your project templates |
| Hover Documentation |
Parameter details, variable info, and property descriptions on hover |
| Real-time Diagnostics |
Error detection for unknown actions, missing parameters, undefined variables, and syntax issues |
| Go-to-Definition |
Navigate to skill files, action definitions, variable assignments, and metadata files |
| Quick-Fixes |
"Did you mean?" suggestions for typos with one-click replacement |
| Code Snippets |
Quick templates for common Jinja and Guidance patterns |
| V1 + V2 Format Support |
Auto-detects and works with both CLI2 and module-based project formats |
Supported File Types
| Extension |
Language |
Format |
Icon |
.jinja |
Newo Jinja |
V1 |
Green {%} |
.guidance |
Newo Guidance |
V1 |
Purple {{}} |
.nsl |
Newo NSL |
V2 |
Green {%} |
.nslg |
Newo NSLG |
V2 |
Purple {{}} |
Note: V2 files (.nsl/.nslg) use the same template syntax as V1 (.jinja/.guidance). The extension auto-detects the project format and provides full features for both.
Installation
From VSIX File
- Build the extension (see Development) or obtain the latest
.vsix file
- Open VS Code or Cursor
- Press
Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
- Type "Install from VSIX" and select it
- Navigate to and select the
.vsix file
- Reload the editor when prompted
Verify Installation
- Open any
.jinja, .guidance, .nsl, or .nslg file
- Confirm syntax highlighting is active (colored text)
- Hover over a built-in function to see documentation
- Type
{{ to trigger completions
Usage
Completions
- Jinja files - Type inside
{{ }} or {% %} blocks for action and skill suggestions
- Guidance files - Type inside
{{ }} expressions for completions
- Skills - Type any letter to see matching skills discovered from your project
Diagnostics
| Indicator |
Meaning |
| Red underline |
Unknown action or skill |
| Yellow underline |
Warning (missing parameters, undefined variable) |
| Grey underline |
Hint (unused variable) |
Snippets
Jinja Snippets
| Trigger |
Description |
if |
If statement block |
ifelse |
If-else block |
for |
For loop block |
set |
Set variable |
return |
Return from skill |
getattr |
GetCustomerAttribute call |
setattr |
SetCustomerAttribute call |
getpersona |
GetAgentPersona call |
sendmsg |
SendMessage call |
sendevent |
SendSystemEvent call |
gettrigger |
GetTriggeredAct call |
skill |
Generic skill call |
validate |
Validation pattern |
debug |
Debug logging pattern |
Guidance Snippets
| Trigger |
Description |
system |
System prompt block |
user |
User message block |
assistant |
Assistant message block |
if |
Conditional block |
ifelse |
If-else block |
each |
Loop block |
set |
Set variable |
return |
Return from skill |
convometa |
Conversation metadata |
skill |
Generic skill call |
var |
Variable reference |
Configuration
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
newo-dsl.schemasPath |
string |
"" |
Path to DSL schemas directory |
newo-dsl.enableDiagnostics |
boolean |
true |
Enable diagnostic reporting |
newo-dsl.enableCompletions |
boolean |
true |
Enable code completions |
newo-dsl.enableHover |
boolean |
true |
Enable hover information |
Built-in Actions Reference
Core Flow Control
Return, Set, Gen, GenStream, Do
Customer and User
GetCustomerAttribute, SetCustomerAttribute, SetCustomerMetadataAttribute, GetCustomerMetadataAttribute, GetUser, UpdateUser
Project and Persona
GetProjectAttribute, SetProjectAttribute, SetProjectMetadataAttribute, GetPersonaAttribute, SetPersonaAttribute, GetAgentPersona, CreatePersona, CreateActor
Messaging
SendMessage, SendCommand, SendSystemEvent, SendTypingStart, SendTypingStop
Connectors
CreateConnector, GetConnectorInfo, SetConnectorInfo, DeleteConnector
Data and State
GetState, SetState, GetMemory, GetActors, GetActor, CreateArray
Utilities
GetCurrentPrompt, GetTriggeredAct, GetDatetime, GetDateTime, GetDateInterval, GetValueJSON, UpdateValueJSON, GetItemsArrayByIndexesJSON, Stringify, Concat, IsEmpty, IsSimilar, IsGlobal, DUMMY, StartNotInterruptibleBlock, StopNotInterruptibleBlock
Troubleshooting
Extension Not Activating
- Reload Window -
Cmd+Shift+P -> "Reload Window"
- Check Language Mode - Bottom-right status bar should show "Newo Jinja" or "Newo Guidance"
- Manual Association - Click language mode -> "Configure File Association" -> select the correct type
No Completions Appearing
- Ensure cursor is inside
{{ }} or {% %} blocks
- Check the Output panel for LSP server errors
- Try reloading the window
Skill Not Recognized
- V1 projects: Ensure your project has
metadata.yaml files with skill definitions
- V2 projects: Ensure flow YAML files contain skill definitions with
idn fields
- Skills must be defined in
.jinja, .guidance, .nsl, or .nslg files within the project
- Skill names are case-sensitive
Development
cd vscode-extension
npm install
npm run build # Development build
npm run build:prod # Production build (minified)
npm run watch # Watch mode for development
npm run package # Create .vsix package
Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host for testing.
Cursor Support
This extension is fully compatible with Cursor, the AI-first code editor built on VS Code.
Installation in Cursor
- Build the
.vsix file (see Development)
- Open Cursor
- Press
Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
- Type "Install from VSIX" and select it
- Navigate to the
.vsix file and install
- Reload Cursor when prompted
Compatibility
| Feature |
VS Code |
Cursor |
| Syntax Highlighting |
Yes |
Yes |
| Custom File Icons |
Yes |
Yes |
| IntelliSense / Completions |
Yes |
Yes |
| Hover Documentation |
Yes |
Yes |
| Diagnostics |
Yes |
Yes |
| Go-to-Definition |
Yes |
Yes |
| Snippets |
Yes |
Yes |
| Quick-Fixes |
Yes |
Yes |
AI Integration Notes
- Cursor's AI features work alongside this extension - you get both AI suggestions and DSL-specific completions
- The LSP diagnostics appear in Cursor's problems panel just like in VS Code
- Cursor's "AI Fix" feature can use the diagnostic messages from this extension to suggest corrections
Troubleshooting (Cursor-specific)
- Extension not loading: Ensure the extension is enabled in Cursor's Extensions panel (some VS Code extensions need manual enabling)
- LSP not starting: Check the Output panel (
View > Output > Newo DSL) for server startup logs
- Conflicting AI suggestions: If Cursor's AI completions conflict with DSL completions, you can configure completion priority in Cursor's settings
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85.0+ or Cursor
- Node.js 18+ (for development only)
License
Proprietary - Newo AI. All rights reserved.
