WrenLift for Visual Studio Code

Wren language support powered by the WrenLift runtime and its companion language server.

WrenLift extension demo

Features

Syntax highlighting for .wren files and hatchfile manifests: keywords, classes, fields (_name instance, __name static), strings with %(…) interpolation, doc comments (///, //!), and Hatch cross-target attributes (#!native, #!wasm).
Diagnostics as you type: parse errors with the same messages the CLI emits.

Inline diagnostics popup showing 'unexpected character', 'expected newline after statement', and 'unexpected token' errors

Hover for identifiers: signature + rendered Markdown from /// doc comments. Walks the local module, every cached [dependencies] package, and the runtime prelude.
Goto-definition across the workspace and into bundled @hatch:* dependency source. F12 on a class or member jumps straight to its declaration.
Member completion after . — class members from local classes, imported @hatch:* packages, workspace files, or the prelude.

Code completion + hover doc on System.print, with the Run main.wren code lens above the file

Run code lens above main.wren and *.spec.wren — click to execute through hatch run (when a hatchfile is in scope) or wlift <path> directly. Spec files get an extra ▶ Run lens above each Test.describe(...) and Test.it(...) block.
Sidebar (Activity Bar) with two contextual panels:
- Project scaffolder when the workspace is empty — one-click "Create new project" runs hatch init against a folder you pick, drops a hatchfile + main.wren + sample test.spec.wren (with @hatch:test and @hatch:assert pre-wired), and opens the new folder.
- Spec runner when a *.spec.wren is open — lists every Test.describe / Test.it block with inline run / output buttons. Clicking a node jumps the editor to the case.
Status bar + editor toolbar for the language server's start / stop / restart and a one-shot Show Toolchain Versions command.

Spec runner sidebar with describe/it tree, per-block codelenses, and inline run actions

Requirements

The extension expects wlift-lsp on $PATH. The standard install script ships it alongside wlift and hatch:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wrenlift/WrenLift/main/install.sh | bash

If you've built from source, point wrenlift.serverPath at your target/release/wlift-lsp binary in VS Code settings.

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`wrenlift.serverPath`	`wlift-lsp`	Path to the language-server binary.
`wrenlift.wliftPath`	`wlift`	Path to the `wlift` runtime. Used by the file runner when no hatchfile is in scope.
`wrenlift.hatchPath`	`hatch`	Path to the `hatch` CLI. Used by the project scaffolder + the file runner when a hatchfile is in scope.
`wrenlift.trace.server`	`off`	Trace LSP messages in the Output panel.

Commands

Command	Description
`WrenLift: New Project…`	Scaffold a fresh Hatch project (folder picker + `hatch init`).
`WrenLift: Run Wren File`	Run the active `.wren` file. Routes through `hatch run` for `main.wren` inside a hatch project, otherwise `wlift <file>`.
`WrenLift: Run Spec Case`	Run the spec case associated with the selected sidebar tree node.
`WrenLift: View Spec Output`	Focus the run-output terminal.
`WrenLift: Refresh Specs`	Re-parse the active spec file and rebuild the tree.
`WrenLift: Start / Stop / Restart Language Server`	LSP lifecycle.
`WrenLift: Show Toolchain Versions`	Probes `wlift`, `hatch`, `wlift-lsp` for `--version`.

Releasing

Tagged push to vscode-v<X.Y.Z> triggers .github/workflows/publish-vscode-extension.yml, which runs vsce publish against the Visual Studio Marketplace. Version is independent from the runtime's v0.1.X tag namespace.

Cut a release:

# Bump the version in package.json first, then:
git tag vscode-v0.1.0
git push origin vscode-v0.1.0

The workflow asserts package.json version matches the tag suffix. Required GitHub secret: VSCE_PAT (a Marketplace PAT) with Marketplace > Manage scope.

Repository

Source lives at wrenlift/WrenLift under editors/vscode-wrenlift/. Bug reports and pull requests welcome.

Local development

cd editors/vscode-wrenlift
npm install
npm run compile

Open the folder in VS Code and press F5. A second VS Code window opens with the sample workspace under sample/ (hatchfile, main.wren, a copy of @hatch:fmt's source). Diagnostics + hover should fire on the real .wren files.

The sample window picks up wlift-lsp from $PATH. To test against a local debug build, set wrenlift.serverPath in the sample window's settings.json to your build output, e.g. /Users/you/.../wren_lift/target/release/wlift-lsp.

npm run watch keeps the TS compiler running in the background; the Extension Development Host picks up the recompiled bundle on the next Developer: Reload Window.

WrenLift

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