OpenFOAM Dict IntelliSense

VS Code IntelliSense for OpenFOAM — dictionary-file completions (78 file types), offline hints for .C/.H solver code, and one-click access to the OpenFOAM compile environment.

Features

• 78 file-type keyword mappings - Context-aware suggestions for 0/, constant/, system/ files
• Fuzzy search - Prefix + substring matching, up to 100 results
• 43K clean word database - From OpenFOAM-v2606, numeric noise removed
• 72 dynamic libraries - Complete libs() suggestions for controlDict functions
• 126 dynamicMeshDict keywords - Full rigid body, 6DOF, motion solver types
• 291 controlDict keywords - Function objects, runtime controls, libraries
• Offline code hints - 4,577 OpenFOAM class completions, header and #include suggestions, plus OpenFOAM code keywords (Info, forAll, nl, endl, fvc::, fvm::, IOobject:: …) with FOAMSRC on
• Hover hints - mouse over OpenFOAM keywords/classes shows description, defining header and usage
• Code snippets - solver/PIMPLE/SIMPLE/readDict/createField templates via foamSolver, foamPimple, foamSimple, foamReadDict, foamCreateField, …
• Smart Highlighting - 447 curated keywords highlighted
• Auto highlighting - dictionary keywords from the FOAMDict database (939 tags: boundary conditions, turbulence models, solvers, schemes, function objects…) are highlighted automatically when an OpenFOAM case file is recognized
• Auto-detect - Recognizes 0/, constant/, system/ directory files

Installation

• From VSIX: Extensions panel → ... → Install from VSIX... → select openfoam-dict-intellisense-1.1.2.vsix.
• Or from the terminal: code --install-extension openfoam-dict-intellisense-1.1.2.vsix.

The Microsoft C/C++ extension (ms-vscode.cpptools) is recommended for full IntelliSense when an OpenFOAM environment is available.

Usage

1. Open any OpenFOAM case directory in VS Code
2. FOAMDict mode is OFF by default — click FOAMDict in the status bar to enable
3. Type any keyword fragment to see suggestions
4. Use arrow keys to browse, press Enter to select
5. Tab is disabled to prevent accidental edits
6. Click FOAMDict / FOAMSRC in the status bar to toggle modes — turning a toggle on opens an info panel describing what it does

OpenFOAM Compile Environment Toggle

Writing OpenFOAM solvers/applications needs the full compile environment (headers, defines, wmake). Click the FOAMSRC status bar item (next to FOAMDict) to toggle it per workspace:

• ON: auto-detects the OpenFOAM installation (WM_PROJECT_DIR → OpenFOAM-v*/ inside the workspace → ~/OpenFOAM/), backs up and writes .vscode/c_cpp_properties.json / tasks.json / settings.json using absolute paths (no source symlinks are created) with all lnInclude dirs and the exact wmake macros (OPENFOAM=<ver>, WM_DP/WM_SP, WM_LABEL_SIZE=32/64, NoRepository), plus wmake/wclean build tasks.
• OFF: restores the previous .vscode files.
• OpenFOAM: Open Terminal with Environment: opens an integrated terminal with $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/bashrc sourced.
• The toggle state is remembered per workspace and restored on reload.

Requires the Microsoft C/C++ extension (ms-vscode.cpptools) for IntelliSense.

Auto Global Setup

On activation the extension auto-detects whether the machine has an OpenFOAM compile environment (manual path → WM_PROJECT_DIR → OpenFOAM-v*/ in the workspace → ~/OpenFOAM/ → /opt/OpenFOAM → /usr/local/OpenFOAM):

• OpenFOAM exists: the environment is automatically added to the global VS Code user settings (C_Cpp.default.includePath/defines/forcedInclude/compilerPath, files.associations for *.C/*.H, plus user-level wmake/wclean tasks) — no toggle and no manual setup needed. On every startup the global config is validated and re-applied if the compat forced-include is missing.
• Multiple versions: if several OpenFOAM installs are detected (workspace, ~/OpenFOAM, /opt/OpenFOAM, /usr/local/OpenFOAM, …), all of them are merged into the global includePath (deduplicated by real path). The defines/compiler/tasks follow the highest version.
• No OpenFOAM: no global changes are made. FOAMSRC stays OFF by default and must be toggled manually — only then the bundled offline data activates (74 stub headers, keywords, classes, #include hints, hover).
• Manual path: if OpenFOAM is installed somewhere non-standard, run OpenFOAM: Set OpenFOAM Install Path and pick the installation folder (the one containing etc/bashrc).

FOAMDict is unchanged: OFF by default, toggled manually for dictionary-file completions/highlighting.

Troubleshooting on other computers

If headers / keywords are not recognized on a new machine:

1. Install the Microsoft C/C++ extension (ms-vscode.cpptools) — real header resolution and squiggle control depend on it.
2. Install the latest vsix (1.1.x) — older packages lack the forced-include compat header — then Reload Window.
3. Open the OpenFOAM case/code folder and click FOAMSRC in the status bar. The info panel shows the detected OpenFOAM root; if it says "offline mode", the install was not found.
4. Verify .vscode/c_cpp_properties.json was created in the workspace (it should contain forcedInclude pointing at data/foamCompat.H).
5. OpenFOAM at a non-standard location → use OpenFOAM: Set OpenFOAM Install Path.
6. After any change: Reload Window, then if squiggles persist, C/C++: Reset IntelliSense Database.
7. On a machine without OpenFOAM, offline hints + stub headers cover the common includes and keywords; real header content (types, functions) still needs the real source tree — either install OpenFOAM or put the source in the workspace.

Offline Code Hints

Even without an OpenFOAM installation, the extension ships a bundled hint database and can help while writing .C / .H solver code:

• #include suggestions: type #include "fv and get common OpenFOAM headers (fvCFD.H, fvOptions.H, …) plus all ~3.9K headers extracted from OpenFOAM-v2206.
• Offline stub headers: 74 common OpenFOAM headers (fvCFD.H, fvOptions.H, IOdictionary.H, …) are shipped as stubs and added to the offline include path, so #include errors detected disappears for them and the bundled keywords are defined.
• Class-name hints: with FOAMSRC on (online or offline mode), typing an identifier suggests OpenFOAM classes (4,577) and shows which header defines it (e.g. fvMesh → src/finiteVolume/fvMesh/fvMesh.H).
• Code keywords: OpenFOAM-specific keywords/macros (Info, FatalErrorInFunction, forAll, nl, endl, fvc::div, fvm::Sp, IOobject::MUST_READ, dimensionedScalar, …) come with descriptions and useful snippets — extend the list in data/cpp_keywords.json.
• Hover: hovering a keyword/class shows its description, defining header and a usage snippet.
• Include hover: hovering #include "xxx.H" shows what the header provides (description or the classes it defines).
• Snippets: type foamSolver / foamPimple / foamSimple / foamReadDict / foamCreateField / foamRunTime in a .C file and press Enter to insert the template.
• No false "undefined" squiggles: a compatibility header (data/foamCompat.H) is force-included while FOAMSRC is on, so Info, nl, endl, forAll etc. are recognized by the C/C++ extension (online and offline).
• Works without a folder: with no OpenFOAM install, FOAMSRC can be toggled even without a workspace folder — offline hints (keywords, classes, headers, hover) still work.
• These hints are file-type aware: dictionary completions only appear in 0/constant/system dictionary files; C++ hints only in .C/.H/.cpp/... files (fixes previous cross-pollution).

Full IntelliSense (go-to-definition, symbol resolution) still requires the actual OpenFOAM headers — enable the FOAMSRC environment toggle on a machine with OpenFOAM installed, or add the source tree to the workspace.

Keyword Coverage

Requirements

VS Code 1.114.0+

Development & Debugging

1. Open this folder as the workspace: File → Open Folder… → select openfoam-assistant (the .vscode/launch.json uses ${workspaceFolder}, so it must be the root).
   • If you keep the parent workspace open instead, change launch.json args to --extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/openfoam-assistant.
2. Set breakpoints in src/extension.js, then press F5 (or Run → Start Debugging).
3. An Extension Development Host window opens with this extension loaded. In it, open a test OpenFOAM case / .C file and trigger the feature you want to inspect (status bar toggles, completion via Ctrl+Space, #include suggestions).
4. Back in the main window, the debugger pauses at breakpoints — inspect variables, call stack, and the Debug Console (console.log output appears there).
5. After editing code, press Ctrl+Shift+F5 to restart the debug session, or Developer: Reload Window in the dev host.

Notes:

• The dev host shares the real VS Code user settings, so the auto global setup may write to ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json on first run — that's expected.
• Extension-level errors can also be inspected via Developer: Toggle Developer Tools in the dev host window (Console tab).

Manual verification checklist

Ready-made fixtures live in the test-case/ folder (excluded from the vsix via .vscodeignore):

• Auto global setup: on startup, an info message appears; check ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json for C_Cpp.default.includePath/defines and files.associations, and the user-level tasks.json for wmake/wclean.
• FOAMDict completions: open test-case/0/U or system/controlDict, click FOAMDict, type e.g. fixed or Euler — suggestions appear.
• FOAMSRC (env present): click FOAMSRC — .vscode/c_cpp_properties.json is written with absolute OpenFOAM paths (no symlinks in the workspace); open test-case/code/foamHello.C — #include "fvCFD.H" should resolve.
• Offline hints: click FOAMSRC (offline mode), open foamHello.C, type #include "fvC for header suggestions, or type dimensionedS for class hints with header detail.
• wmake task: with FOAMSRC on, open test-case/code/foamHello.C, press Ctrl+Shift+B → wmake: 编译当前文件夹.
• Offline (no OpenFOAM) mode: add "env": { "FOAM_ASSISTANT_OFFLINE": "1" } to launch.json, restart F5 — FOAMSRC then enters offline hint mode instead of failing.

Author

boyaoChen

License

MIT