MODX IntelliSense

Intelligent MODX, pdoTools and fenom tooling for VS Code.

Requirements

VS Code 1.81 or newer.

Where it runs

Locally, and over Remote-SSH, Dev Containers, WSL and Remote Tunnels — there the extension runs on the remote host against a real file system.

In the browser as well: github.dev, vscode.dev without a clone, and any other virtual workspace. Files are addressed by URI rather than by path, so @FILE completion, Go to Definition and the block names collected through {extends} and {use} follow whatever scheme the workspace uses.

Installation

• Press F1 and run Extensions: Install Extensions.
• Search for IntelliSense for MODX and install it.

Or install from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace, or from a terminal:

code --install-extension gulomov.vscode-modx

Features

MODX Syntax Highlighting

MODX Autocomplete: Default Resource Content Field Tags

MODX Autocomplete: System settings

MODX Autocomplete: fastField tags

Suggests fastField / pdoParser tags after #:

• Resource fields: [[#15.pagetitle]]
• TV and properties prefixes: [[#15.tv.name]], [[#15.properties.key]]
• PHP superglobals: [[!#GET.key]], POST, REQUEST, SERVER, FILES, COOKIE, SESSION

MODX Autocomplete: Chunk tags

Suggests a chunk tag after $: typing $header offers [[$header]], and !$header offers the uncached [[!$header]].

MODX Autocomplete: Output filters/modifiers

MODX Autocomplete: Snippets and props

Note, autocomplete works with a list of predefined snippets:

• pdoTools snippets
• miniShop2 snippets
• FetchIt
• FormIt snippets

MODX Autocomplete: @FILE binding paths

Go to Definition: @FILE bindings

Ctrl/Cmd + click or F12 on a path inside an @FILE binding opens that file. Works in both languages, and in Fenom also inside $_modx->runSnippet('@FILE …') and {'@FILE …' | snippet}.

Fenom Syntax Highlighting

Fenom Autocomplete: Tags

Fenom Autocomplete: Block names

Suggests names from {block '…'} in the current file and in templates linked via {extends} / {use}, when typing inside {paste '…'}, {block '…'}, or {$.block.…}. The {block} tag itself is also suggested without a prior {extends} (parent templates).

Fenom Autocomplete: {foreach} arguments and tag options

Inside {foreach}, its arguments index, first and last are suggested, and @ after a variable offers the same as iteration properties: {$item@index}.

: right after a tag name offers the tag options raw and ignore: {include:raw '@FILE …'}.

Fenom Autocomplete: Modifiers

• Built In modifiers
• pdoTools modifiers

Fenom Autocomplete: Variables

• Fenom system variables
• pdoTools microMODX class
• Local variables

Fenom Autocomplete: System settings

System settings are suggested inside the quotes in front of the config and option modifiers. In a bare {'…'} the modifier is offered together with the setting, so {'site_name'} completes to {'site_name' | option}.

Fenom Autocomplete: Snippets and props

Note, autocomplete works with a list of predefined snippets:

• pdoTools snippets
• miniShop2 snippets
• FetchIt
• FormIt snippets

Fenom Autocomplete: @FILE binding paths

Formatting

Format Document and Format Selection re-indent templates with the block structure of both the markup and the template in mind: {if} / {foreach} nesting, {else} branches whose markup need not be balanced inside a branch, multi-line MODX property lists, and {switch} / {case}.

Only leading whitespace changes. Nothing is reflowed or rewritten, and the contents of comments, {ignore} blocks, <pre>, <textarea>, <script> and <style> are left exactly as they are.

Extension Settings

vscode-modx.elementsPath

Directory the @FILE paths are resolved against, relative to the workspace root. Default: /core/elements/.

"vscode-modx.elementsPath": "/core/elements/"

Set it to /, ., or an empty string to browse from the project root — useful when templates live outside core, or when the editor is opened on the theme directory rather than on the MODX installation.

Recommended VS Code Settings

files.associations

Both languages register the .tpl extension, so use the files.associations setting to tell VS Code which one to open .tpl files in:

"files.associations": {
  "*.tpl": "modx",
  // or
  "*.tpl": "fenom",
}

The same setting turns the extension on for other file types. .html files keep the built-in HTML mode by default, which leaves resourceLangId == html intact for Live Server, Emmet and other extensions that key off the language id. Opt in per glob when you store templates as .html:

"files.associations": {
  "core/elements/**/*.html": "modx"
}

Troubleshooting

Problem: Emmet expand abbreviation doesn't work

Check the VSCode settings, note the emmet.includeLanguages, you need to add the following value:

{
  "emmet.includeLanguages": {
    // ...
    "modx": "html",
    "fenom": "html"
  }
}

Problem: TailwindCSS intellisense doesn't work

Add to your user/project/folder settings following value and make sure the editor.quickSuggestions.strings setting is enabled:

{
  "tailwindCSS.includeLanguages": {
    // ...
    "modx": "html",
    "fenom": "html"
  },
  "editor.quickSuggestions": {
    // ...
    "strings": true
  }
}

License

MIT. Dependency license scanning is tracked by FOSSA.