The ART Syntax Highlighter provides syntax highlighting support for the Ambiguity Retained Translation (ART) language, a software language engineering tool developed by Dr. Adrian Johnstone at Royal Holloway, University of London.
This extension was created to simplify the use of ART, improving code readability and debugging by applying distinct styles to ART-specific keywords, operators, grammar rules, and semantics. It was developed during the CS3480: Software Language Engineering module.
Features
Keyword Highlighting:
Highlights ART-specific keywords to improve readability and understanding of core language constructs.
Operator Recognition:
Colors mathematical and logical operators distinctly to differentiate them from other code elements.
Grammar & Semantics Differentiation:
Highlights Context-Free Grammar (CFG) rules, reduction rules, and attribute-action rules to clarify the structure of ART programs.
Comment Styling:
Detects and highlights both single-line (//) and multi-line ((* ... *)) comments in a consistent style.
Usage
Install the Extension:
Open VS Code and search for "ART Syntax Highlighter" in the Extensions Marketplace.
Open an ART File:
Create or open a file with the .art extension to see the syntax highlighting in action.
Customize Colors:
The extension uses default colors for readability, but you can customize colors in the VS Code settings or by modifying the themes/art-theme-colour.json file.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Dr. Adrian Johnstone for developing the ART tool and to the Software Language Engineering (CS3480) module at Royal Holloway, University of London, for inspiring this project.
