DIPS Arena Calc Assistant

A Visual Studio Code extension for formatting, validating, and working with DIPS Arena calc expressions.

Features

• Clean formatting – Convert dense expressions into indented, readable layouts.
• One-click minify – Collapse formatted expressions back to single-line format.
• IntelliSense – Autocomplete for calc functions with signature help.
• Parameter hints – Function signatures and parameter types displayed while typing.
• Custom functions – Define reusable macro-style functions (BMI, FORMAT_DURATION, TEXTJOIN) that expand to standard calc expressions.
• Function wrapping – Type a function name before an expression to automatically wrap it.
• Variable autocomplete – Variables from form_description.json with data types.
• Path autocomplete – Path suggestions for complex types (e.g., $quantity/magnitude).
• Value autocomplete – Allowed values for coded text fields.
• Diagnostics – Real-time validation for:
  • Argument counts and type mismatches with detailed error messages
  • Missing commas between arguments
  • Variables used without $ prefix (with quick fix)
  • Undeclared variables not found in form_description.json
  • Output type validation – Verifies expression output matches expected field datatype (when calcId is specified in file comment)
  • Enhanced type errors showing rmType and conversion suggestions
• Syntax highlighting – Color-coded functions, variables, strings, and numbers.
• File icons – Dedicated icon for .calc files in the explorer.

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "DIPS Calc Expression" or "DIPS Arena Calc Assistant"
4. Click Install

From VSIX File

1. Download the .vsix file from the releases page
2. Open VS Code
3. Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
4. Click the ... menu at the top of the Extensions view
5. Select Install from VSIX...
6. Browse to and select the downloaded .vsix file

Usage

1. Open or create a file with the .calc extension (or select DIPS Calc Expression from the language mode picker).
2. Type or paste your expression. Use Format Document (Shift+Alt+F) to format.
3. Add comments using // for documentation (editor-only, not supported in DIPS Arena).
4. To get a compact version, run DIPS Calc: Minify Document or Selection from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).
5. Before pasting to DIPS Arena, run DIPS Calc: Export for Arena to strip comments and expand custom functions.
6. Use Ctrl+Space to trigger function and variable completions.

Commands

Custom Functions

Custom functions are macro-style functions that expand to standard DIPS Calc expressions. Use cases:

• Reusing calculations across forms
• Simplifying complex expressions
• Creating domain-specific functions

Built-in Custom Functions

• BMI(weight_kg, height_cm) – Calculate Body Mass Index
• FORMAT_DURATION(duration_string, format_string) – Format ISO8601 durations with Norwegian localization
  • Standard formats: "c", "g", "G"
  • Norwegian formats: "no-short", "no-long", "no-compact"
  • Custom formats using: d (days), h (hours), m (minutes), s (seconds)
• TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, ..., text10) – Excel-style text joining

Using Custom Functions

1. Type custom function names in your expressions (autocomplete available).
2. Run DIPS Calc: Export for Arena or DIPS Calc: Expand Custom Functions to convert to standard DIPS Calc.
3. Copy the expanded result to DIPS Arena.

Creating Custom Functions

Add a new file to lib/custom-functions/ with this structure:

module.exports = {
  name: 'MY_FUNCTION',
  signature: 'MY_FUNCTION(param1, param2)',
  detail: 'Description of what the function does',
  minArgs: 2,
  maxArgs: 2,
  returns: 'number',
  params: [
    { name: 'param1', type: 'number' },
    { name: 'param2', type: 'text' }
  ],
  expansion: 'ROUND({param1} * 10 + LEN({param2}), 2)'
};

The function will be automatically loaded – no registration required.

Parameter Hints (Signature Help)

Function signatures display parameter names, types, and the current parameter position while typing.

Triggers:

• Type ( after a function name
• Type , to move to next parameter
• Select a function from autocomplete
• Manual: Ctrl+Shift+Space / Cmd+Shift+Space

Configuration

The extension ships with sensible defaults for calc expression editing. Override them in your settings.json if you prefer a different setup:

"[dips-calc]": {
  "editor.tabSize": 2,
  "editor.insertSpaces": true,
  "editor.formatOnPaste": false
}

Variable Autocomplete

The extension provides variable completion for both DIPS Arena forms and VAQMs:

Forms (form_description.json)

The extension searches for form_description.json in the same folder or immediate parent folder and extracts calcId annotations for variable completions.

Usage:

1. Place .calc file in the same folder as form_description.json or in a direct subfolder.
2. Type $ to trigger autocomplete.
3. Variables from form description appear with name and data type.

VAQMs

For VAQM display-format.calc files, the extension automatically discovers predicates and paths from the aql-bindings folder structure.

Usage:

1. Place .calc file in the VAQM data-element folder structure (alongside metadata.json).
2. Type $ to trigger autocomplete for predicates (e.g., $ordinasjonsPred).
3. Type . after a predicate to see available paths (e.g., $ordinasjonsPred.hovedDiagnose).
4. Path suggestions include data types extracted from paths.xml.

The extension automatically detects whether you're working with a form or VAQM and provides appropriate variable completions.

Path Completion

Type / after a variable name to get path suggestions based on data type:

• $quantity/magnitude – Numeric value of DV_QUANTITY
• $quantity/units – Unit string
• $coded/defining_code/code_string – Code value of DV_CODED_TEXT
• $ordinal/value – Integer value of DV_ORDINAL

Value Completion

For DV_CODED_TEXT and DV_ORDINAL fields with defined values, type " after an equals sign to see allowed values:

$status = "  <-- triggers value completion

Note: The extension automatically detects the appropriate metadata file (form_description.json or VAQM aql-bindings) based on your file location. Cache refreshes automatically when metadata files change.

Diagnostics

Real-time validation:

• Argument count – Errors for incorrect number of arguments
• Type checking – Warnings for type mismatches
• Missing commas – Warnings with quick fix to insert comma
• Unknown functions – Highlights unrecognized function names
• Output type validation – When a .calc file includes a // calcId: $fieldName comment, validates that the expression's output type matches the expected field datatype from form_description.json
• ISNULL/GENERIC_FIELD – Error suggesting ISBLANK() instead

Use Ctrl+. or click the lightbulb for quick fixes.

Feedback

Report bugs or request features in the Codeberg repository. Include sample expressions for faster reproduction.