Rohit Serializer for Visual Studio
Syntax highlighting, schema navigation, and editing support for .serializer files in Visual Studio 2022 and Visual Studio 2026 on Windows x64.
Serializer is a schema compiler supporting C++, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, C#, Rust, Python, Swift, Kotlin, and C. This extension helps you edit schemas and navigate between schema declarations and existing generated code.
Features
- Custom type highlighting: Recognize types and namespace qualifiers such as
demo::order, demo::snapshot, and demo::customer, using your editor theme’s colors.
- Go to Declaration: Open included schemas, locate original class and enum declarations, or navigate from generated type declarations back to their schemas.
- Go to Definition and Ctrl+click: Navigate from schema types to existing generated definitions, falling back to the schema declaration when no generated definition is available.
- Navigation across all 11 output languages: Support generated naming profiles, nested and flattened type names, and included declarations.
- Schema-aware navigation: Handle qualified names, array/map/union types, base types, enum-default type prefixes, whole-name selections, and unsaved schema edits.
- Syntax highlighting for keywords, strings, numbers, and comments.
- Line and block comment toggling, bracket matching, automatic bracket and quote pairs, and basic indentation.
- Shared grammar and navigation resolver with the Rohit Serializer VS Code extension.
Getting started
Install the extension, restart Visual Studio, and open a .serializer file. Schemas begin with serializer version 1;.
Use Go to Declaration to locate source schemas and Go to Definition to open existing generated code. When several destinations are available, select one from the destination picker.
Continue using your project’s Serializer and CMake configuration to generate code. Keep the compiler’s --depfile output alongside generated files or within the solution tree so navigation can identify their originating schemas. Serializer’s CMake generation helpers already produce dependency metadata.
Navigation reads existing files without saving documents or starting builds. Node.js and the Serializer compiler are not required to use navigation.
Limitations
- Highlighting and schema indexing are lexical. Semantic diagnostics, schema completion, and schema member/function navigation are not included.
- From caller code, first use its language service to reach the generated type, then use Go to Declaration to open the schema.
- The VS Code extension’s CMake commands and snippets are not included.
- ARM64 and Visual Studio versions earlier than 2022 are not targeted.
Validation status
VSIX builds and package validation passed. Automated navigation checks cover generated output in all 11 languages, selection boundaries, unsaved schemas, and cancellation.
Native declaration and definition commands passed in Visual Studio 2026, including the complex-model examples and navigation back from generated headers. Visual Studio 2022 interactive checks, Ctrl+click mouse gestures, and multiple-destination dialogs have not yet been automated.
Documentation and support
