Serv Language Support for VS Code

Full IDE support for the Serv programming language — build background services, APIs, and schedulers with a clean, expressive syntax that compiles to native binaries.

Features

Syntax Highlighting

Rich syntax coloring for all Serv constructs: routes, structs, functions, f-strings, type annotations, duration literals, and more.

IntelliSense & Autocomplete

• Smart completions for keywords, built-in objects, and your own functions/structs
• Snippet templates for common patterns — type route, struct, test, fn and get full templates
• Signature help — parameter hints appear as you type function arguments
• Import auto-organization — type use and press Tab to pick from all 18 stdlib modules with full API docs; a quick-fix lightbulb appears when you use db., cache., http. etc. without the corresponding use statement

Inlay Type Hints (v3.0.5+)

Always-on inline hints show inferred return types on fn declarations (→ string) and inferred types on let bindings (: int, : Result, : Response). Toggle with the serv.enableInlayHints setting.

Real-Time Diagnostics

Errors and warnings appear as you type:

• Parse errors with "did you mean?" suggestions
• Type mismatch errors (wrong argument types)
• Unused variable warnings
• Missing return detection
• Unreachable code detection

Hover Information

Hover over any symbol to see its type signature — works on definitions, usages, and built-in objects like log, db, cache, http.

Go to Definition

Jump to any function, struct, or variable definition. Works across files in your workspace.

Format on Save

Automatic code formatting with 4-space indentation and consistent style — same as serv fmt.

ServVerse Activity Bar Panel (v3.0.6+)

A dedicated ServVerse icon in the Activity Bar opens a live sidebar showing all 17 services with health status, port numbers, and uptime — polled from ServRegistry every 6 seconds. Falls back to mock data with an offline badge when the registry is unreachable. Use the ↺ refresh button in the panel title bar to force an update.

Visual Dashboards & Explorers

Visual Webviews integrated directly into the workspace to observe and simulate local services:

Test Integration

Serv Test Explorer (v3.0.4+)

A sidebar tree under the Explorer panel lists every test "..." block from all .srv files in the workspace, grouped by file. Refreshes automatically on save.

Test Gutter Decorations (v3.0.5+)

Run Serv: Run Tests (with Gutter Decorations) to paint:

• 🟡 yellow dots on all test blocks as they run
• 🟢 green on passed tests
• 🔴 red on failed tests

Results persist when switching between tabs. The overview ruler is also colored per test. Use Serv: Clear Test Gutter Markers to reset.

Coverage Line Highlights (v3.0.7+)

Run Serv: Run Tests with Coverage Highlights to shade the active .srv file:

• 🟢 Subtle green tint on every covered line + green overview ruler bar
• 🔴 Red background + ✗ uncovered annotation on every uncovered line + red overview ruler bar

A coverage percentage is shown in the Output channel and a toast notification. Use Serv: Clear Coverage Highlights to reset.

Commands

Quick Start

1. Install the Serv compiler

2. Install this extension

3. Scaffold a new project from inside VS Code — open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run Serv: New Project from Template. Choose a template, name your project, and pick a folder. The project opens automatically.

   Or use the CLI:

   serv init my-api
   cd my-api
   serv run main.srv --watch
   

4. Open the folder in VS Code — you'll get full IDE support immediately

Snippet Shortcuts

Language Highlights

server "8080"

use db
use cache
use http

struct User {
    name: string,
    email: string?,
    age: int
}

fn User.greet() -> string {
    return f"Hi, I'm {self.name}"
}

route "GET" "/users/:id" (req) use [auth] {
    let user = findUser(req.params.id)?
    return { "user": user.greet() }
}

every 5m {
    log.info("Cleaning expired sessions...")
    db.query("DELETE FROM sessions WHERE expires < ?", time.unix())
}

test "user greeting" {
    let u = User { name: "Alice", email: nil, age: 30 }
    assert u.greet() == "Hi, I'm Alice"
}

Requirements

• Serv compiler installed and in PATH
• Go 1.18+ (used by the compiler for code generation)

Configuration

Links

• Language Reference
• Getting Started Guide
• Standard Library
• Examples
• Report Issues
• Changelog