To get started, reuse an existing Textmate grammar. This tutorial is an LSP Client demo to provide support for the (ba)sh language.
Adding more advanced support for a new language may consist of several parts, and may be time consuming.
The following parts of a new language support should be considered:
- File type recognition (so that NetBeans knows they belong to the new language)
- Project type, if needed, so that the files can be built, run and debugged
- Sematic syntax highlighting
- Formatting
- Braces matching, automatic closing of braces
- Error Hints/Fixes/Suggestions
- Code completion
- Code templates
- Refactoring (e.g. renaming, find usages, go to, etc.)
- Debugging
There are a number of ways to add support for a programming language, each one of them having its pros and cons. Historically, these are:
- JavaCC is the old way
- ANTLR is the modern way, but it is not easy to keep the many languages up-to-date; there are a number of tutorials on how to create a NB plugin using ANTLR, many outdated, with the best one in the Apache NetBeans book to add a plugin for blockchain support.
- LSP seems to be gaining ground and seems to become the new way. This tutorial is an LSP Client demo to provide support for the (ba)sh language.
File Type Recognition
Use the New File → Module Development → File Type
wizard. A MIME type must be specified. This MIME type will be the key under which other services will be looked up. See the File Type Integration Tutorial for more details on how to add File Type recognition support.
Adding Syntax Highlighting
Syntax highlighting can be implemented either by writing a lexer
module for NetBeans, or by re-using TextMate grammars. Please see the use cases and an example grammar registration for the latter.
Formatting
Adding Code Completion and Other Editor Features
These can be done either by writing them against NetBeans APIs, or by delegating to an LSP Server. Please see Typescript LSP server integration for the latter.
Resources
- Cardona J.R. (2018), "Quick Start: Creating Language Tools In NetBeans IDE", DZone.
- Clinton J.L. (2021), Build Your Own Programming Language, Packt.
- Lahoda J. (2019), "LSP Client demo - (ba)sh language server", ASF.
Nadeeshaan G. & Nipuna M. (2022), Language Server Protocol and Implementation: Supporting Language-Smart Editing and Programming Tools, APress.
- Parr T. (2010), Language Implementation Patterns, The Pragmatic Programmer.
- Stalla A. (2021a), "Converting from JavaCC to ANTLR", Strumenta.
- Stalla A. (2021b), "Go to Definition in the Language Server Protocol", Strumenta.
- Singh V., Basics of Compiler Design, Anniversary Edition.
- Tomassetti G., "The ANTLR Mega Tutorial", Strumenta.
- Watt D.A. & Brown D. F. (2000), Programming Language Processors in Java, Prentice Hall.