Language plugins

Getting support for programming languages is done through creating language plugins. To be able to having language plugins written in it's native language the plugin interface goes through standard output. In this way any executable or script can act as a language plugin. Language plugins lives in the Languages folder in OpenIDE's root. Each plugin has a single executable file in that folder and all other needed files are placed in a folder in the Languages folder with the same name as the plugin.

Plugin interface

Each language plugin needs to support a specified protocol. When the plugin is called with a specific set of parameters it needs to reply with the expected format. The required parameters are:

get-command-definitions

Every command supported by a language should be given a definition. In this way it will be listed under supported commands by oi and the run window will list the command with completion help.

PARAMETER:
	get-command-definitions

RESPONSE FORMAT:
	// Wrapping the command name with [] means the command is optional
	// All line breaks in this sample can be replaced with space
	// This is the definition response for the following new commands:
	// new file FILE_NAME
	// new directory DIR_NAME

	new|"Template command for new file"
		file|"Creates a new file"
			FILE_NAME|"The path/name of the file you want to create" end
		end
		directory|"Creates a new directory"
			DIR_NAME|"Long description where every line
						will be trimmed and new line is replaced by space" end
		end
	end

crawl-file-types

Returns a list of supported file extensions. These extensions will be used to determine what files the plugin will be asked to provide projects, files and signatures for. The code engine will also use the list of extensions to determine what language to pick a code snippet from when using a file extension instead of language.

PARAMETER:
	crawl-file-types

RESPONSE FORMAT:
	.csproj|.cs

crawl-source

When the code engine requests information about projects, files and signatures it will call the plugin with crawl-source. The parameter passed with it is the name of a file containing a file where the content is one line pr file / directory it want the plugin to crawl. When a directory is submitted it expects the directory to be crawled recursively.

PARAMETER:
	crawl-source PATH_TO_FILE_CONTIAINING_LINE_PR_FILE_OR_DIR_TO_CRAWL

RESPONSE FORMAT:
	// Project is optional. Other than that the hierarchy is as follows
	// Indentation is only to show hierarchy not required in output
	// Arguments in [] are optional
	//	typesearch => Is searchable under typesearch
	//	filesearch => Is searchable under file browse list

	[project|PROJECT-PATH [|filesearch]]
		file|FILE-PATH [|filesearch]
			signature|SIGNATURE|NAME|TYPE|OFFSET|LINE|COLUMN [|typesearch]
			reference|SIGNATURE|OFFSET|LINE|COLUMN

signature-from-position

Retrieve signature defined by a location inside the code. The information is used for go to definition. When given a position it exects the file and name of the referenced signature together with the start and end of the code reference under the cursor. If nothing is returned it expects that the signature is unknown. For instance if the code under the cursor is "dor.Open();" the response might be:
/path/to/Dor.cs
Building.Dor
1|0
1|3

PARAMETER:
	signature-from-position PATH_TO_FILE|LINE|COLUMN

RESPONSE FORMAT (fixed lines):
	// The response have fixed lines as shown below
	// The position is the start and end position of
	// the reference under the position passed to it
	// If not found return nothing
	FILE_CONTAINING_REFERENCED_SIGNATURE
	REFERENCED_SIGNATURE
	REFERENCE_START_LINE|REFERENCE_START_COLUMN
	REFERENCE_END_LINE|REFERENCE_END_COLUMN

members-from-signature

Want's the members listed for a specific signature. Often used in combination with signature-from-position by the code engine. The members returned are used among others by the member look up window (intellisense). If nothing is returned it expects that the signature is unknown.

PARAMETER:
	members-from-signature SIGNATURE

RESPONSE FORMAT:
	// A list if available members with descriptions
	// One line pr member. In the description part new line
	// is represented by [[[[newline]]]]
	SomeProperty|(Int) Some number
	Parse(string[])|(Returns string) Parses lines[[[[newline]]]]\tstring[] Lines

Commands defined by the plugin

Various language plugin commands. This would be any custom command defined by the plugin

PARAMETER:
	Whatever specified in command definitions

RESPONSE FORMAT:
	// Whatever supported oi commands you want executed
	// The error and comment general output commands are also supported
	// To report an error: error|ERROR_DESCRIPTION
	// To report print a comment: comment|COMMENT
	// Below is a simple sample

	comment|File /home/me/myfile created
	editor goto /home/me/myfile|3|18
	editor setfocus