Enhance Language Features

[alefragnani]

Increase the support other Programmatic Language Features available in VS Code, which makes IntelliSense experience so great.

Currently, the extension only supports a few set of features:

• Document Symbols (only methods) - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_go-to-symbol
• Definition - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_go-to-definition
• References - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_peek
• Bracket Matching - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_bracket-matching
• Errors and Warnings (via Tasks) - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_errors-warnings
• Document Formatting (via Pascal Formatter extension) - https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/codebasics#_formatting

There are another set of features which would make the coding experience even richer.

• Document Symbols (other kind of symbols, like variables, constants, etc)
• Go to Implementation - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_go-to-implementation
• Reference Information - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_reference-information
• Rename Symbol - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_rename-symbol
• Code Actions - https://code.visualstudio.com/Docs/editor/editingevolved#_code-action
• Code Completions
• Signature Help
• Code Folding - https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/codebasics#_folding

More info:

• https://code.visualstudio.com/api/language-extensions/programmatic-language-features
• https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/intellisense
• https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/editingevolved
• https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/refactoring

[alefragnani]

Extends what #33 and #35 requests

[Skarvion]

Hi @alefragnani

I'd like to contribute code to help with AST. Are you currently developing your own parser or will you use a 3rd party source? I'm interested in writing a lexer first for the extension.

Cheers,
Will

[alefragnani]

Hi @Skarvion ,

Before Embarcadero DelphiLSP to be available, the idea was do develop my own LSP. But right now, I wonder if worth the effort. Sure, Embarcadero DelphiLSP is only available in Windows, and I don’t see Embarcadero embracing Linux or MacOS versions. So using Embarcadero DelphiLSP would only works on Windows.

On the other hand, developing a new LSP, or a simpler solution with its own AST, would allow things that DelphiLSP does not support. Also, would work for those that does not have DelphiLSP installed/available, which is my case.

When I created this issue, I had two different ideas:

• DelphiAST (https://github.com/RomanYankovsky/DelphiAST)
• AntLR (https://github.com/antlr/grammars-v4/tree/master/pascal)

I’m not actively working with Delphi right now, neither have Delphi available on my personal machine, so I have not started my own parser nor lexer. If you are interested in develop such solution, go ahead. I would be glad to discuss a PR.

Thank you