| # Generate Go types and signatures for the LSP protocol |
| |
| ## Setup |
| |
| Make sure `node` and `tsc` are installed and in your PATH. There are detailed instructions below. |
| Get the typescript code for the jsonrpc protocol with |
| |
| `git clone git@github.com:microsoft vscode-languageserver-node.git` |
| |
| `util.ts`` expects it to be in your HOME directory |
| |
| If you want to reproduce the existing files you need to be on a branch with the same git hash, for instance, `git checkout 7b90c29` |
| |
| ## Usage |
| |
| Code is generated and normalized by |
| |
| `tsc code.ts && node code.js && gofmt -w ts*.go` |
| |
| (`code.ts` imports `util.ts`.) This generates 3 files in the current directory, `tsprotocol.go` |
| containing type definitions, and `tsserver.go`, `tsclient.go` containing API stubs. |
| |
| ## Notes |
| |
| 1. `go.ts` and `requests.ts` use the Typescript compiler's API, which is [introduced](https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/Architectural-Overview) in their wiki. |
| 2. Because the Typescript and Go type systems are incompatible, `code.ts` and `util.ts` are filled with heuristics and special cases. Therefore they are tied to a specific commit of `vscode-languageserver-node`. The hash code of the commit is included in the header of |
| the generated files and stored in the variable `gitHash` in `go.ts`. It is checked (see `git()` in `util.ts`) on every execution. |
| 3. Generating the `ts*.go` files is only semi-automated. Please file an issue if the released version is too far behind. |
| 4. For the impatient, first change `gitHash` by hand (`git()` shows how to find the hash). |
| 1. Then try to run `code.ts`. This will likely fail because the heuristics don't cover some new case. For instance, some simple type like `string` might have changed to a union type `string | [number,number]`. Another example is that some generated formal parameter may have anonymous structure type, which is essentially unusable. |
| 2. Next step is to move the generated code to `internal/lsp/protocol` and try to build `gopls` and its tests. This will likely fail because types have changed. Generally the fixes are fairly easy. Then run all the tests. |
| 3. Since there are not adequate integration tests, the next step is to run `gopls`. |
| |
| ## Detailed instructions for installing node and typescript |
| |
| (The instructions are somewhat different for Linux and MacOS. They install some things locally, so `$PATH` needs to be changed.) |
| |
| 1. For Linux, it is possible to build node from scratch, but if there's a package manager, that's simpler. |
| 1. To use the Ubuntu package manager |
| 1. `sudo apt update` (if you can't `sudo` then these instructions are not helpful) |
| 2. `sudo apt install nodejs` (this may install `/usr/bin/nodejs` rather than `/usr/bin/node`. For me, `/usr/bin/nodejs` pointed to an actual executable `/etc/alternatives/nodejs`, which should be copied to `/usr/bin/node`) |
| 3. `sudo apt intall npm` |
| 1. To build from scratch |
| 1. Go to the [node site](https://nodejs.org), and download the one recommended for most users, and then you're on your own. (It's got binaries in it. Untar the file somewhere and put its `bin` directory in your path, perhaps?) |
| 2. The Mac is easier. Download the macOS installer from [nodejs](https://nodejs.org), click on it, and let it install. |
| 3. (There's a good chance that soon you will be asked to upgrade your new npm. `sudo npm install -g npm` is the command.) |
| 4. For either system, node and nvm should now be available. Running `node -v` and `npm -v` should produce version numbers. |
| 5. `npm install typescript` |
| 1. This will likely give warning messages that indicate you've failed to set up a project. Ignore them. |
| 2. Your home directory will now have new directories `.npm` and `node_modules` (and a `package_lock.json` file) |
| 3. The typescript executable `tsc` will be in `node_modules/.bin`, so put that directory in your path. |
| 4. `tsc -v` should print "Version 3.7.2" (or later). If not you may (as I did) have an obsolete tsc earlier in your path. |
| 6. `npm install @types/node` (Without this there will be many incomprehensible typescript error messages.) |