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< ol class = "chapter" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../install.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 1.< / strong > Installation< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../usage.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.< / strong > Usage< / a > < / li > < li > < ol class = "section" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../keymap.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.1.< / strong > Keymap< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../commands.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.2.< / strong > Commands< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../lang-support.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.3.< / strong > Language Support< / a > < / li > < / ol > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../from-vim.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 3.< / strong > Migrating from Vim< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../configuration.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.< / strong > Configuration< / a > < / li > < li > < ol class = "section" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../themes.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.1.< / strong > Themes< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../remapping.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.2.< / strong > Key Remapping< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../hooks.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.3.< / strong > Hooks< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../languages.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.4.< / strong > Languages< / a > < / li > < / ol > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../guides/index.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 5.< / strong > Guides< / a > < / li > < li > < ol class = "section" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../guides/adding_languages.html" class = "active" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 5.1.< / strong > Adding Languages< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "../guides/textobject.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 5.2.< / strong > Adding Textobject Queries< / a > < / li > < / ol > < / li > < / ol >
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< h1 id = "adding-languages" > < a class = "header" href = "#adding-languages" > Adding languages< / a > < / h1 >
< h2 id = "language-configuration" > < a class = "header" href = "#language-configuration" > Language configuration< / a > < / h2 >
< p > To add a new language, you need to add a < code > language< / code > entry to the
< a href = "https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/blob/master/languages.toml" > < code > languages.toml< / code > < / a > found in the root of the repository;
this < code > languages.toml< / code > file is included at compilation time, and is
distinct from the < code > languages.toml< / code > file in the user's < a href = "../configuration.html" > configuration
directory< / a > .< / p >
< pre > < code class = "language-toml" > [[language]]
name = " mylang"
scope = " scope.mylang"
injection-regex = " ^mylang$"
file-types = [" mylang" , " myl" ]
comment-token = " #"
indent = { tab-width = 2, unit = " " }
< / code > < / pre >
< p > These are the available keys and descriptions for the file.< / p >
< table > < thead > < tr > < th > Key< / th > < th > Description< / th > < / tr > < / thead > < tbody >
< tr > < td > < code > name< / code > < / td > < td > The name of the language< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > scope< / code > < / td > < td > A string like < code > source.js< / code > that identifies the language. Currently, we strive to match the scope names used by popular TextMate grammars and by the Linguist library. Usually < code > source.< name> < / code > or < code > text.< name> < / code > in case of markup languages< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > injection-regex< / code > < / td > < td > regex pattern that will be tested against a language name in order to determine whether this language should be used for a potential < a href = "https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/syntax-highlighting#language-injection" > language injection< / a > site.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > file-types< / code > < / td > < td > The filetypes of the language, for example < code > [" yml" , " yaml" ]< / code > . Extensions and full file names are supported.< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > shebangs< / code > < / td > < td > The interpreters from the shebang line, for example < code > [" sh" , " bash" ]< / code > < / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > roots< / code > < / td > < td > A set of marker files to look for when trying to find the workspace root. For example < code > Cargo.lock< / code > , < code > yarn.lock< / code > < / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > auto-format< / code > < / td > < td > Whether to autoformat this language when saving< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > diagnostic-severity< / code > < / td > < td > Minimal severity of diagnostic for it to be displayed. (Allowed values: < code > Error< / code > , < code > Warning< / code > , < code > Info< / code > , < code > Hint< / code > )< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > comment-token< / code > < / td > < td > The token to use as a comment-token< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > indent< / code > < / td > < td > The indent to use. Has sub keys < code > tab-width< / code > and < code > unit< / code > < / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > config< / code > < / td > < td > Language server configuration< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > grammar< / code > < / td > < td > The tree-sitter grammar to use (defaults to the value of < code > name< / code > )< / td > < / tr >
< / tbody > < / table >
< h2 id = "grammar-configuration" > < a class = "header" href = "#grammar-configuration" > Grammar configuration< / a > < / h2 >
< p > If a tree-sitter grammar is available for the language, add a new < code > grammar< / code >
entry to < code > languages.toml< / code > .< / p >
< pre > < code class = "language-toml" > [[grammar]]
name = " mylang"
source = { git = " https://github.com/example/mylang" , rev = " a250c4582510ff34767ec3b7dcdd3c24e8c8aa68" }
< / code > < / pre >
< p > Grammar configuration takes these keys:< / p >
< table > < thead > < tr > < th > Key< / th > < th > Description< / th > < / tr > < / thead > < tbody >
< tr > < td > < code > name< / code > < / td > < td > The name of the tree-sitter grammar< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > source< / code > < / td > < td > The method of fetching the grammar - a table with a schema defined below< / td > < / tr >
< / tbody > < / table >
< p > Where < code > source< / code > is a table with either these keys when using a grammar from a
git repository:< / p >
< table > < thead > < tr > < th > Key< / th > < th > Description< / th > < / tr > < / thead > < tbody >
< tr > < td > < code > git< / code > < / td > < td > A git remote URL from which the grammar should be cloned< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > rev< / code > < / td > < td > The revision (commit hash or tag) which should be fetched< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > subpath< / code > < / td > < td > A path within the grammar directory which should be built. Some grammar repositories host multiple grammars (for example < code > tree-sitter-typescript< / code > and < code > tree-sitter-ocaml< / code > ) in subdirectories. This key is used to point < code > hx --grammar build< / code > to the correct path for compilation. When omitted, the root of repository is used< / td > < / tr >
< / tbody > < / table >
< p > Or a < code > path< / code > key with an absolute path to a locally available grammar directory.< / p >
< h2 id = "queries" > < a class = "header" href = "#queries" > Queries< / a > < / h2 >
< p > For a language to have syntax-highlighting and indentation among
other things, you have to add queries. Add a directory for your
language with the path < code > runtime/queries/< name> /< / code > . The tree-sitter
< a href = "https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/syntax-highlighting#queries" > website< / a >
gives more info on how to write queries.< / p >
< blockquote >
< p > NOTE: When evaluating queries, the first matching query takes
precedence, which is different from other editors like neovim where
the last matching query supersedes the ones before it. See
< a href = "https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/1170#issuecomment-997294090" > this issue< / a > for an example.< / p >
< / blockquote >
< h2 id = "common-issues" > < a class = "header" href = "#common-issues" > Common Issues< / a > < / h2 >
< ul >
< li >
< p > If you get errors when running after switching branches, you may have to update the tree-sitter grammars. Run < code > hx --grammar fetch< / code > to fetch the grammars and < code > hx --grammar build< / code > to build any out-of-date grammars.< / p >
< / li >
< li >
< p > If a parser is segfaulting or you want to remove the parser, make sure to remove the compiled parser in < code > runtime/grammar/< name> .so< / code > < / p >
< / li >
< li >
< p > The indents query is < code > indents.toml< / code > , < em > not< / em > < code > indents.scm< / code > . See < a href = "https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/issues/114" > this< / a > issue for more information.< / p >
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