One can add support for other programming languages to Apache NetBeans using its Rich Client Platform API.
Support to a programming language A plugin can be considered complete when it provides support for:
- code completion
- jump to definition, peek definition, find all references, symbol search
- types and documentation on hover
- code formatting
- refactoring (e.g. rename, move)
- error squiggles and apply suggestions from errors
- snippets
- build tasks
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
- Add editing features, including:
- 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 wayJavaCC lexer tutorial
- JavaCC parser tutorial
- 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to keep the many languages up-to-date; there are a number of tutorials on how to create a NB plugin using ANTLR, many outdated, with the best one in the Apache NetBeans book to add a plugin for blockchain support.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
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See the File Type Integration Tutorial for more details on how to add File Type recognition support.
Custom project types
You may want to create a new "Project Type" for your specific language. For instance, "Rust" projects usually have a folder structure defined by the "cargo" tool.
The "NetBeans Project Type Tutorial" available at https://netbeans.apache.org/tutorials/nbm-projecttype.html is probably a good starting point.
Adding editor features
You can also add language-specific features (folding, syntax highlighting, formatting, etc.) to the NetBeans editor to make it easier for users to program in your language.
You can use either
- The NetBeans specific APIs. See "NetBeans APIs for Developing Code Editors" at https://netbeans.apache.org/kb/docs/platform/#_netbeans_apis_for_developing_code_editors ) for a list.
- Or use an external Language Server Provider.
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:
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Resources
NetBeans Specific Resources
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