qtquick-tool-qmlls.qdoc

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// Copyright (C) 2023 The Qt Company Ltd.
// SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Qt-Commercial OR GFDL-1.3-no-invariants-only
 
/*!
\page qtquick-tool-qmlls.html
\title QML Language Server
\brief Overview of the QML Language Server (qmlls).
 
QML Language Server is a tool shipped with Qt that helps you write code
in your favorite (LSP-supporting) editor.
See \l{https://microsoft.github.io/language-server-protocol/}{Language Server Protocol}
for more information.
 
Currently, it enables your editor to:
\list
    \li Autocomplete your code
    \li Display qmllint warnings
    \li Navigate to definitions in QML files
    \li Find usages of JavaScript variables and QML objects
    \li Format QML files
\endlist
 
\note qmlls is currently in development, see \l{Known Limitations} for
more details.
 
\section1 Supported Features
 
\section2 Linting
 
QML Language Server can automatically lint opened QML files
and display warnings or errors straight in the editor. See
\l{qmllint} for more information about the linting process.
 
\section2 Formatting
 
QML Language Server can format entire files from inside
the editor. See \l{qmlformat} for more information about the
formatting process.
 
 
\section2 Finding Definitions
 
QML Language Server can find definitions of JavaScript variables,
functions, QML object id's and QML properties from their usages.
 
QML Language Server can also find the definition of types used in
type annotations for JavaScript functions, QML object properties,
and QML object instantiation.
 
\section2 Finding Usages
 
QML Language Server can find usages of JavaScript variables,
QML object properties, JavaScript functions, QML object methods,
and QML object id's.
 
\section1 Setting up the QML Language Server in Your Editor
 
\note You can find the QML Language Server binary under
\c{<Qt installation folder>/bin/qmlls} in installations of Qt
made with the official Maintenance Tool.
 
QML Language Server also needs to know the location of your build
folder. You can pass it the following ways:
\list
    \li The \c{--build-dir} command line option. In this case
your editor should invoke \c{qmlls} as following:
\badcode
<path/to/qmlls> --build-dir <path/to/build-directory>
\endcode
    \li The \c{QMLLS_BUILD_DIRS} environment variable.
    \li The \c{.qmlls.ini} settings file, see \l {Configuration File}.
\endlist
 
\note When the build directory is specified in multiple ways, the
command line option takes preference over the environment variable
that takes precedence over the setting file.
 
\section1 Configuration File
 
QML Language Server can be configured via a configuration file \c{.qmlls.ini}.
This file should be in the root source directory of the project.
It should be a text file in the ini-format.
 
The configuration file should look like this:
\code
// .qmlls.ini
[General]
buildDir=<path/to/build-directory>
\endcode
 
Currently, the configuration file can only be used to set the build
directory of the current project.
 
\note QML Language Server can create default configuration files
using the \c{--write-defaults} option. This will overwrite an
already existing .qmlls.ini file in the current directory.
 
\section1 Known Limitations
 
QML Language Server might emit false positive warnings on projects
that were not built, as it needs the build information to find
QML modules defined in the same project, for example.
 
Despite covering many common QML features,
the QML Language Server is still in development with some features
yet to be supported:
 
\list
    \li Renaming symbols (JavaScript variables, QML object id's, QML
object properties, and so on).
    \li Formatting only parts of a document.
    \li Formatting using a configurable set of rules.
    \li Navigating to definitions of objects defined in C++.
\endlist
 
The QML code model in the QML Language Server does not yet
support all of the JavaScript language constructs, which means that
some features like navigating to definition and finding usages might not
work on these language constructs.
 
 
*/