My Work on a Lua IDE

[sylvanaar]

I know this may not be for everyone, but I have been working on a Lua IDE within IntelliJ.

If you would like to try it out, there is a free version of IntelliJ 10:

http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/free_java_ide.html

There are loads of pictures here on the wiki page: http://bitbucket.org/sylvanaar2/lua-for-idea/wiki/Home

ohloh page: http://www.ohloh.net/p/idlua

"how to" screencast showing how to set up the WOW APIs and FrameXML libraries for completions and documentation.

http://www.screencast.com/t/78ltrNMsC7

Here's an (incomplete) feature list

1. Basic Completions
2. Quick Documentation with Multiple documentation providers
3. Resolving Globals in project and libraries
4. Custom API Support including custom function signatures (Experimental)
5. Function Information via Quickhelp
6. Lua Standard Library Information via Quickhelp (ctrl-Q)
7. Hilighting of Upvalues and Fields
8. Goto Symbol
9. Safe Delete (Experimental)
10. Rename Identifier (Experimental)
11. JavaHelp For Lua 5.1
12. Execution in the Kahlua interpreter
13. Go to definition
14. find usages
15. Code formatting
16. Keyword completion
17. 1 quickfix
18. 5 code intentions
19. 6 code inspection
20. Highlighting global vs local variables
21. Script execution and run configurations
22. Kahlua interpreter window for interactive script execution (repl)
23. Comes with an embedded Lua compiler written in Java (Kahlua)
24. Structure view
25. Syntax checking
26. Syntax highlighting - including proper handling of extended syntax comments and quotes
27. Customizable highlighting colors
28. Code folding for code blocks and comments
29. Brace Matching for do blocks, long strings and comments, and (, { , [
30. Minor feature: comment in/out.

To install the Lua plugin, use the plugin manager inside IntelliJ

To do so, choose File/Settings/Plugins, and Locate the Lua plugin and right click it and choose install.

I am using it for my plugin development now. The global vs local highlighting is very handy!

Here are some screencasts so you can see it in action:

Unbalanced Assignment Quickfix
Custom APIs and Parameter Info
Code Formatter
Lua API Documentation


Another example of how its being used

[Vlad]

Gj, I was trying to find some editor that supports LUA as in syntax highlight and also smart "find usages" and local/global highlight, e.g. Would love to be able to spot errors before compiling, like parsing the code in the editor and underlining problems in red or something -guess this is for the future.

[sylvanaar]

updated to version 0.8

experimental support for "find usages" and "go to definition" - mind you *alot* of cases don't work, but its a definite start

[sylvanaar]

Originally Posted by Vladinator Gj, I was trying to find some editor that supports LUA as in syntax highlight and also smart "find usages" and local/global highlight, e.g. Would love to be able to spot errors before compiling, like parsing the code in the editor and underlining problems in red or something -guess this is for the future.

It can already find errors in the code and hilight those without compiling.

"find usages" support has just been added in an experimental capacity (i.e it only partially works).

[sylvanaar]

updated to 0.8.1 - identifier resolution fixes

try ctrl-clicking various identifiers (currently only works with locals)

[sylvanaar]

Updated to 0.8.2 - support for for loop identifiers

[Rilgamon]

I've never used IntelliJ before so I know nothing about it.
Is there a way to have it show a list of my own functions sorted by the filename
they're in ?

[sylvanaar]

Originally Posted by Rilgamon I've never used IntelliJ before so I know nothing about it. Is there a way to have it show a list of my own functions sorted by the filename they're in ?

There is a list of functions, but they are for the currently open file.

Give it a try...its pretty easy to get up and running.

[sylvanaar]

0.8.4 support for the vexing

local a; local a=a

Noted link to wiki page now with loads of pictures showing basic setup and usage

[Rilgamon]

Originally Posted by sylvanaar There is a list of functions, but they are for the currently open file. Give it a try...its pretty easy to get up and running.

If it were easy I would not ask From your screenshot I found it was
supposed to be listed in the structure window but for me this was empty.
I had to delete the project and restart and then it showed up

Thanks for your help

[sylvanaar]

Updated the feature list.

[Xubera]

downloading now, i need a better IDE than SciTE one that I found somewhere here on WoWI, I hate the window management when I need more than file up at the same time. so here's hoping

[sylvanaar]

Originally Posted by Xubera downloading now, i need a better IDE than SciTE one that I found somewhere here on WoWI, I hate the window management when I need more than file up at the same time. so here's hoping

make sure your plugin version is 0.8.16 or greater. There was a big bug in some earlier versions.

[Xubera]

i was looking through your screen shots, and it had an instruction to include the Lua directory when creating a project... I dont have Lua on my computer, do I need that library?

[sylvanaar]

Originally Posted by Xubera i was looking through your screen shots, and it had an instruction to include the Lua directory when creating a project... I dont have Lua on my computer, do I need that library?

No, only if you want to run the Lua code on your local machine. You can select "Kahlua" as the SDK when you set up your project.

With Kahlua as the SDK, your code will execute in the embedded interpreter (assuming you even try to run it)

Oh, if you are on IRC, i can help you set up - its actually pretty easy.

[Xubera]

alrighty, well ill definitely give it a go. I'll have to figure out to make the indentions work how I like...

like if im typing on a line thats 4 spaces out then hit enter, the cursor is 4 spaces out, but i usually like to double tap enter when breaking things up

like
if 1 == 1 then
someLogic
someStuff

someMoreButDifferentStuff
end

but when i double tap enter, it sets the cursor at the first column, instead of the 4th... into the options i go

[sylvanaar]

well, I have to code for all the text alignment and formatting as well. so there may be cases where it doesn't behave optimally.

if you can give steps to reproduce and expected behavior, i can see what i can do.

[Xubera]

well lets just say this

function myAddonFrame_OnEvent(self, event, ...)
    print(event,...)

    if event == "ACTIONBAR_SHOWGRID" then
        someFunc()
    elseif event == "ACTIONBAR_HIDEGRID" then
        otherFunc()
    end
end

in this example, the first print command is about 4 spaces as its indention, my normal coding habit is to double tap the enter key, to give that space between the print and if statements.

right now what im experimenting in the IDE is if i type like this

function myAddonFrame_OnEvent(self, event, ...)
    print(event,...)
    if event == "ACTIONBAR_SHOWGRID" then
        someFunc()
    elseif event == "ACTIONBAR_HIDEGRID" then
        otherFunc()
    end
end

it works fine, but if i type like in the first code box, i will have to reapply the 4 spaces.

for further attempts at clarification, say my cursor is on row 2 column 4 and I hit enter, my cursor is in row 3 column 4. now if I hit enter again without typing anything, im in row 4 column 1. so now to keep the same indention, i have to Tab or space out to get to row 4 column 4.


EDIT:: ---

Actually, ive been noticing now, alot of the times it works as expected, and only occasionally does it do as I am describing above... probably user error

[sylvanaar]

I found the error I think. I'll wait for some more feedback from you before pushing out a new version.

[sylvanaar]

Went ahead an pushed a new version. You can update within the ide.

The new version is 0.8.17