Language Service Overview (Managed Package Framework)

A language service provides editor support that lets you implement certain Visual Studio features. The Managed Package Framework (MPF) language service classes provide full support for frequently-used features and partial support for other features.

MPLEX and MPPG

When you create a managed-code language service project, you can use the MPLex and MPPG tools to generate the scanner and the parser. MPLex takes a lex-like specification to generate a scanner, and MPPG takes a yacc-like specification to produce a parser. You include the specification files in your project, together with the Managed Babel source code, to integrate the generated code with the MPF.

You can find MPLex and MPPG in

Visual Studio SDK installation path\VisualStudioIntegration\Tools\Bin\.

You can find the Managed Babel source code in

Visual Studio SDK installation path\VisualStudioIntegration\Common\Source\CSharp\Babel

You can find the supporting documentation in

Visual Studio SDK installation path\VisualStudioIntegration\ExtraDocumentation\ Look for Managed Babel Overview.pdf, MPLEX.pdf, and MPPG.pdf.

Fully Supported Features in the MPF

The MPF language service classes support the following features:

• Syntax highlighting

• Outlining

• Commenting blocks of code

• Brace matching

• Code snippets

• Custom document properties

• IntelliSense parameter information

• IntelliSense Quick Info

• IntelliSense member completion

• IntelliSense word completion

Partially Supported Features in the MPF

The MPF provides only partial support for the following features. This means that you must implement the methods that are called by the MPF.

• Reformatting code. You supply the code that implements the reformatting.

• Validating breakpoints by identifying valid code spans. You supply the code that identifies the code spans.

• Supporting the debugger Autos window for displaying variables. You supply the code that determines what to show in the window.

• Supporting the Navigation bar for quick navigation between types and members. You implement and return a helper class that populates the lists in the Navigation bar combo boxes.

Implementation

You must complete several steps to implement the language service itself and the language service features that you want to support for your language. These steps are discussed in the following topics:

• Implementing a Language Service (Managed Package Framework)

• Registering a Language Service (Managed Package Framework)

• Syntax Colorizing (Managed Package Framework)

• Brace Matching (Managed Package Framework)

• Outlining (Managed Package Framework)

• Commenting Code (Managed Package Framework)

• Reformatting Code (Managed Package Framework)

• Custom Document Properties (Managed Package Framework)

• Support for Code Snippets (Managed Package Framework)

• Support for the Navigation Bar (Managed Package Framework)

• IntelliSense Complete Word (Managed Package Framework)

• IntelliSense Member Completion (Managed Package Framework)

• IntelliSense Parameter Info (Managed Package Framework)

• IntelliSense Quick Info (Managed Package Framework)

• Support for the Autos Window (Managed Package Framework)

• Validating Breakpoints (Managed Package Framework)

See Also

Other Resources

Implementing a Language Service By Using the Managed Package Framework

Language Services

Change History