This repository contains the .tmlanguage file describbing the ballerina language grammar. Currently its consumed by the ballerina vscode plugin to provide syntax highlighting for ballerina.

As .tmLanguage files which are of plist format are rather hard to read to the human eye ballerina.tmLanguage file is generated from the ballerina.YAML-tmLaguage YAML file.

Any modifications by hand should be done only to this YAML file.

To generate the tmLanguage file,

npm install
npm run build

Generate language files via the scripts

• ballerina.YAML-tmLanguage

  • Run node extract-keywords.js [path to ballerina-lang/compiler/ballerina-parser/src/main/java/io/ballerina/compiler/internal/parser/LexerTerminals.java]
  • Update ballerina.YAML-tmLanguage file with changes

• ballerina.tmLanguage

  • Run node build-tm.js

• ballerina.monarch.json

  • Run node build-monarch.js

• prism-ballerina.js

  • Run cd prism && node extract-keywords.js [path to ballerina-lang/compiler/ballerina-parser/src/main/java/io/ballerina/compiler/internal/parser/LexerTerminals.java]

Add Test Cases

• First, build the grammar

  • Run npm run build

• Generate test snapshot

  • Run node node_modules/vscode-tmgrammar-test/dist/src/snapshot.js -s source.ballerina -g syntaxes/ballerina.tmLanguage -t test/resources/config/<BALLERINA_FILE>

• Test snapshot againt the grammar

  • Run node node_modules/vscode-tmgrammar-test/dist/src/unit.js -s source.ballerina -g syntaxes/ballerina.tmLanguage -t test/resources/snapshots/<NAME>.bal.snap (Makesure the snapshot's lines start with // and // SYNTAX TEST "source.ballerina" "description" is added to the top of the snapshot file to enable the test.)