This Sublime Text package provides syntax highlighting and editing support for Jam language files -- typically named Jamfile or *.jam.
More specifically, the Jam language dialect supported by the B2 Build System, formerly known as Boost.Build, or Boost.Jam -- part of the Boost C++ Library Project.
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Complete Syntax Highlighting
100% coverage of core language features. Takes advantage of Sublime Text 4's non-deterministic grammar, lazy embedding, and syntax inheritance features to give accurate and precise semantic markup. As such, the syntax highlighting can function much like a lint tool.
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Native Symbol Indexing support
Labels identifiers, variables, classes, rules (functions), which populates Sublime's symbol index, enabling tab-completions, suggestions, and other features.
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Snippet Completions
Builtin Language symbols for rules, features, and expansion modifiers.
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Fold support
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Glob and Regex pattern highlighting
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Embedded Shell Script highlighting for
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Builtin Library Support
Though not strictly part of the core language, in practice most users will be using the standard library to build C++ projects. As such, this package also contains support for the core build commands and features.
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White-space aware
Jam requires white-space around all symbols -- unlike most other languages, which allow symbols to be token boundaries. This syntax highlighter will help you spot problems caused by missing white-space.
Additionally, this package contains keymappings that auto-pair braces, brackets, and parenthesis with white-space, in hopefully intuitive ways.
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Sublime Text 4
Built and tested with build: 4152
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Manual Installation
Clone this repo into your Sublime
Packagesdirectory, and name itB2Jam
I wanted to get to know Sublime Text better, and figured one great way to learn about it was to develop a syntax highlighter for it. I saw that there wasn't support for the B2 / Boost Jam language, and as it is a language that I'm familar with, I went to work. Having built language parsers in the past, I quickly got into the weeds. I realize in hindsight that my approach here was probably too meticulous. The upside is that it can detect mal-formed syntax and inform the user in such cases, which is quite useful!
Many years ago, I wrote Boost.Build.XModule a B2 Jam library to download and build third-party dependencies in the B2 build environment. Much like the ExternalProject and FetchContent modules in CMake. I wish I had this package at the time!