Demystifying OCaml Syntax with Merlin and OCaml-LSP #1218

PizieDust · 2023-12-11T11:43:37Z

FEATURE: Add Syntax Documentation to Hover request

Introduction

This PR introduces a new feature to OCaml-LSP for both beginners and also more experienced programmers. No more searching for obscure keywords or symbols on Google trying to find documentation.
With this PR, you can hover over OCaml code in your editor, and instantly see a clear and summarized explanation of its syntax along with a link to the exact portion of OCaml's documentation for it.

Benefits:

Faster understanding: At a glance you can get a quick description of what the syntax is about.
Improved learning: Beginners can easily understand how their code works while writing the code.
Enhanced productivity: Very useful for understanding codebases and what a syntax is supposed to do.

How it works:

Hover your cursor over the OCaml code.
The hover request will call the new Syntax Documentation command from Merlin which returns a JSON output containing a name, some description and a url pointing to the documentation.
This information is then parsed and displayed on your editors hover UI.

Scope

Currently the command covers only specific sections of OCaml's syntax such as Language Extensions. Subsequently, more syntax will be covered.

Code Example

Example: Hovering over type definitions in VS code:
Code example:

(*  Variant type *)
type p = 
  | A (** comment for A*)
  | B (** comment for B*)

(* Record type *)
type point = {x: int; y: int}

Current Behaviour

Before Syntax document command: UI will display only type definition

Or display comments if they are available

New Feature

The UI now includes a short description about the syntax highlighted under the cursor.

UI will also display comments if they are available

New Syntax Document command can differentiate different kinds of syntax and return appropriate documentation

WIP/Dependencies

This PR relies on a new Merlin command found in this PR (ocaml/merlin#1706) which is currently unmerged. To test this feature out, add a pin dependency of Merlin to https://github.com/PizieDust/merlin/tree/syntax_documentation.

This PR is related to ocaml/merlin#1692

Update

@jfeser made a great comment about displaying the urls as markdown links instead of full string versions which greatly improves on the UX both functionally and aesthetically.

@pitag-ha suggested using JSON instead of one blob string for the Syntax Document command which works great for this purpose.

cc @voodoos @pitag-ha

jfeser · 2023-12-12T15:27:21Z

I suspect that users will want this to be configurable. I could see how novice users might find this information helpful, but it's noisy.

#1198 suggests go-to links for types. We could consider a go-to link for documentation, instead of inlining the documentation sentence into the hover.

PizieDust · 2023-12-13T06:38:19Z

#1198 suggests go-to links for types. We could consider a go-to link for documentation, instead of inlining the documentation sentence into the hover.

This is certainly a good idea. I like the Go to Documentation format. It definitely trims is down a bunch.

voodoos

Made a few comments, you are doing good progress !

To make the feature opt-in (or opt-out ?) can take inspiration from other configurable features of ocaml-lsp like "extended hover".

ocaml-lsp-server/src/document.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/src/hover_req.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/docs/ocamllsp/config.md

ocaml-lsp-server/src/config_data.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/src/custom_requests/req_hover_extended.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/src/document.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/src/hover_req.ml

smorimoto · 2024-01-14T16:41:22Z

Changes for this PR on the VSCode extension side have just been merged.

ocaml-lsp-server/src/env_vars.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/src/hover_req.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/src/document.ml

rgrinberg · 2024-02-12T10:00:11Z

I'll let @voodoos merge

voodoos · 2024-02-12T14:27:48Z

I'll let @voodoos merge

ack, I will try to release Merlin so that we can properly run the testsuite before merging.

coveralls · 2024-02-27T13:47:06Z

Pull Request Test Coverage Report for Build 4211

Warning: This coverage report may be inaccurate.

This pull request's base commit is no longer the HEAD commit of its target branch. This means it includes changes from outside the original pull request, including, potentially, unrelated coverage changes.

For more information on this, see Tracking coverage changes with pull request builds.
To avoid this issue with future PRs, see these Recommended CI Configurations.
For a quick fix, rebase this PR at GitHub. Your next report should be accurate.

Details

33 of 59 (55.93%) changed or added relevant lines in 3 files are covered.
1 unchanged line in 1 file lost coverage.
Overall coverage increased (+0.09%) to 21.266%

Changes Missing Coverage	Covered Lines	Changed/Added Lines	%
ocaml-lsp-server/src/document.ml	6	7	85.71%
ocaml-lsp-server/src/hover_req.ml	9	16	56.25%
ocaml-lsp-server/src/config_data.ml	18	36	50.0%

Files with Coverage Reduction	New Missed Lines	%
ocaml-lsp-server/src/hover_req.ml	1	42.93%

Totals
Change from base Build 4187:	0.09%
Covered Lines:	5137
Relevant Lines:	24156

💛 - Coveralls

voodoos

Sorry for the late review. Nice job Pizie, it looks like it's almost ready !

I think you changed the formatting of the on_hover responses slightly which breaks other tests. (The 5.0/5.1 CI only pass because it doesn't run the tests.) Did you run them on your machine ? Did they pass on your machine ?

For example, the following diff is clearly linked to your new printing of the dividers:

    - ---
    +
    +  --- 
    +

There is no reason to change the results of other tests in this PR, unless the new feature is activated. You can run the make test target to run the test on your machine and check that the result is correct.

README.md

ocaml-lsp-server/src/document.ml

ocaml-lsp-server/src/hover_req.ml

voodoos · 2024-03-07T14:57:43Z

ocaml-lsp-server/src/hover_req.ml

@@ -12,29 +12,40 @@ let environment_mode =
  | Some true -> Extended_variable
  | Some false | None -> Default

-let format_contents ~syntax ~markdown ~typ ~doc =
+let print_dividers sections = String.concat ~sep:"\n\n --- \n\n" sections


I think in the orginal printer there is only one \n before and after the --- and no spaced. Does that matter ?

It would be great to have the commit with the test moved at the first position in this PR so that it first show the printing before the changes in that PR and then how this PR alters the test. (@pitag-ha can probably help you with the rebase 🤞)

PizieDust · 2024-03-08T05:07:34Z

Sorry for the late review. Nice job Pizie, it looks like it's almost ready !

I think you changed the formatting of the on_hover responses slightly which breaks other tests. (The 5.0/5.1 CI only pass because it doesn't run the tests.) Did you run them on your machine ? Did they pass on your machine ?

For example, the following diff is clearly linked to your new printing of the dividers:
    - ---
    +
    +  --- 
    +
There is no reason to change the results of other tests in this PR, unless the new feature is activated. You can run the make test target to run the test on your machine and check that the result is correct.

Ahh yeah, I was using dune build @runtest and I think that's why I didn't notice that the tests were failing. It's all sorted now.

add syntax doc command change syntax_doc output from string to record type parse record to extract and display different fields correctly lint code refactor code add formatting functions and check if syn_doc is activated check if syntax_doc is activated in ocamllsp env variables refactor for proper types include syntax documentation in configuation data check if feature is activated from ocaml.server remove redundant code lint add version refactor code and lint refactor code and lint let merlin work only if syntax doc is activated lint change from italics to code pill lint update changelog update documentation remove configuration via environment variables update docs syntax highlighting for code block make syntax highlighter required add constraint for most recent version of merlin-lib upgrade merlin-lib to latest version add syntax doc to ppx expect Write tests for syntax doc command linting helper function for positions Update README.md Co-authored-by: Ulysse <5031221+voodoos@users.noreply.github.com> Update README.md Co-authored-by: Ulysse <5031221+voodoos@users.noreply.github.com> Update ocaml-lsp-server/src/document.ml Co-authored-by: Ulysse <5031221+voodoos@users.noreply.github.com> Update ocaml-lsp-server/src/document.ml Co-authored-by: Ulysse <5031221+voodoos@users.noreply.github.com> 80 char per line limit use better descriptive function name adjust formatting fix bug fix bug

…ax_doc

voodoos · 2024-05-14T11:55:14Z

Thanks @PizieDust, I will merge once the checks finish.

PizieDust mentioned this pull request Dec 13, 2023

[FEATURE] Command to provide information for OCaml syntax ocaml/merlin#1706

Merged

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PizieDust changed the title ~~Add more info to Document command~~ Demystifying OCaml's Code with Merlin and OCaml-LSP Dec 15, 2023

PizieDust changed the title ~~Demystifying OCaml's Code with Merlin and OCaml-LSP~~ Demystifying OCaml Syntax with Merlin and OCaml-LSP Dec 15, 2023

voodoos reviewed Dec 18, 2023

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This was referenced Dec 27, 2023

Add GUI option for new Syntax Documentation command ocamllabs/vscode-ocaml-platform#1312

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Add Syntax Documentation to vscode ocamllabs/vscode-ocaml-platform#1313

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voodoos reviewed Jan 3, 2024

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PizieDust requested a review from rgrinberg February 12, 2024 08:20

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PizieDust requested a review from voodoos March 8, 2024 05:24

PizieDust force-pushed the add_syntax_doc branch 3 times, most recently from 192f59a to c5f37c9 Compare March 14, 2024 07:57

PizieDust force-pushed the add_syntax_doc branch from 9f3a377 to b462e3b Compare March 14, 2024 08:13

PizieDust added 2 commits March 14, 2024 09:26

Write tests for syntax doc command

24a3244

Merge branch 'master' of github.com:PizieDust/ocaml-lsp into add_synt…

e8f4bd4

…ax_doc

PizieDust and others added 2 commits May 13, 2024 10:12

add syndoc command

e6f223e

Format changes

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voodoos merged commit 97bd236 into ocaml:master May 14, 2024
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Demystifying OCaml Syntax with Merlin and OCaml-LSP #1218

Demystifying OCaml Syntax with Merlin and OCaml-LSP #1218

PizieDust commented Dec 11, 2023 •

edited

jfeser commented Dec 12, 2023

PizieDust commented Dec 13, 2023 •

edited

voodoos left a comment

smorimoto commented Jan 14, 2024

rgrinberg commented Feb 12, 2024

voodoos commented Feb 12, 2024

coveralls commented Feb 27, 2024 •

edited

voodoos left a comment

voodoos Mar 7, 2024

PizieDust commented Mar 8, 2024 •

edited

voodoos commented May 14, 2024

Demystifying OCaml Syntax with Merlin and OCaml-LSP #1218

Demystifying OCaml Syntax with Merlin and OCaml-LSP #1218

Conversation

PizieDust commented Dec 11, 2023 • edited

FEATURE: Add Syntax Documentation to Hover request

Introduction

Benefits:

How it works:

Scope

Code Example

Current Behaviour

New Feature

WIP/Dependencies

Update

jfeser commented Dec 12, 2023

PizieDust commented Dec 13, 2023 • edited

voodoos left a comment

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smorimoto commented Jan 14, 2024

rgrinberg commented Feb 12, 2024

voodoos commented Feb 12, 2024

coveralls commented Feb 27, 2024 • edited

Pull Request Test Coverage Report for Build 4211

Warning: This coverage report may be inaccurate.

Details

💛 - Coveralls

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PizieDust commented Mar 8, 2024 • edited

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PizieDust commented Dec 11, 2023 •

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PizieDust commented Mar 8, 2024 •

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