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First-class Visual Basic (.NET) support for Visual Studio Code, powered by a custom language server.

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VB.NET Language Support

First-class VB.NET language support for VS Code and compatible editors

License: MIT

Overview

VB.NET Language Support is a fully open-source extension providing first-class VB.NET language support for Visual Studio Code and compatible editors (Cursor, VSCodium, Emacs). Built on Microsoft's Roslyn compiler platform, it delivers modern IDE features through the Language Server Protocol (LSP).

Key Features

  • Roslyn-powered semantic analysis and compilation
  • LSP architecture mirroring the "C# for Visual Studio Code" extension
  • Solution and project loading for .sln and .vbproj files
  • Core IDE features:
    • Real-time diagnostics and error detection
    • IntelliSense completion
    • Go to Definition and Find References
    • Symbol navigation and search
    • Code rename refactoring
    • Hover information
  • Advanced navigation (type definition, implementation, call/type hierarchy)
  • Document highlights, selection ranges, and document links
  • Open-source debugging with bundled Samsung netcoredbg (Phase 2)
  • 100% MIT licensed - no proprietary components

Status

Current Phase: Phase 3 - Advanced Navigation & Polish (in progress) Version: 0.1.8 (preview) Status: In active development

Implemented Features

Feature Status
Text Synchronization Implemented
Diagnostics (real-time errors) Implemented
Completion (IntelliSense) Implemented
Hover (symbol info) Implemented
Go to Definition Implemented
Find All References Implemented
Rename Symbol Implemented
Document Symbols (outline) Implemented
Workspace Symbols (search) Implemented
Solution/Project Loading Implemented
Formatting (document + range) Implemented
Code Actions (baseline) Implemented
Semantic Tokens (full + range) Implemented
Signature Help Implemented
Folding Ranges Implemented
Type Definition Implemented
Implementation Implemented
Document Highlight Implemented
Selection Range Implemented
Document Links Implemented
Call/Type Hierarchy Implemented
Pull Diagnostics (document/workspace) Implemented
Debugging (netcoredbg integration) Implemented (bundled netcoredbg)

Test Coverage: 150 tests passing

See PROJECT_PLAN.md for the complete roadmap.

Installation

Prerequisites

The debugger is bundled with the extension; no separate install is required. Advanced users can override it via settings if needed.

Remote + Web Notes

  • Dev containers/SSH/WSL: Supported as long as the remote environment has the .NET SDK installed.
  • VS Code Web (vscode.dev/github.dev): Not supported because the language server requires a .NET runtime and local project system access.
  • Dev container config: See .devcontainer/devcontainer.json for a repeatable setup with .NET + Node.js.

WSL Quickstart (Testing)

For WSL-based testing, use the Linux VSIX and ensure the bundled debugger is available for the harness:

export PATH="$HOME/.dotnet:$PATH"
export DOTNET_ROOT="$HOME/.dotnet"
cd /mnt/c/Work/vbnet-lsp/src/extension
npm run bundle-debugger -- --target linux-x64
cd /mnt/c/Work/vbnet-lsp/test-explore/clients/vscode
export CODE_DISABLE_WSL=1
export VSCODE_CLI=1
export DONT_PROMPT_WSL_INSTALL=1
export NO_AT_BRIDGE=1
export DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS="unix:path=/dev/null"
xvfb-run -a npm test

See docs/development.md for full setup details.

From Source (Development)

Currently, VB.NET Language Support is in early development. To build from source:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/DNAKode/vbnet-lsp.git
cd vbnet-lsp

# Build the language server
dotnet build src/VbNet.LanguageServer.Vb

# Run tests
dotnet test

See docs/development.md for detailed setup instructions.

Quick Start

Once installed, the extension automatically activates when you open a `.vb` file or a folder containing VB.NET projects.

Opening a VB.NET Project

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Open a folder containing a `.sln` or `.vbproj` file
  3. The extension will automatically discover and load your VB.NET projects
  4. Start coding with full IntelliSense support

If you have multiple solutions, use the Command Palette action "VB.NET: Select Workspace Solution" to choose the active `.sln/.slnf/.slnx`. For diagnostics, use "VB.NET: Show Logs" and "VB.NET: Toggle LSP Trace". If assets are missing, run "VB.NET: Restore Workspace" or "VB.NET: Restore Project". To run tests scoped to the active file, solution, or project, use "VB.NET: Run Tests" (or "VB.NET: Debug Tests (Preview)"). To force a reanalysis without restarting VS Code, use "VB.NET: Reload Workspace". For attaching to a running .NET process, use "VB.NET: Attach Debugger to Process".

Architecture

VB.NET Language Support follows the architecture of the "C# for Visual Studio Code" extension:

  • VS Code Extension (TypeScript) - Extension activation, LSP client, UI integration
  • Language Server (VB.NET/.NET) - Roslyn workspace, LSP protocol, language services
  • Samsung netcoredbg - Open-source .NET debugger (bundled in platform-specific VSIX packages)

See docs/architecture.md for detailed architectural information.

Documentation

Project Goals

VB.NET Language Support aims to provide:

  1. Feature parity with the "C# for Visual Studio Code" extension
  2. Performance validated against large real-world codebases (DWSIM)
  3. Stability through comprehensive testing and validation
  4. Community focus - welcoming issues, feedback, and contributions

Key Differentiators

  • 100% open source under MIT license
  • VB.NET focused - optimized specifically for VB.NET development
  • Open-source debugger - Samsung netcoredbg bundled for all supported platforms
  • No proprietary components - fully transparent and community-driven

Roadmap

Phase 1 (MVP) - Complete

  • Core language server with essential LSP features
  • Solution and project loading
  • Diagnostics, completion, navigation
  • Symbol search and rename

Phase 2 (Complete)

  • Code formatting
  • Code actions (baseline)
  • Semantic tokens (enhanced syntax highlighting)
  • Signature help
  • Folding ranges
  • Debugging integration with bundled netcoredbg

Phase 3 (Next)

  • Test explorer integration
  • Performance optimization
  • Inlay hints (deferred pending stable Roslyn APIs)

Phase 4

  • Mixed-language solution support
  • Advanced refactorings
  • Multi-root workspace handling

See PROJECT_PLAN.md for the complete implementation roadmap.

Contributing

We welcome contributions, especially:

  • Issue reports - bug reports, feature requests, performance issues
  • Testing - real-world usage feedback and edge case discovery
  • Documentation - improvements and clarifications
  • Code contributions - bug fixes and feature implementations

Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Testing

VB.NET Language Support is tested against:

  • Small projects (~10 files) - unit test validation
  • Medium projects (~50 files) - integration testing
  • DWSIM (100+ files) - large real-world VB.NET codebase for performance validation
  • Multiple editors - VS Code (automated) and Emacs (eglot) smoke coverage; Cursor/VSCodium planned

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

  • Microsoft Roslyn team - for the amazing .NET compiler platform
  • Microsoft C# extension team - for the open-source LSP architecture reference
  • Samsung netcoredbg team - for the open-source .NET debugger
  • Cliffback - for macOS arm64 netcoredbg community builds
  • DWSIM project - for providing a large real-world VB.NET codebase for testing

Support

Built with focus on the VB.NET community. Designed for lasting infrastructure.

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First-class Visual Basic (.NET) support for Visual Studio Code, powered by a custom language server.

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