Contributing to Rider Unreal Angelscript

January 1, 2026 · View on GitHub

Thank you for your interest in contributing! This document provides guidelines and instructions for developing and contributing to this plugin.

Development Setup

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Initial Setup

  1. Clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/scriptacus/rider-unreal-angelscript.git
cd rider-unreal-angelscript

  2. Configure build properties:

    cp gradle.properties.template gradle.properties

    Edit gradle.properties and set org.gradle.java.home to your Java 21 installation path:

    • Example (Windows): C:/Program Files/Java/jdk-21
    • Example (macOS): /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk-21.jdk/Contents/Home
    • Example (Linux): /usr/lib/jvm/java-21-openjdk

  3. Build the plugin:

    ./gradlew buildPlugin

Project Structure

The plugin is a hybrid multi-platform project with three main components:

1. Kotlin/IntelliJ Platform (src/rider/main/kotlin)

The IDE integration layer providing:

  • Language file type registration
  • LSP client integration via lsp4ij
  • Syntax highlighting and semantic token mapping
  • Parser and lexer definitions

Key files:

  • AngelScriptFileType.kt - File type registration
  • AngelScriptLanguage.kt - Language definition
  • AngelScriptConnectionProvider.kt - LSP server connection management
  • AngelScriptSemanticTokensColorsProvider.kt - Syntax highlighting

2. .NET/ReSharper (src/dotnet)

Backend support for ReSharper and Rider:

  • Zone definitions for ReSharper component system
  • Built as separate .NET assemblies

Key files:

  • IAngelscriptRiderPluginZone.cs - ReSharper zone definition
  • *.csproj - Project files for each .NET component

3. Language Server (third-party/vscode-unreal-angelscript)

External LSP server bundled from the vscode-unreal-angelscript extension:

  • TypeScript/JavaScript language server
  • Bundled to single JS file via esbuild
  • Modified for stdio communication

Development Workflow

Building Components

Build everything:

./gradlew buildPlugin

Build only .NET components:

./gradlew compileDotNet

Bundle LSP server:

npm run bundle

Generate parser/lexer from grammar:

./gradlew generateAngelScriptParser generateAngelScriptLexer

Running and Testing

Launch Rider with the plugin in a sandbox:

./gradlew runIde

Run Kotlin tests:

./gradlew test

Run .NET tests:

./gradlew testDotNet

Or directly:

dotnet test Scriptacus.RiderUnrealAngelscript.sln

Grammar Changes

If you modify the grammar files, you must regenerate the parser and lexer:

  1. Edit grammar files:

    • src/main/bnf/AngelScript.bnf - Parser grammar (Grammar-Kit format)
    • src/main/jflex/AngelScript.flex - Lexer specification (JFlex format)

  2. Regenerate parser/lexer:

    ./gradlew generateAngelScriptParser generateAngelScriptLexer

  3. Generated files (do not edit manually):

    • src/main/gen/com/scriptacus/riderunrealangelscript/lang/parser/
    • src/main/gen/com/scriptacus/riderunrealangelscript/lang/psi/
    • src/main/gen/com/scriptacus/riderunrealangelscript/lang/lexer/

LSP Server Changes

The bundled language server and debug adapter are built from the third-party/vscode-unreal-angelscript submodule (a fork of vscode-unreal-angelscript). The submodule is pinned to a specific commit and not updated - all changes are made directly to our fork.

Patching Strategy

The build scripts (scripts/bundle-lsp.js and scripts/bundle-dap.js) automatically patch the bundled JavaScript after esbuild completes:

LSP Server Patching (scripts/bundle-lsp.js):

  • VSCode API Stubbing: Replaces import * as vscode with stubs from scripts/vscode-stub.js
  • Stdio Communication: Patches IPC-based communication to use stdin/stdout instead
  • Pattern: connection = server_1.createConnection(...) → connection = server_1.createConnection(process.stdin, process.stdout)

Debug Adapter Patching (scripts/bundle-dap.js):

  • VSCode API Stubbing: Same as LSP server
  • Unreal Engine Compatibility: Injects unreal.setDataBreakpoints([]) during initialization to match VSCode's DAP client behavior
  • Why needed: Unreal Engine expects this message; LSP4IJ (Rider's DAP client) follows DAP spec strictly and only sends it when user creates data breakpoints

Making Changes

Since we maintain a fork and don't update the submodule:

  1. Modify the source directly in third-party/vscode-unreal-angelscript/
  2. Rebuild the bundles: npm run bundle (or npm run bundle:lsp / npm run bundle:dap individually)
  3. Bundled outputs:
    • LSP: src/rider/main/resources/js/angelscript-language-server.js
    • DAP: src/rider/main/resources/js/angelscript-debug-adapter.js
  4. Commit both the source changes and the bundled outputs

Best Practices

  1. Keep patches minimal: Only patch what's necessary for Rider compatibility
  2. Document patches: Add comments explaining why each patch is needed
  3. Test thoroughly: Verify LSP features and debugging after rebundling
  4. Commit together: Always commit source changes and bundled outputs in the same commit

Code Style

Kotlin

  • Follow Kotlin coding conventions
  • Use meaningful variable and function names
  • Add KDoc comments for public APIs
  • Use IntelliJ IDEA's auto-formatting (Ctrl+Alt+L)

C#/.NET

  • Follow C# coding conventions
  • Use PascalCase for types and public members
  • Use camelCase for private fields with _ prefix
  • Add XML documentation comments for public APIs

Commit Messages

  • Use clear, descriptive commit messages
  • Start with a verb in imperative mood (e.g., "Add", "Fix", "Update", "Remove")
  • Keep the first line under 72 characters
  • Add detailed explanation in the body if needed

Example:

Add support for inlay hints configuration

Implemented user-configurable inlay hints for parameter names
and type information. Settings are synced with LSP server
configuration protocol.

Submitting Changes

Pull Request Process

  1. Fork the repository and create a feature branch:

    git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature

  2. Make your changes following the code style guidelines

  3. Test thoroughly:

    • Run all tests: ./gradlew test testDotNet
    • Test manually in sandbox: ./gradlew runIde
    • Verify with a real Unreal Engine AngelScript project if possible

  4. Commit your changes with clear commit messages

  5. Push to your fork:

    git push origin feature/my-new-feature

  6. Create a Pull Request with:

    • Clear description of changes
    • Reference any related issues
    • Screenshots/GIFs for UI changes
    • Test results

Pull Request Guidelines

  • Keep PRs focused on a single feature or fix
  • Update documentation if you change user-facing behavior
  • Add tests for new functionality
  • Ensure all tests pass
  • Respond to review feedback promptly

Reporting Issues

When reporting bugs or requesting features, please include:

  • Plugin version (from Settings → Plugins)
  • Rider version (from Help → About)
  • Operating system and version
  • Steps to reproduce (for bugs)
  • Expected vs. actual behavior (for bugs)
  • Logs (if applicable, from Help → Show Log in Explorer)

Questions?

License

By contributing to this project, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the MIT License.