IDE Setup

Zeus includes a Language Server Protocol (LSP) implementation that provides real-time IDE features. This guide shows you how to set up VS Code for the best development experience.

VS Code Extension

The Zeus VS Code extension provides:

✅ Syntax Highlighting — Full color coding for .zs files
✅ Real-time Diagnostics — Errors and warnings as you type
✅ Code Completion — Keywords, types, variables, and functions
✅ Error Underlining — Precise error locations

If you installed Zeus via Homebrew, no configuration is needed! The extension automatically detects the Homebrew installation.

Install the VS Code extension

Install from VS Code Marketplace →

Or search for “Zeus” in the VS Code Extensions panel (Cmd+Shift+X).
Open a Zeus file

Open any .zs file and the language server will start automatically.

If you built Zeus from source or installed it manually:

Build the Zeus compiler
Terminal window
```
cd /path/to/zeus
make build
```
Install extension dependencies
Terminal window
```
cd zeus-vscode
npm install
npm run compile
```
Configure the extension

Choose one of these options:

Option A: Add to PATH

Add Zeus to your shell’s PATH:
Terminal window
```
# Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
export PATH="$HOME/path/to/zeus:$PATH"
```
Then restart your terminal and launch VS Code.

Option B: Configure in VS Code
1. Open VS Code Settings (Cmd+,)
2. Search for “zeus”
3. Set zeus.executablePath to the full path:
```
{
  "zeus.executablePath": "/Users/yourname/path/to/zeus/zeus"
}
```
Launch the extension
- Open the zeus-vscode/ folder in VS Code
- Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host
- Open any .zs file to activate the language server

Extension Discovery

The extension automatically searches for the Zeus binary in this order:

Homebrew paths (macOS only)
- /opt/homebrew/bin/zeus (Apple Silicon)
- /usr/local/bin/zeus (Intel)
Custom path from zeus.executablePath setting
zeus from system PATH

Features in Action

Real-time Diagnostics

As you type, the extension shows errors immediately:

function main(): i32 {
  let x: i32 = "hello";  // Error: type 'string' is not assignable to 'i32'
  return x;
}

The error appears underlined in red with a descriptive message.

Code Completion

Start typing and press Ctrl+Space (or Cmd+Space on Mac) to see suggestions:

Keywords: let, const, function, class, if, while, etc.
Types: i32, f64, boolean, void, etc.
Variables: All variables in the current scope
Functions: Available functions with signatures

Unused Variable Warnings

The extension warns you about unused declarations:

function main(): i32 {
  let unused: i32 = 5;  // Warning: 'unused' is declared but never used
  return 0;
}

Standalone LSP Server

If you use a different editor that supports LSP, you can run the language server standalone:

zeus lsp --stdio

The server uses standard input/output for LSP communication, making it compatible with any LSP-capable editor.

Editor Configuration Examples

Neovim (nvim-lspconfig)
Emacs (lsp-mode)

require('lspconfig.configs').zeus = {
  default_config = {
    cmd = { 'zeus', 'lsp', '--stdio' },
    filetypes = { 'zeus' },
    root_dir = function(fname)
      return vim.fn.getcwd()
    end,
  },
}
require('lspconfig').zeus.setup{}

(lsp-register-client
  (make-lsp-client
    :new-connection (lsp-stdio-connection '("zeus" "lsp" "--stdio"))
    :major-modes '(zeus-mode)
    :server-id 'zeus-ls))

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Starting

Check that the zeus binary exists and is executable
Verify the path in settings or PATH
Check the VS Code Output panel → “Zeus Language Server”

No Diagnostics Appearing

Make sure the file has a .zs extension
Check that the language server is running (look for process zeus lsp)
Try reloading VS Code (Cmd+Shift+P → “Developer: Reload Window”)

Slow Diagnostics

The language server recompiles on every change. For very large files, there may be a slight delay.

Next Steps

Now that your IDE is set up, dive into the language:

Learn the Language →