picolode

PicoLode is a VS Code extension for evaluating PicoLisp code inline. It allows you to run selected code or the current line using the pil command-line interpreter and shows results directly in the editor.

Features

Evaluate PicoLisp selection using Ctrl+Enter or Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
Display results inline as a decoration.

Provides functionality for displaying documentation on hover. This feature allows users to view relevant documentation when hovering over code elements, enhancing code readability and developer productivity.

Requirements

pil PicoLisp interpreter must be installed and available in your PATH.
Node.js (>= 16) and npm to build the extension.

Usage

Select PicoLisp code or place the cursor on a line.
Press the configured hotkey (default: Ctrl+Enter for evaluation, Ctrl+Shift+Enter for inline) or run Evaluate PicoLisp Selection / Evaluate PicoLisp Inline from the command palette.
Optionally configure (in Settings → Extensions → PicoLisp):
- picolode.pilPath — path to the pil executable (default: pil)
- picolode.timeout — evaluation timeout in milliseconds (default: 5000)

File Associations

If .l files aren't recognized as PicoLisp, add to your settings:

{
  "files.associations": { "*.l": "picolisp" }
}

Development — build, run and package

These steps help you build the extension locally, run it in the Extension Development Host and produce a .vsix for installation.

Prerequisites

Node.js and npm
VS Code (for debugging and running the Extension Development Host)
pil PicoLisp interpreter available on PATH

Install dependencies

npm install

Build the extension (single build)

npm run compile

Build in watch mode (rebuilds on file change)

npm run watch

Run tests

npm test

Run in VS Code debug host

Open this repository in VS Code.
Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host. This opens a new VS Code window with the extension loaded for testing.

Package and install the extension (.vsix)

Webpack is used to produce the compiled extension files. To create a distributable VSIX you can use the vsce tool (not included in devDependencies by default):

# build production bundle
npm run package

# install vsce (if you don't have it)
npm install -g vsce

# create .vsix in the current folder
vsce package

# install the produced .vsix locally
code --install-extension picolode-0.0.1.vsix

Notes

npm run package runs webpack in production mode and prepares the compiled files. vsce package creates the final .vsix that can be installed or published to the Marketplace.

Mini roadmap

Short list of near-term ideas and improvements (prioritized):

Better inline formatting — make long outputs collapsible / multi-line and add copy buttons.
Background REPL panel — persistent REPL output window to run snippets and keep session state.
Async execution & long-running tasks — show progress and cancel support for slow evaluations.
Improved error handling — surface PicoLisp stack traces and map them to source lines when possible.
CI and unit/integration tests — run tests on push and add basic integration tests for evaluation behavior.

If you'd like to contribute, pick a roadmap item, create an issue and open a PR.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Typical workflow:

Fork the repo, create a feature branch.
Install deps and run the test suite locally: npm install && npm test.
Build and verify in the Extension Development Host (F5).
Open a PR describing the change.

If you need help building or debugging the extension locally, open an issue or ping in the PR and include your OS, Node.js version and pil path.

chuckis/picolode