Keep design intent permanently linked to running code.
LID (Linked-Intent Development) is a lightweight methodology that connects every requirement to the test that proves it is met. This extension brings full LID tooling into VS Code — no separate installs required.
Installation
Search LID in the VS Code Extensions panel, or:
ext install lid-tools.lid
The language server (lid-lsp) is bundled inside the extension — nothing else to install.
Features
Language Server (LSP)
| Feature | How to trigger |
|---|---|
| Hover | Point at any @spec ID — see the spec text and status |
| Go to Definition | F12 on a @spec ID — jump to the spec line |
| Find References | Shift+F12 on a spec definition — list every citation |
| Rename | F2 on a spec ID — atomically renames across the spec file and all @spec citations |
| Completion | Type @spec — autocomplete from all known spec IDs |
| Diagnostics | Red squiggles on unknown or mismatched @spec references; coverage warnings on spec lines |
Intent Navigator
Open the visual segment graph with LID: Show Intent Navigator (Cmd+Shift+P).
- Single-click a node → read-only detail panel (specs, next/drift, dependencies)
- Double-click a node → edit mode: update status, cycle spec status, add specs, edit next/drift prose
- + Segment button → add a new segment via an overlay form
- Live-reloads on any file change (manual edit, MCP agent write, or navigator edit)
CLI integration
LID: Initialize Project scaffolds a new LID project (docs/arrows/index.yaml, first segment stub, docs/intent/) in the current workspace.
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
LID: Show Intent Navigator |
Open the visual segment graph |
LID: Initialize Project |
Scaffold a new LID project in the workspace |
LID: Restart LID Server |
Restart the language server |
LID: Show Output Channel |
Open the LID output panel |
Configuration
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
lid.serverPath |
(bundled) | Absolute path to lid-lsp. Leave empty to use the bundled binary. |
lid.trace.server |
off |
LSP trace verbosity: off / messages / verbose |
Related tools
| Tool | Install | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
lidc CLI |
brew install EtaCassiopeia/lid/lid-tooling |
CI hook, lidc check, lidc init |
lid-mcp server |
brew install EtaCassiopeia/lid/lid-tooling |
MCP server for AI agents (Claude, Cursor) |
See the repository README for full documentation.
License
MIT OR Apache-2.0