Ashes Programming Language

Full language support for the Ashes pure functional programming language.

Read the documenation here.
Or review the source here.

Features

• Syntax highlighting — TextMate grammar for .ash files
• Diagnostics — real-time error and warning squiggles from the Ashes language server
• Formatting — auto-format on save using the canonical Ashes formatter
• Hover — compiler-inferred signatures, parameter and return types, plus embedded standard-library documentation and reference links
• Go to Definition — jump to function and binding definitions
• Completions — context-aware IntelliSense suggestions
• Semantic tokens — rich token-level highlighting
• Debugging — integrated DAP support with breakpoints, stepping, and variable inspection (GDB / LLDB backends)
• Compile / Run / Test — run Ashes programs directly from the editor

Quick Start

1. Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace (or build locally).
2. Open a folder containing .ash files.
3. The language server starts automatically when you open an Ashes file.
4. Use Ctrl+F5 to run or Shift+F5 to compile the active file.

Install Toolchain

Run Ashes: Install Toolchain from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) to pre-download the compiler, language server, and debug adapter in one step.

Commands

Settings

Debugging

1. Compile your program with --debug:

   ashes compile --debug myprogram.ash -o myprogram
   

2. Add a launch configuration (or let the extension generate one):

   {
     "name": "Ashes: Launch",
     "type": "ashes",
     "request": "launch",
     "program": "${workspaceFolder}/out/${workspaceFolderBasename}",
     "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
     "stopOnEntry": false,
   }
   

   Optional pre-launch task:

   {
     "label": "ashes: compile (debug)",
     "type": "shell",
     "command": "${command:ashes.getCompilerPath}",
     "args": [
       "compile",
       "--debug",
       "${file}",
       "-o",
       "${workspaceFolder}/out/${workspaceFolderBasename}",
     ],
     "group": {
       "kind": "build",
       "isDefault": true,
     },
     "problemMatcher": [],
   }
   

   The ${command:ashes.getCompilerPath} variable lets the extension provide the configured, bundled, or downloaded compiler path without requiring ashes to be installed on your shell PATH.
3. Press F5 to start debugging.

A Taste of Ashes

import Ashes.IO as io
import Ashes.Collection.List as list

type Shape =
    | Circle(Float)
    | Rect(Float, Float)

let area = fun (s) ->
    match s with
        | Circle(r) -> 3.14159 * r * r
        | Rect(w, h) -> w * h

in
    [Circle(5.0), Rect(3.0)(4.0), Circle(1.0)]
    |> list.map(area)
    |> list.map(io.print)

Workspace Trust

This extension requires a trusted workspace because it downloads and executes external toolchain binaries. In an untrusted workspace, all download-related features are disabled and an informational message is shown.

Requirements

• VS Code 1.110+
• Node 20.19+ (extension host)
• Linux x64, Linux arm64, or Windows x64

Links

• Ashes repository
• Language specification
• Debugging guide

License

MIT — see LICENSE.