QML Language Server

QML Language Server is a tool shipped with Qt that helps you write code in your favorite (LSP-supporting) editor. See Language Server Protocol for more information.

Currently, it enables your editor to:

• Autocomplete your code
• Display qmllint warnings
• Navigate to definitions in QML files
• Find usages of JavaScript variables and QML objects
• Format QML files

Supported Features

Linting

QML Language Server can automatically lint opened QML files and display warnings or errors straight in the editor. See qmllint for more information about the linting process.

Formatting

QML Language Server can format entire files from inside the editor. See qmlformat for more information about the formatting process.

Finding Definitions

QML Language Server can find definitions of JavaScript variables, functions, QML object id's and QML properties from their usages.

QML Language Server can also find the definition of types used in type annotations for JavaScript functions, QML object properties, and QML object instantiation.

Finding Usages

QML Language Server can find usages of JavaScript variables, QML object properties, JavaScript functions, QML object methods, and QML object id's.

Setting up the QML Language Server in Your Editor

QML Language Server also needs to know the location of your build folder. You can pass it the following ways:

• The --build-dir command line option. In this case your editor should invoke qmlls as following:

  <path/to/qmlls> --build-dir <path/to/build-directory>

• The QMLLS_BUILD_DIRS environment variable.
• The .qmlls.ini settings file, see Configuration File.

Configuration File

QML Language Server can be configured via a configuration file .qmlls.ini. This file should be in the root source directory of the project. It should be a text file in the ini-format.

The configuration file should look like this:

// .qmlls.ini
[General]
buildDir=<path/to/build-directory>

Currently, the configuration file can only be used to set the build directory of the current project.

Known Limitations

QML Language Server might emit false positive warnings on projects that were not built, as it needs the build information to find QML modules defined in the same project, for example.

Despite covering many common QML features, the QML Language Server is still in development with some features yet to be supported:

• Renaming symbols (JavaScript variables, QML object id's, QML object properties, and so on).
• Formatting only parts of a document.
• Formatting using a configurable set of rules.
• Navigating to definitions of objects defined in C++.

The QML code model in the QML Language Server does not yet support all of the JavaScript language constructs, which means that some features like navigating to definition and finding usages might not work on these language constructs.