Contributing

Contributing#

jupyter-lsp and jupyterlab-lsp are open source software, and all contributions conforming to good sense, good taste, and the Jupyter Code of Conduct are welcome, and will be reviewed by the contributors, time-permitting.

You can contribute to the project through:

  • creating language server specs

    • you can publish them yourself (it might be a single file)…

    • or advocate for adding your spec to the github repository and its various distributions

      • these are great first issues, as you might not need to know any python or javascript

  • proposing parts of the architecture that can be extended

  • improving documentation

  • tackling Big Issues from the future roadmap

  • improving testing

  • reviewing pull requests

Thank you for all your contributions :heart:

Provision the environment#

A development environment requires, at a minimum:

  • python >=3.9,<3.13.0a0

  • jupyterlab >=4.1.0,<5.0.0a0

  • nodejs >=20,!=21,!=23,<25

It is recommended to use a virtual environment (e.g. virtualenv or conda env) for development.

conda#

To use the same environment as the binder demo (recommended), start with a Mambaforge base environment.

While the conda commands can be used below, mamba provides both faster solves and better error messages.

mamba env update -p ./.venv --file binder/environment.yml  # build, lint, unit test deps
source activate ./.venv                                    # activate on POSIX
activate ./.venv                                           # activate on Windows

Optionally extend your environment further for browser testing, and/or docs:

mamba env update -p ./.venv --file requirements/atest.yml  # browser test deps
mamba env update -p ./.venv --file requirements/docs.yml   # docs deps

pip#

pip can be used to install most of the basic Python build and test dependencies:

pip install -r requirements/dev.txt  # in a virtualenv, probably

nodejs must be installed by other means, with a Long Term Support version (even numbered) version recommended:

sudo apt-get install nodejs  # ... on debian/ubuntu
sudo dnf install nodejs      # ... on fedora/redhat

Single-step setup#

Once your environment is created and activated, you can run:

python3 binder/postBuild

This performs all the basic setup steps, and is used for the binder demo.

This approach may not always work. Continue reading for a step-by-step instructions which also show all the underlying pieces.

Manual installation#

Install jupyter-lsp from source in your virtual environment:

python -m pip install -e python_packages/jupyter_lsp --ignore-installed --no-deps -vv

Enable the server extension:

jupyter server extension enable --sys-prefix --py jupyter_lsp

Install npm dependencies, build TypeScript packages, and link to JupyterLab for development:

jlpm bootstrap
# if you installed `jupyterlab_lsp` before uninstall it before running the next line
jupyter labextension develop python_packages/jupyterlab_lsp --overwrite
# optional, only needed for running a few tests for behaviour with missing language servers
jupyter labextension develop python_packages/klingon_ls_specification --overwrite

Note: on Windows you may need to enable Developer Mode first, as discussed in jupyterlab#9564

Frontend Development#

To rebuild the schemas, packages, and the JupyterLab app:

jlpm build

To watch the files and build continuously:

jlpm watch           # leave this running...

Now after a change to TypesScript files, wait until both watchers finish compilation, and refresh JupyterLab in your browser.

Note: the backend schema is not included in watch, and is only refreshed by build

To check and fix code style:

jlpm lint

To run test the suite (after running jlpm build or watch):

jlpm test

To run tests matching specific phrase, forward -t argument over yarn and lerna to the test runners with two --:

jlpm test -- -- -t match_phrase

To verify the webpack build wouldn’t include problematic vendored dependencies:

python scripts/distcheck.py

Server Development#

Testing jupyter-lsp#

python scripts/utest.py

Documentation#

To build the documentation:

python scripts/docs.py

To watch documentation sources and build continuously:

python scripts/docs.py --watch

To check internal links in the docs after building:

python scripts/docs.py --check --local-only

To check internal and external links in the docs after building:

python scripts/docs.py --check

Note: you may get spurious failures due to rate limiting, especially in CI, but it’s good to test locally

Browser-based Acceptance Tests#

The browser tests will launch JupyterLab on a random port and exercise the Language Server features with Robot Framework and SeleniumLibrary. It is recommended to peruse the Robot Framework User’s Guide (and the existing .robot files in atest) before working on tests in anger.

First, ensure you’ve prepared JupyterLab for jupyterlab-lsp frontend and server development.

Prepare the environment:

mamba env update -n jupyterlab-lsp --file requirements/atest.yml

or with pip

pip install -r requirements/atest.txt    # ... and install geckodriver, somehow
sudo apt-get install firefox-geckodriver # ... e.g. on debian/ubuntu

Run the tests:

python scripts/atest.py

The Robot Framework reports and screenshots will be in build/reports/{os}_{py}/atest/{attempt}, with (log|report).html and subsequent captured screenshots being the most interesting artifact, e.g.

build/
  reports/
    linux_310/
      atest/
        1/
          log.html
          report.html
          screenshots/

Customizing the Acceptance Test Run#

By default, all of the tests will be run, once.

The underlying robot command supports a vast number of options and many support wildcards (* and ?) and boolean operators (NOT, OR). For more, start with simple patterns.

Find robot options#

robot --help

Run a suite#

python scripts/atest.py --suite "05_Features.Completion"

Run a single test#

python scripts/atest.py --test "Works When Kernel Is Idle"

Run test with a tag#

Tags are preferable to file names and test name matching in many settings, as they are aggregated nicely between runs.

python scripts/atest.py --include feature:completion

… or only Python completion

python scripts/atest.py --include feature:completionANDlanguage:python

Just Keep Testing with ATEST_RETRIES#

Run tests, and rerun only failed tests up to two times:

ATEST_RETRIES=2 python scripts/atest.py --include feature:completion

After running a bunch of tests, it may be helpful to combine them back together into a single log.html and report.html with rebot. Like atest.py, combine.py also passes through extra arguments

python scripts/combine.py

Troubleshooting#

  • If you see the following error message:

    Parent suite setup failed:
TypeError: expected str, bytes or os.PathLike object, not NoneType

    it may indicate that you have no firefox, or geckodriver installed (or discoverable in the search path).

  • If a test suite for a specific language fails it may indicate that you have no appropriate server language installed (see LANGUAGESERVERS)

  • If you are seeing errors like Element is blocked by .jp-Dialog, caused by the JupyterLab Build suggested dialog, (likely if you have been using jlpm watch) ensure you have a “clean” lab (with production assets) with:

    jupyter lab clean
jlpm build
jlpm lab:link
jupyter lab build --dev-build=False --minimize=True

    and re-run the tests.

  • To display logs on the screenshots, configure the built-in ILSPLogConsole console, to use the 'floating' implementation.

  • If you see:

    SessionNotCreatedException: Message: Unable to find a matching set of capabilities

    geckodriver >=0.27.0 requires an actual Firefox executable. Several places will be checked (including where conda-forge installs, as in CI): to test a Firefox not on your PATH, set the following environment variable:

    export FIREFOX_BINARY=/path/to/firefox      # ... unix
set FIREFOX_BINARY=C:\path\to\firefox.exe   # ... windows

  • If you see Element ... could not be scrolled into view in the Open Context Menu for File step check if you have an alternative file browser installed (such as jupyterlab-unfold) which might interfere with testing (it is recommended to run the tests in an separated environment)

Formatting#

You can clean up your code, and check for using the project’s style guide with:

python scripts/lint.py

Optionally, to fail on the first linter failure, provide --fail-fast. Additional arguments are treated as filters for the linters to run.

python scripts/lint.py --fail-fast py  # or "js", "robot"

Specs#

While language servers can be configured by the user using a simple JSON or Python configuration file, it is preferable to provide users with an option that does not require manual configuration. The language server specifications (specs) wrap the configuration (as would be defined by the user) into a Python class or function that can be either:

  • distributed using PyPI/conda-forge and made conveniently available to users for pip install and/or conda install

  • contributed to the collection of built-in specs of jupyter-lsp by opening a PR (preferable for popular language servers, say >100 users)

In either case the detection of available specifications uses Python entry_points (see the [options.entry_points] section in jupyter-lsp setup.cfg).

If an advanced user installs, locates, and configures, their own language server it will always win vs an auto-configured one.

Writing a spec#

A spec is a Python callable (a function, or a class with __call__ method) that accepts a single argument, the LanguageServerManager instance, and returns a dictionary of the form:

{
  "python-language-server": {            # the name of the implementation
      "version":  SPEC_VERSION,          # the version of the spec schema (an integer)
      "argv": ["python", "-m", "pyls"],  # a list of command line arguments
      "languages": ["python"],           # a list of languages it supports
      "mime_types": ["text/python", "text/x-ipython"]
  }
}

The above example is only intended as an illustration and not as an up-to-date guide. For details on the dictionary contents, see the schema definition and built-in specs. Basic concepts (meaning of the argv and languages arguments) are also explained in the configuration files documentation.

When contributing a specification we recommend to make use of the helper classes and other utilities that take care of the common use-cases:

  • ShellSpec helps to create specs for servers that can be started from command-line

  • PythonModuleSpec is useful for servers which are Python modules

  • NodeModuleSpec will take care of finding Node.js modules

See the built-in built-in specs for example implementations.

The spec should only be advertised if the command could actually be run:

  • its runtime/interpreter (e.g. julia, nodejs, python, r, ruby) is installed

  • the language server itself is installed (e.g. python-language-server)

otherwise an empty dictionary ({}) should be returned.

Common Concerns#

  • some language servers need to have their connection mode specified

    • the stdio interface is the only one supported by jupyter_lsp

      • PRs welcome to support other modes!

  • many language servers use nodejs

    • LanguageServerManager.nodejs will provide the location of our best guess at where a user’s nodejs might be found

  • some language servers are hard to start purely from the command line

    • use a helper script to encapsulate some complexity, or

    • use a command argument of the interpreter is available (see the r spec and julia spec for examples)

Example: making a pip-installable cool-language-server spec#

Consider the following (absolutely minimal) directory structure:

- setup.py
- jupyter_lsp_my_cool_language_server.py

You should consider adding a LICENSE, some documentation, etc.

Define your spec:

# jupyter_lsp_my_cool_language_server.py
from shutil import which


def cool(app):
    cool_language_server = shutil.which("cool-language-server")

    if not cool_language_server:
        return {}

    return {
        "cool-language-server": {
            "version": 1,
            "argv": [cool_language_server],
            "languages": ["cool"],
            "mime_types": ["text/cool", "text/x-cool"]
        }
    }

Tell pip how to package your spec:

# setup.py
import setuptools
setuptools.setup(
    name="jupyter-lsp-my-cool-language-server",
    py_modules=["jupyter_lsp_my_cool_language_server"],
    entry_points={
        "jupyter_lsp_spec_v1": [
            "cool-language-server = jupyter_lsp_my_cool_language_server:cool"
        ]
    }
)

Test it!

python -m pip install -e .

Build it!

python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel

Debugging#

To see more see more log messages navigate to Settings ❯ Settings Editor ❯ Language Servers and adjust:

  • adjust Logging console verbosity level

  • switch Ask servers to send trace notifications to verbose

  • toggle Log all LSP communication with the LSP servers

For robot tests set:

Configure JupyterLab Plugin  {"loggingConsole": "floating", "loggingLevel": "debug"}

Reporting#

The human- and machine-readable outputs of many of the above tasks can be combined into a single output. This is used by CI to check overall code coverage across all of the jobs, collecting and linking everything in build/reports/index.html.

python scripts/report.py
Contents