Protobuf has LSP support

Buf, a company specializing in Protobuf development tools, has announced the release of a fully-featured, spec-compliant Language Server Protocol (LSP) server for Protobuf. The LSP is a standard API for integrating language support into popular IDEs and text editors like VSCode, IntelliJ, and Neovim. This new LSP server for Protobuf provides developers with go to definition, code completion, finding references, and semantics-aware syntax highlighting capabilities within their preferred editor.

Previously, Protobuf lacked the same LSP support as other major programming languages, which has now changed with the introduction of Buf's LSP server. The server is powered by Buf's CLI and offers modern IDE support for Protobuf for the first time. The company believes Protobuf is the best schema language due to its established ecosystem of libraries and tools, and the new LSP server aims to make it the easiest choice for developers.

To use the Buf LSP server, users can simply install the Buf extension in their preferred editor. For Neovim users, they can configure the editor to use Buf CLI as an LSP server by adding a specific line to their init.lua configuration file. Other editors can enable the Buf LSP server by running the buf lsp serve command. Buf's implementation of the LSP server is faster and more flexible than the traditional protoc compiler, as it offers incremental compilation and better diagnostics.

Buf's LSP server also includes a new, query-driven frontend that enables memory-efficient handling of large Buf modules, making it an ideal choice for developing with Protobuf in workspaces with extensive files. The company is continuously improving its diagnostics and planning to add more features to the LSP server in the future. Buf aims to push the boundaries of what developers can accomplish with Protobuf, enabling schema-driven development for all applications.