Per-language settings in Vorto: the [languages] config table

Vorto ships with built-in definitions for common languages. You can override any field on a built-in language or add an entirely new one using [languages.<name>] blocks in config.toml. Fields you omit fall through to the built-in defaults, so you only need to specify what you’re changing.

Table fields

`extensions`

Type: list of strings File extensions (without the leading dot) that Vorto maps to this language. Replacing this list entirely replaces the built-in extension set for the language — if you want to add extensions you must re-state the existing ones alongside the new ones.

`grammar`

Type: string
Default: the language name The filename stem of the tree-sitter grammar library to load from the grammar directory. For example, grammar = "fish-shell" loads grammars/fish-shell.so (or .dylib / .dll on macOS / Windows). When unset, Vorto uses the language name as the stem.

`grammar_dir`

Type: path string Override the grammar directory for this language only. When set, Vorto looks for the grammar shared library here instead of the global grammar_dir. Useful when you want to keep a patched grammar separate from your main grammar directory.

`query_dir`

Type: path string Override the query directory for this language only. When set, Vorto looks for highlights.scm, indents.scm, and other query files here instead of the global query_dir/<lang>/.

`comment_token`

Type: string The single-line comment prefix used by the <space>c toggle. For example, "//" for Rust or "#" for Python. Leave this unset to disable comment toggling for the language entirely (JSON has no single-line comment syntax, so its built-in leaves this unset).

Editor setting overrides

The editor fields from [editor] can be overridden per language by placing them directly in the [languages.<name>] table. There is no nested [editor] sub-table here — the keys are flattened:

Field	Type	Description
`indent_width`	integer	Columns per indent level
`tab_width`	integer	Visual width of a literal tab character
`use_tabs`	boolean	Indent with tabs instead of spaces
`show_whitespace`	boolean	Render visible whitespace markers
`format_on_save`	boolean	Run formatter before writing to disk
`indent_guides`	boolean	Draw vertical indent guide lines
`indent_guides_skip_levels`	integer	Suppress the N shallowest guides
`indent_guide_style`	string	`"line"` or `"p10k"`
`indent_animation`	boolean	Animate active guide scope expansion
`indent_animation_ms`	integer	Animation duration in milliseconds

Any field not set here falls through to the global [editor] setting.

`lsp`

Type: list of strings Names of LSP servers (keys from the [lsp] table) to attach to buffers of this language. This list is replaced whole — it is not merged with the built-in default. To keep the default servers and add one more, re-state all the names you want:

[languages.typescript]
lsp = ["vtsls", "typescript-language-server", "my-custom-server"]

To disable all LSP for a language, set it to an empty list:

[languages.python]
lsp = []

`formatter`

Type: list of strings, or a table with command and args Controls what formats the buffer on save. The field is polymorphic — it takes either of two shapes:

A list of LSP server names formats with those servers’ textDocument/formatting, tried in priority order. The first server that is attached and returns a successful result wins.
[languages.typescript] formatter = ["biome"]
A command / args table defines an external formatter. Vorto pipes the buffer’s text on stdin and replaces the buffer with stdout.
[languages.python] formatter = { command = "black", args = ["-q", "-"] }

When unset, Vorto falls back to textDocument/formatting against the first attached LSP on save. The formatter value is replaced whole on override — for the command table, command and args always go together.

Adding a new language

To add a language Vorto doesn’t know about, define it from scratch. The extensions field is required for Vorto to associate files with the language:

[languages.fish]
extensions = ["fish"]
comment_token = "#"

If the grammar stem matches a different name from the language name, set grammar explicitly:

[languages.fish]
extensions = ["fish"]
comment_token = "#"
grammar = "fish-shell"

Overriding built-in languages

To tweak only specific settings on a built-in language, just include the fields you want to change. Everything else survives from the built-in:

# Rust: already has indent_width = 4; this just widens tab stops
[languages.rust]
tab_width = 4
indent_width = 4

# Go: canonical tab-indented style
[languages.go]
use_tabs = true
tab_width = 4

# Python: wider indentation
[languages.python]
indent_width = 4
tab_width = 4

Using an external formatter

[languages.python]
formatter = { command = "black", args = ["-q", "-"] }

[languages.markdown]
formatter = { command = "prettier", args = ["--parser", "markdown", "--stdin-filepath", "stdin.md"] }

Formatting with an LSP server

To format with a language server instead of an external command, set formatter to a list of server names. Vorto requests textDocument/formatting from each in order and stops at the first one that is attached and succeeds:

[languages.typescript]
formatter = ["biome", "vtsls"]

Referencing an LSP server

Once you define a server in [lsp.<name>], reference it by name from any language:

[lsp.my-server]
command = "my-lsp-bin"
args = ["--stdio"]

[languages.fish]
extensions = ["fish"]
comment_token = "#"
lsp = ["my-server"]

Get Started

Editing

Languages

LSP

Configuration

Troubleshooting

Per-language settings in Vorto: the [languages] config table

Table fields

`extensions`

`grammar`

`grammar_dir`

`query_dir`

`comment_token`

Editor setting overrides

`lsp`

`formatter`

Adding a new language

Overriding built-in languages

Using an external formatter

Formatting with an LSP server

Referencing an LSP server

​Table fields

​extensions

​grammar

​grammar_dir

​query_dir

​comment_token

​Editor setting overrides

​lsp

​formatter

​Adding a new language

​Overriding built-in languages

​Using an external formatter

​Formatting with an LSP server

​Referencing an LSP server

Table fields

`extensions`

`grammar`

`grammar_dir`

`query_dir`

`comment_token`

Editor setting overrides

`lsp`

`formatter`

Adding a new language

Overriding built-in languages

Using an external formatter

Formatting with an LSP server

Referencing an LSP server