> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vorto-editor.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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

> Reference for the [languages.<name>] table — file extensions, grammar, comment token, editor overrides, LSP references, and external formatters.

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:

```toml theme={null}
[languages.typescript]
lsp = ["vtsls", "typescript-language-server", "my-custom-server"]
```

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

```toml theme={null}
[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.

  ```toml theme={null}
  [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.

  ```toml theme={null}
  [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:

```toml theme={null}
[languages.fish]
extensions = ["fish"]
comment_token = "#"
```

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

```toml theme={null}
[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:

```toml theme={null}
# 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

```toml theme={null}
[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:

```toml theme={null}
[languages.typescript]
formatter = ["biome", "vtsls"]
```

## Referencing an LSP server

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

```toml theme={null}
[lsp.my-server]
command = "my-lsp-bin"
args = ["--stdio"]

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