LSP client in Vorto: features, servers, and project roots

Vorto includes a built-in Language Server Protocol client that connects to language servers running as external processes. When you open a file, Vorto identifies the language, looks up the configured server for that language, spawns it if it isn’t already running, and begins exchanging messages over stdin/stdout using JSON-RPC. All communication happens in the background; the editor remains fully responsive.

Supported LSP features

Vorto’s LSP client implements the following capabilities:

Feature	Description
Diagnostics	Errors and warnings pushed by the server appear inline as you edit; the cursor’s line expands to show every diagnostic on it
Hover	Show documentation and type information for the symbol under the cursor
Completions	In-editor completion popup with optional auto-import edits
Signature help	Parameter hints while you type a function call
Code actions	Quickfixes, refactors, and source actions (e.g. organise imports)
Goto definition	Jump to the definition of a symbol
Goto declaration	Jump to the declaration of a symbol
Goto implementation	Jump to the implementation of a symbol
Find references	List all references to a symbol
Rename	Rename a symbol across the workspace
Format on save	Request `textDocument/formatting` from the server on save

Inlay hints are not currently implemented.

How servers are started

Vorto spawns each language server lazily — the first time you open a buffer whose language has a configured server, Vorto starts that server in the background and performs the LSP initialize handshake. The server process is kept alive for the duration of the editor session and shut down gracefully when Vorto exits. If a language has multiple servers configured (for example, TypeScript has both vtsls and typescript-language-server), Vorto attempts to start each one and silently skips any whose binary is not found on PATH.

Language server binaries are not bundled with Vorto. You must install each server separately and ensure its binary is available on your PATH before Vorto can use it.

Project root detection

When starting a language server, Vorto must tell it where the workspace root is. Vorto walks up the directory tree from the opened file and stops at the first directory that contains one of the server’s configured root markers. If no marker is found, the directory of the opened file is used as the root. The root markers for each built-in server are:

Server	Root markers
`rust-analyzer`	`Cargo.toml`, `rust-project.json`
`pyright`	`pyproject.toml`, `setup.py`, `setup.cfg`, `requirements.txt`
`gopls`	`go.mod`, `go.work`
`vtsls`	`package.json`, `tsconfig.json`
`typescript-language-server`	`package.json`, `tsconfig.json`, `jsconfig.json`
`kotlin-lsp`	`settings.gradle.kts`, `settings.gradle`, `build.gradle.kts`, `build.gradle`, `pom.xml`
`clangd`	`compile_commands.json`, `.clangd`, `Makefile`, `CMakeLists.txt`
`jdtls`	`pom.xml`, `build.gradle`, `build.gradle.kts`, `.project`
`marksman`	`.marksman.toml`
`lua-language-server`	`.luarc.json`, `.luarc.jsonc`, `stylua.toml`
`ruby-lsp`	`Gemfile`, `.rubocop.yml`
`zls`	`build.zig`
`terraform-ls`	`.terraform`, `main.tf`
`vue-language-server`	`package.json`, `vite.config.ts`, `vite.config.js`
`svelteserver`	`package.json`, `svelte.config.js`, `svelte.config.ts`
`taplo`	(none — uses file directory)
`bash-language-server`	(none — uses file directory)
`vscode-json-language-server`	(none — uses file directory)
`yaml-language-server`	(none — uses file directory)
`vscode-html-language-server`	(none — uses file directory)
`vscode-css-language-server`	(none — uses file directory)

Built-in LSP servers

Vorto ships with default configurations for the following language servers. Each entry corresponds to a [lsp.<name>] block that is active without any configuration on your part.

Server	Language(s)	Binary
`rust-analyzer`	Rust	`rust-analyzer`
`pyright`	Python	`pyright-langserver --stdio`
`gopls`	Go	`gopls`
`vtsls`	TypeScript, TSX	`vtsls --stdio`
`typescript-language-server`	TypeScript, TSX, JavaScript	`typescript-language-server --stdio`
`clangd`	C, C++	`clangd`
`jdtls`	Java	`jdtls`
`kotlin-lsp`	Kotlin	`kotlin-lsp --stdio`
`taplo`	TOML	`taplo lsp stdio`
`bash-language-server`	Bash	`bash-language-server start`
`vscode-json-language-server`	JSON	`vscode-json-language-server --stdio`
`yaml-language-server`	YAML	`yaml-language-server --stdio`
`marksman`	Markdown	`marksman server`
`vscode-html-language-server`	HTML	`vscode-html-language-server --stdio`
`vscode-css-language-server`	CSS	`vscode-css-language-server --stdio`
`lua-language-server`	Lua	`lua-language-server`
`ruby-lsp`	Ruby	`ruby-lsp`
`zls`	Zig	`zls`
`terraform-ls`	HCL, Terraform	`terraform-ls serve`
`vue-language-server`	Vue	`vue-language-server --stdio`
`svelteserver`	Svelte	`svelteserver --stdio`

Configuring custom LSP servers

You can override any built-in server’s settings or add entirely new servers in ~/.config/vorto/config.toml using [lsp.<name>] blocks.

# Override an existing server's settings
[lsp.rust-analyzer]
command = "rust-analyzer"
root_markers = ["Cargo.toml"]

# Add a new server not in Vorto's built-in list
[lsp.my-custom-server]
command = "my-lsp"
args = ["--stdio"]
root_markers = ["my-project.json"]

Then associate the server with a language in [languages.<name>]:

[languages.mylang]
extensions = ["mylang"]
lsp = ["my-custom-server"]

If you redeclare [lsp.<name>] for a built-in server, your values are merged on top of the defaults. You only need to specify the fields you want to change.

Get Started

Editing

Languages

LSP

Configuration

Troubleshooting

LSP client in Vorto: features, servers, and project roots

Supported LSP features

How servers are started

Project root detection

Built-in LSP servers

Configuring custom LSP servers

​Supported LSP features

​How servers are started

​Project root detection

​Built-in LSP servers

​Configuring custom LSP servers

Supported LSP features

How servers are started

Project root detection

Built-in LSP servers

Configuring custom LSP servers