Scheme-langserver Earns a 51 Proof of Usefulness Score by Building an LSP for Scheme Programmers

Today, we are speaking with WANG Zheng about scheme-langserver, an open-source project bringing advanced Language Server Protocol (LSP) functionality to Scheme developers. By implementing complex static analysis and type inference for a dynamic language, this tool addresses a critical gap in the ecosystem.

What does scheme-langserver do? And why is now the time for it to exist?

This project serves Scheme programmers with language feature supports, including goto-definition, auto-completion, type inference and such many LSP(Language Server Protocol) functionality. Unlike most of counterparts who mainly provide services based on the REPL and the linters, we digest unfinished or still to be polished codes. Now, scheme-langserver is developing its own macro expander so that the users can customize LSP behavior by coding their own macro and without source code altering. Now’s a good time for scheme-langserver to exist because modern developers increasingly demand robust, integrated IDE features even when working with flexible, dynamically-typed languages like Scheme.

What is your traction to date? How many people does scheme-langserver reach?

More than 200 persons used this project by installing VScode plugin Magic-Scheme, and some Helix/Vim/Emacs users also contribute their own configurations. On aspect of

Who does your scheme-langserver serve? What’s exciting about your users and customers?

This project aims Scheme Programmers and many famous hackers stared it, like Arthur A. Gleckler, who is SRFI's editor.

What technologies were used in the making of scheme-langserver? And why did you choose ones most essential to your techstack?

To build this project, we relied heavily on Lisp alongside advanced techniques like type inference and static analysis. These technologies are essential to our tech stack because they allow us to accurately process and parse dynamic, unfinished Scheme code, delivering true LSP features where standard REPLs and linters fall short.

What is traction to date for scheme-langserver? Around the web, who’s been noticing?

While scheme-langserver is currently considered a pre-official release, it has already gained early traction through several internet publications. Looking ahead, the focus is on enhancing fault tolerance and rolling out a killer macro expander feature designed to perfectly cater to the macro-centered workflow of Scheme and Lisp developers.

What excites you about this scheme-langserver's potential usefulness?

Scheme/Lisp is famous of its flexible macro programming and previously counterparts usually didn't allow macro-editing to alter their own behavior. Taking an example, programmers' macros usually claim customized identifier-definitions, and most languages and infrastructures won't serve this. Scheme-langserver's on-way feature, the macro expander will interpret such macros to its already-done behavior and make service possible.