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LSP (Language Server Protocol)

Byte's LSP integration provides code intelligence features like hover information, go-to-definition, find references, and completions by connecting to language servers. It manages multiple LSP servers simultaneously, routing requests to the appropriate server based on file extensions.

LSP integration showing hover information

Quick Start

Enable LSP

Configure LSP in .byte/config.yaml:

lsp:
  enable: true
  timeout: 30
  servers:
    typescript:
      command: ["typescript-language-server", "--stdio"]
      file_extensions: ["ts", "tsx", "js", "jsx"]
    python:
      command: ["pylsp"]
      file_extensions: ["py", "pyi"]

Use with Research Agent

LSP tools are only available through the /research command:

> /research Find all references to the UserService class

The research agent will use LSP tools like find_references, get_definition, and get_hover_info to analyze your codebase and provide detailed findings.

Research findings are saved to session context rather than the conversation history. This allows other agents to reference the research results without cluttering the message thread. The findings remain available throughout your session for the AI to use when making decisions or generating code.

Byte will:

  1. Start configured LSP servers in the background on boot
  2. Automatically open documents when you add them to context
  3. Provide code intelligence through LSP tools to the research agent
  4. Route requests to the appropriate server based on file extension

Configuration

Server Configuration

Each LSP server requires:

command (array of strings, required)

  • Command and arguments to start the LSP server
  • Example: ["typescript-language-server", "--stdio"]
  • Server must support stdio communication

file_extensions (array of strings, required)

  • File extensions this server handles
  • Example: ["ts", "tsx", "js", "jsx"]
  • Used to route requests to correct server

initialization_options (object, optional)

  • Custom initialization options passed to the server
  • Server-specific configuration

Example Configuration

lsp:
  enable: true
  timeout: 30
  servers:
    typescript:
      command: ["typescript-language-server", "--stdio"]
      file_extensions: ["ts", "tsx", "js", "jsx"]
      initialization_options:
        preferences:
          includeInlayParameterNameHints: "all"

    python:
      command: ["pylsp"]
      file_extensions: ["py", "pyi"]
      initialization_options:
        pylsp:
          plugins:
            pycodestyle:
              enabled: false

    rust:
      command: ["rust-analyzer"]
      file_extensions: ["rs"]

See the Settings Reference for complete configuration options.

Available Tools

The Research Agent (/research command) has exclusive access to LSP functionality through these tools. Other agents do not have access to LSP features.

Get Hover Information

Get documentation and type information for a symbol:

get_hover_info(file_path="src/main.ts", line=10, character=5)

Returns:

  • Documentation strings
  • Type signatures
  • Parameter information

Go to Definition

Find where a symbol is defined:

get_definition(file_path="src/main.ts", line=10, character=5)

Returns:

  • Definition location(s)
  • File path and line/column range
  • Code context around definition

Find References

Find all references to a symbol:

find_references(file_path="src/main.ts", line=10, character=5, include_declaration=False)

Returns:

  • All reference locations grouped by file
  • Code context for each reference
  • Line and column information