Open Source Lua Language Servers

The Lua language server provides various language features for Lua to make development easier and faster. With around half a million installs on Visual Studio Code, it is the most popular extension for Lua language support. The language server can be installed for use in Visual Studio Code, NeoVim, and any other clients that support the Language Server Protocol. The language server can be configured using a configuration file. The language server and Visual Studio Code client can be installed from the VS Code Marketplace. Check the wiki for a guide to install the language server for use on the command line. This allows the language server to be used with other clients that follow the language server protocol.

LunarVim is an opinionated, extensible, and fast IDE layer for Neovim >= 0.5.0. LunarVim takes advantage of the latest Neovim features such as Treesitter and Language Server Protocol support. LunarVim ships with a sane default config for you to build on top of. Features include autocompletion, integrated terminal, file explorer, fuzzy finder, LSP, linting, formatting and debugging. Just because LunarVim has an opinion doesn't mean you need to share it. Every built-in plugin can be toggled on or off in the config.lua file. This is the place to add your own plugins, keymaps, autocommands, leader bindings and all other custom settings. LunarVim lazyloads plugins wherever possible to maximize speed. Disabled plugins also will not decrease speed due to the plugin list being compiled with only the active plugins. This strategy allows LunarVim to not have to choose between features and speed.

ALE is an asynchronous linting and fixing engine for Vim and Neovim that keeps feedback flowing without blocking your editor. It runs external linters and formatters in the background as you type or save, streaming diagnostics into the sign column and statusline. The project focuses on breadth and practicality: dozens of languages work out of the box, and configuration is usually a matter of selecting tools you already use on the command line. ALE can also act as a lightweight Language Server Protocol client, providing go-to-definition, hover, and code actions through LSP servers when available. Its fix-on-save pipelines and formatter integration help enforce team style guides reliably and repeatably. For large codebases and slower linters, ALE’s job queueing and smart debouncing prevent UI hiccups while still surfacing timely results.