1 # Context Coloring [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/jacksonrayhamilton/context-coloring.png?branch=develop)](https://travis-ci.org/jacksonrayhamilton/context-coloring)
4 <img alt="Screenshot of JavaScript code highlighted by context." src="screenshot.png" title="Screenshot">
7 Highlights code according to function context.
9 - Code in the global scope is one color. Code in functions within the global
10 scope is a different color, and code within such functions is another color,
12 - Identifiers retain the color of the scope in which they are declared.
14 Lexical scope information at-a-glance can assist a programmer in understanding
15 the overall structure of a program. It can help to curb nasty bugs like name
16 shadowing. A rainbow can indicate excessive complexity. State change within a
17 closure is easily monitored.
19 By default, context-coloring still highlights comments and strings
20 syntactically. It is still easy to differentiate code from non-code, and strings
21 cannot be confused for variables.
23 This coloring strategy is probably more useful than conventional syntax
24 highlighting. Highlighting keywords can help one to detect spelling errors, but
25 a [linter][] could also spot those errors, and if integrated with [flycheck][],
26 an extra spot opens up in your editing toolbelt.
28 Give context-coloring a try; you may find that it *changes the way you write
33 - Supported languages: JavaScript
34 - Light and dark (customizable) color schemes.
35 - Very fast for files under 1000 lines.
41 JavaScript language support requires either [js2-mode][], or
42 [Node.js 0.10+][node] and the [scopifier][] executable.
46 - `M-x package-install RET context-coloring RET`
50 - Clone this repository.
54 git clone https://github.com/jacksonrayhamilton/context-coloring.git
57 - Byte-compile the package for improved speed.
64 - Add the following to your `~/.emacs` file:
67 (add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/context-coloring")
68 (require 'context-coloring)
71 ### scopifier (for non-js2-mode users)
74 npm install -g scopifier
79 Add the following to your `~/.emacs` file:
82 ;; non-js2-mode users:
83 (add-hook 'js-mode-hook 'context-coloring-mode)
86 (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.js\\'" . js2-mode))
87 (add-hook 'js2-mode-hook 'context-coloring-mode)
92 Color schemes for custom themes are automatically applied when those themes are
93 active. Built-in theme support is available for: `ample`, `anti-zenburn`,
94 `grandshell`, `leuven`, `monokai`, `solarized`, `spacegray`, `tango` and
97 You can define your own theme colors too:
100 (context-coloring-define-theme
115 See `C-h f context-coloring-define-theme` for more info on theme parameters.
119 To add support for a new language, write a "scopifier" for it, and define a new
120 coloring dispatch strategy with `context-coloring-define-dispatch`. Then the
121 plugin should handle the rest. (See `C-h f context-coloring-define-dispatch` for
122 more info on dispatch strategies.)
124 A "scopifier" is a CLI program that reads a buffer's contents from stdin and
125 writes a JSON array of numbers to stdout. Every three numbers in the array
126 represent a range of color. For instance, if I fed the following string of
127 JavaScript code to a scopifier,
130 var a = function () {};
133 then the scopifier would produce the following array:
139 Where, for every three numbers, the first number is a 1-indexed start [point][],
140 the second number is an exclusive end point, and the third number is a scope
141 level. The result of applying level 0 coloring to the range [1, 24) and then
142 applying level 1 coloring to the range [9, 23) would result in the following
146 <img alt="Screenshot of ranges [1, 24) and [9, 23)." src="scopifier.png" title="Screenshot">
149 If there is an abstract syntax tree generator for your language, you can walk
150 the syntax tree, find variables and scopes, and build their positions and levels
151 into an array like the one above.
153 For example, a Ruby scopifier might be defined and implemented like this:
156 (context-coloring-define-dispatch
160 :command "/home/username/scopifier")
169 print scopifier ARGF.read
172 When a `--version` argument is passed, a scopifier should print its version
173 number and exit. This allows context-coloring to determine if an update is
176 [linter]: http://jshint.com/about/
177 [flycheck]: http://www.flycheck.org/
178 [point]: http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Point.html
179 [js2-mode]: https://github.com/mooz/js2-mode
180 [node]: http://nodejs.org/download/
181 [scopifier]: https://github.com/jacksonrayhamilton/scopifier