The Role of Semantic Analysis in Language Servers

The text discusses the essential role of semantic analysis in language servers, emphasizing the need for precise mapping between syntax nodes and semantic elements for efficient IDE features like "go to definition" and refactoring. It highlights the recursive algorithm used to connect syntax to semantics, the challenges posed by language-specific features, and the limitations of lazy computation. Additionally, it describes the approaches taken in rust-analyzer, Roslyn, and Kotlin for mapping syntax to semantics and the impact of language properties on this process.

• The text discusses the recursive algorithm used to connect syntax nodes to semantic elements.
• It emphasizes the need for precise mapping between syntax and semantics for efficient IDE features.
• The challenges posed by language-specific features and the limitations of lazy computation are highlighted.
• Approaches taken in rust-analyzer, Roslyn, and Kotlin for mapping syntax to semantics are described.
• The impact of language properties on the mapping process is discussed.