reilua-enhanced/ZED_EDITOR_SETUP.md

Setting Up Zed Editor for ReiLua Development

Zed is a high-performance, modern code editor built for speed and collaboration. This guide shows you how to set up Zed for the best ReiLua game development experience.

Why Zed?

• ⚡ Fast: Written in Rust, extremely responsive
• 🧠 Smart: Built-in AI assistance (optional)
• 🎨 Beautiful: Clean, modern interface
• 🔧 Powerful: LSP support, multi-cursor editing, vim mode
• 🆓 Free: Open source and free to use

Installation

Download Zed

Visit https://zed.dev/ and download for your platform:

• Windows: Download installer and run
• Mac: Download .dmg and install
• Linux:

  curl https://zed.dev/install.sh | sh
  

First Launch

1. Launch Zed
2. Choose your theme (light/dark)
3. Select keybindings (VS Code, Sublime, or default)
4. Optional: Sign in for collaboration features

Setting Up for ReiLua

1. Install Lua Language Server

The Lua Language Server provides autocomplete, error detection, and documentation.

Method 1: Automatic (Recommended)

1. Open Zed
2. Open any .lua file
3. Zed will prompt to install Lua support
4. Click "Install"

Method 2: Manual

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac)
2. Type "zed: install language server"
3. Select "Lua"

2. Create Workspace Configuration

Create a .zed folder in your project root:

cd your_game_project
mkdir .zed

3. Configure Lua Language Server

Create .zed/settings.json with ReiLua-specific settings:

{
  "lsp": {
    "lua-language-server": {
      "settings": {
        "Lua": {
          "runtime": {
            "version": "Lua 5.4",
            "path": [
              "?.lua",
              "?/init.lua"
            ]
          },
          "diagnostics": {
            "globals": [
              "RL"
            ],
            "disable": [
              "lowercase-global"
            ]
          },
          "workspace": {
            "library": [
              "ReiLua_API.lua"
            ],
            "checkThirdParty": false
          },
          "completion": {
            "callSnippet": "Both",
            "keywordSnippet": "Both"
          },
          "hint": {
            "enable": true,
            "setType": true
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "languages": {
    "Lua": {
      "format_on_save": "on",
      "formatter": "language_server",
      "tab_size": 4,
      "hard_tabs": false
    }
  },
  "tab_size": 4,
  "soft_wrap": "editor_width",
  "theme": "One Dark",
  "buffer_font_size": 14,
  "ui_font_size": 14
}

What this does:

• Sets Lua 5.4 runtime (matches ReiLua)
• Adds RL as a global (prevents "undefined global" warnings)
• Loads ReiLua_API.lua for autocomplete
• Enables format-on-save
• Sets tab size to 4 spaces
• Enables type hints
• Disables third-party library checking (reduces noise)

4. Add ReiLua API Definitions

Copy ReiLua_API.lua to your project:

# Windows
copy path\to\ReiLua\ReiLua_API.lua your_game_project\

# Linux/Mac
cp path/to/ReiLua/ReiLua_API.lua your_game_project/

This file provides:

• Autocomplete for all 1000+ ReiLua functions
• Function signatures
• Parameter hints
• Documentation tooltips

5. Create Tasks Configuration

Create .zed/tasks.json for quick commands:

{
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Run Game (Dev)",
      "command": "path/to/ReiLua.exe",
      "args": ["--log", "--no-logo"],
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
    },
    {
      "label": "Run Game (Production)",
      "command": "path/to/ReiLua.exe",
      "args": [],
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
    },
    {
      "label": "Run Game with Logging",
      "command": "path/to/ReiLua.exe",
      "args": ["--log"],
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}"
    },
    {
      "label": "Build Release",
      "command": "path/to/ReiLua/build_release.bat",
      "cwd": "path/to/ReiLua"
    }
  ]
}

Usage:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P
2. Type "task: spawn"
3. Select your task

Replace path/to/ReiLua.exe with the actual path to your ReiLua executable.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl+P / Cmd+P	Quick Open	Jump to any file instantly
Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P	Command Palette	Access all commands
Ctrl+T / Cmd+T	Go to Symbol	Jump to function/variable
F12	Go to Definition	Jump to where something is defined
Shift+F12	Find References	Find all uses of a symbol
Alt+← / Alt+→	Navigate Back/Forward	Like browser navigation
Ctrl+G / Cmd+G	Go to Line	Jump to specific line number

Editing

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl+D / Cmd+D	Add Selection	Select next occurrence
Alt+Click	Add Cursor	Multiple cursors
Ctrl+Shift+L / Cmd+Shift+L	Select All Occurrences	Multi-cursor all matches
Ctrl+/ / Cmd+/	Toggle Comment	Comment/uncomment line
Alt+↑ / Alt+↓	Move Line Up/Down	Move current line
Ctrl+Shift+D / Cmd+Shift+D	Duplicate Line	Copy line below
Ctrl+Shift+K / Cmd+Shift+K	Delete Line	Remove entire line
Ctrl+] / Cmd+]	Indent	Indent selection
Ctrl+[ / Cmd+[	Outdent	Unindent selection

Search

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl+F / Cmd+F	Find	Search in current file
Ctrl+H / Cmd+H	Replace	Find and replace
Ctrl+Shift+F / Cmd+Shift+F	Find in Files	Search entire project
F3 / Cmd+G	Find Next	Next search result
Shift+F3 / Cmd+Shift+G	Find Previous	Previous search result

View

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl+\ / Cmd+\	Split Editor	Side-by-side editing
Ctrl+` / Cmd+`	Toggle Terminal	Show/hide terminal
Ctrl+B / Cmd+B	Toggle Sidebar	Show/hide file tree
Ctrl+K Z / Cmd+K Z	Zen Mode	Distraction-free mode
Ctrl+K V / Cmd+K V	Toggle Preview	For markdown files

Code

Shortcut	Action	Description
Ctrl+Space	Trigger Autocomplete	Force show suggestions
Ctrl+. / Cmd+.	Code Actions	Quick fixes
F2	Rename Symbol	Rename variable/function
Ctrl+K Ctrl+F / Cmd+K Cmd+F	Format Selection	Format selected code

Project Structure Best Practices

Recommended Layout

your_game/
├── .zed/
│   ├── settings.json
│   └── tasks.json
├── assets/
│   ├── images/
│   ├── sounds/
│   └── fonts/
├── lib/
│   └── (your libraries)
├── src/
│   ├── main.lua
│   ├── player.lua
│   ├── enemy.lua
│   └── game.lua
├── ReiLua_API.lua
└── README.md

Using Multiple Folders

Add ReiLua source for reference:

1. File → Add Folder to Workspace
2. Select ReiLua source directory
3. Now you can reference ReiLua code easily

Advanced Features

Multi-Cursor Editing

Use cases:

• Rename variables in multiple places
• Edit similar lines simultaneously
• Batch formatting

Example:

1. Select a variable name
2. Press Ctrl+D repeatedly to select more occurrences
3. Type to edit all at once

Split Editor

Work on multiple files simultaneously:

1. Press Ctrl+\ to split
2. Open different files in each pane
3. Example: main.lua on left, player.lua on right

Vim Mode (Optional)

If you love Vim:

1. Ctrl+Shift+P → "zed: toggle vim mode"
2. All Vim keybindings become available
3. Normal, Insert, Visual modes work
4. :w to save, :q to close, etc.

Live Grep

Powerful project-wide search:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+F
2. Type your search query
3. Results show in context
4. Click to jump to location

Search tips:

• Use regex with .* for patterns
• Search by file type: *.lua
• Exclude folders: Add to .gitignore

Collaboration (Optional)

Share your coding session:

1. Click "Share" button (top right)
2. Send link to teammate
3. Collaborate in real-time
4. See each other's cursors

Workflow Tips

1. Quick File Switching

Ctrl+P → type filename → Enter

Example: Ctrl+P → "play" → selects player.lua

2. Symbol Search

Ctrl+T → type function name → Enter

Example: Ctrl+T → "update" → jumps to function RL.update()

3. Multi-File Editing

1. Ctrl+Shift+F → Search for text
2. Results show all occurrences
3. Use multi-cursor to edit across files

4. Integrated Terminal

Keep terminal open while coding:

1. Ctrl+` → Open terminal
2. Split view: code above, terminal below
3. Run ReiLua.exe --log --no-logo for testing

5. Quick Testing Loop

Set up this workflow:

1. Edit code in Zed
2. Save with Ctrl+S (autosave optional)
3. Switch to terminal with Ctrl+`
4. Press ↑ to recall previous command
5. Press Enter to run game

Troubleshooting

Lua Language Server Not Working

Problem: No autocomplete or diagnostics

Solutions:

1. Check LSP status: Ctrl+Shift+P → "lsp: show active servers"
2. Restart LSP: Ctrl+Shift+P → "lsp: restart"
3. Check .zed/settings.json syntax
4. Verify ReiLua_API.lua exists in project

ReiLua Functions Show as Undefined

Problem: RL.DrawText shows as error

Solutions:

1. Add "RL" to globals in .zed/settings.json:

   "diagnostics": {
     "globals": ["RL"]
   }
   

2. Restart LSP

Format on Save Not Working

Problem: Code doesn't format when saving

Solutions:

1. Check formatter setting:

   "languages": {
     "Lua": {
       "format_on_save": "on"
     }
   }
   

2. Ensure LSP is running
3. Try manual format: Ctrl+Shift+F

Tasks Not Showing

Problem: Can't find run tasks

Solutions:

1. Verify .zed/tasks.json exists
2. Check JSON syntax
3. Reload window: Ctrl+Shift+P → "zed: reload"

Themes and Appearance

Change Theme

1. Ctrl+Shift+P → "theme selector: toggle"
2. Browse themes
3. Select one

Recommended for coding:

• One Dark (dark)
• One Light (light)
• Andromeda (dark)
• GitHub Light (light)

Adjust Font Size

Method 1: Settings Edit .zed/settings.json:

{
  "buffer_font_size": 14,
  "ui_font_size": 14
}

Method 2: Quick Zoom

• Ctrl+= / Cmd+= → Increase font
• Ctrl+- / Cmd+- → Decrease font
• Ctrl+0 / Cmd+0 → Reset font

Custom Font

{
  "buffer_font_family": "JetBrains Mono",
  "buffer_font_size": 14
}

Recommended coding fonts:

• JetBrains Mono
• Fira Code
• Cascadia Code
• Source Code Pro

Extensions and Enhancements

Install Extensions

1. Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X
2. Search for extensions
3. Click install

Recommended for Lua Development

Core:

• ✅ Lua Language Server (built-in)

Productivity:

• Better Comments - Enhanced comment highlighting
• Error Lens - Inline error display
• Bracket Pair Colorizer - Match brackets with colors

Optional:

• GitHub Copilot - AI code suggestions (requires subscription)
• GitLens - Advanced git integration

Sample Workspace

Here's a complete example setup:

Directory Structure

MyGame/
├── .zed/
│   ├── settings.json
│   └── tasks.json
├── src/
│   ├── main.lua
│   ├── player.lua
│   └── enemy.lua
├── assets/
│   ├── player.png
│   └── music.wav
├── ReiLua_API.lua
└── README.md

.zed/settings.json

{
  "lsp": {
    "lua-language-server": {
      "settings": {
        "Lua": {
          "runtime": {"version": "Lua 5.4"},
          "diagnostics": {"globals": ["RL"]},
          "workspace": {"library": ["ReiLua_API.lua"]}
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "languages": {
    "Lua": {
      "format_on_save": "on",
      "tab_size": 4
    }
  },
  "theme": "One Dark",
  "buffer_font_size": 14
}

.zed/tasks.json

{
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Run Game",
      "command": "C:/ReiLua/build/ReiLua.exe",
      "args": ["--log", "--no-logo"]
    }
  ]
}

Now you can:

• Open project in Zed
• Get autocomplete for all RL functions
• Press Ctrl+Shift+P → "Run Game" to test
• Edit code with full LSP support

Tips for Efficient Development

1. Learn 5 shortcuts: Ctrl+P, Ctrl+Shift+F, Ctrl+D, F12, Ctrl+`
2. Use multi-cursor: Speed up repetitive edits
3. Split editor: Work on related files side-by-side
4. Keep terminal open: Quick testing without leaving Zed
5. Use Zen mode: Focus during complex coding
6. Enable autosave: Never lose work

Next Steps

✅ Install Zed ✅ Configure for Lua 5.4 ✅ Add ReiLua_API.lua to project ✅ Set up tasks for quick testing ✅ Learn essential shortcuts ✅ Start coding your game!

Additional Resources

• Zed Documentation: https://zed.dev/docs
• Zed GitHub: https://github.com/zed-industries/zed
• Community: https://zed.dev/community
• Keyboard Shortcuts: View in Zed with Ctrl+K Ctrl+S

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Happy coding with Zed and ReiLua! 🚀