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https://github.com/richardsondev/azure-bicep-udl

User Defined Language (UDL) for Notepad++ to enable syntax highlighting for Azure Bicep files (.bicep).
https://github.com/richardsondev/azure-bicep-udl

azure azure-bicep bicep bicep-azure bicep-lang bicep-language code-highlight notepad-plus-plus notepadplusplus syntax-highlighting udl user-defined-language

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User Defined Language (UDL) for Notepad++ to enable syntax highlighting for Azure Bicep files (.bicep).

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README 

        
# Azure Bicep User Defined Language (UDL) for Notepad++



This repository provides a User Defined Language (UDL) definition for Notepad++ to enable syntax highlighting for Azure Bicep files (.bicep).



## What is Bicep?



Bicep is a Domain Specific Language (DSL) for deploying and managing Azure resources. It provides declarative syntax and simplifies the authoring experience compared to raw ARM templates.



## Why use this UDL?



While VS Code with the official Bicep extension offers the best Bicep development experience, this UDL allows you to have basic syntax highlighting in Notepad++ if you prefer a lightweight editor or have specific reasons for using it.



## Installation and Usage



1.  **Download the `Bicep-UDL.xml` file:** You can either clone this repository or directly download the `src/Bicep-UDL.xml` file.



2.  **Open Notepad++:** Launch the application.



3.  **Open User Defined Language Dialog:** Go to *Language* \> *Define your language...*.



4.  **Import the UDL:** Click the *Import...* button in the "User Defined Language" dialog.



5.  **Select the XML file:** Choose the downloaded `Bicep-UDL.xml` file.



6.  **Close the Dialog:** Close the "User Defined Language" dialog.



7.  **Open a Bicep file:** Open a `.bicep` file. The syntax highlighting should now be applied.



## Features



This UDL provides highlighting for:



*   **Keywords:** `metadata`, `targetScope`, `resource`, `module`, `param`, `var`, `output`, `for`, `in`, `if`, `existing`, `import`, `as`, `type`, `with`, `using`, `extends`, `func`, `assert`, `extension`, `and`, `or`, `not`

*   **Literals:** `true`, `false`, `null`

*   **Operators:** `=`, `+`, `-`, `*`, `/`, `%`, `&`, `|`, `^`, `!`, `~`, `<`, `>`, `<=`, `>=`, `==`, `!=`, `??`, `:`, `?`, `in`

*   **Numbers:** Integer and decimal numbers.

*   **Strings:** Single-quoted strings with basic escape sequence support.

*   **Comments:** Single-line (`//`) and multi-line (`/* ... */`) comments.

*   **Brackets and Parentheses:** `{}`, `[]`, `()`

*   **Directives:** `#` prefixed directives



## Work in Progress and Limitations



**This UDL is a work in progress.** Notepad++'s UDL system has limitations compared to the more advanced textmate grammars or Language Server Protocol (LSP) used in VS Code. Therefore, this UDL has the following limitations:



*   **Complex String Interpolation:** The more complex string interpolation (`${...}`) and verbatim strings (`'''`) are not fully supported. Basic string highlighting is provided, but nested expressions within strings might not be highlighted correctly.

*   **Advanced Regex:** The original Bicep grammar uses complex regular expressions that are difficult or impossible to fully replicate in Notepad++ UDLs.

*   **No Semantic Analysis:** This UDL only provides syntax highlighting based on lexical analysis. It does not provide semantic features like code completion, validation, or go-to-definition.



**Contributions are welcome!** If you find any issues or have improvements, please feel free to open a pull request or submit an issue.



## Future Improvements (Potential)



*   Improved string highlighting.

*   More complete operator support.

*   Better handling of edge cases.



## Alternatives



For the best Bicep development experience, it is highly recommended to use:



*   **VS Code with the official Bicep extension:** This provides full language support, including syntax highlighting, code completion, validation, and more.



## License



This project is licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE).