Language Server Protocol vs TextMate Grammars

Developers should learn and use LSP when building or integrating development tools, as it simplifies adding rich language support to editors without writing custom integrations for each language-editor pair meets developers should learn textmate grammars when creating or customizing syntax highlighting for programming languages, markup languages, or configuration files in supported editors. Here's our take.

Language Server Protocol

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and use LSP when building or integrating development tools, as it simplifies adding rich language support to editors without writing custom integrations for each language-editor pair

Pros

• It's essential for creating cross-editor plugins, enhancing productivity with consistent features across different environments, and is widely adopted in modern IDEs like VS Code, IntelliJ, and Vim
• Related to: visual-studio-code, intellij-idea

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

TextMate Grammars

Developers should learn TextMate Grammars when creating or customizing syntax highlighting for programming languages, markup languages, or configuration files in supported editors

Pros

• This is particularly useful for working with niche or custom languages, improving readability in codebases, or contributing to editor extensions
• Related to: visual-studio-code, sublime-text

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Language Server Protocol is a protocol while TextMate Grammars is a tool. We picked Language Server Protocol based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Language Server Protocol wins

Based on overall popularity. Language Server Protocol is more widely used, but TextMate Grammars excels in its own space.