VGUI support

Overview

GLuaLS understands VGUI panel creation, registration, and inheritance. A created panel keeps both its registered type and the standard panel methods inherited from its parent.

Panel type inference

When you call vgui.Create("Type"), GLuaLS types the returned value as the matching panel class:

local frame = vgui.Create("DFrame")   -- typed as DFrame
frame:SetTitle("My Window")            -- DFrame method ✅

local btn = frame:Add("DButton")       -- typed as DButton
btn:SetText("Click me")                -- DButton method ✅
btn.DoClick = function(self)
    -- self is typed as DButton ✅
end

Code lens

When gmod.vgui.codeLensEnabled is true, GLuaLS shows code lens annotations above panel creations and definitions. Enable in .gluarc.json:

Use the settings menu instead of editing the JSON file directly. This helps you avoid config mistakes.

.gluarc.json

{
  "gmod": {
    "vgui": {
      "codeLensEnabled": true
    }
  }
}

Inlay hints for `:Add()`

When using panel:Add("Type"), GLuaLS shows the panel type in an inlay hint:

local btn = frame:Add("DButton")  -- DButton

Custom panels

GLuaLS understands the standard VGUI inheritance pattern used to define custom panels:

local PANEL = {}

function PANEL:Init()
    self.label = self:Add("DLabel")
end

function PANEL:Paint(w, h)
    draw.RoundedBox(4, 0, 0, w, h, color_black)
end

vgui.Register("MyPanel", PANEL, "DPanel")
-- Now MyPanel is recognized as a panel type
-- that inherits from DPanel

After vgui.Register(name, PANEL, base), GLuaLS recognizes "MyPanel" in later constructors. The panel type includes methods from the PANEL table and inherited DPanel methods.

Derma controls and skins

GLuaLS also understands derma.DefineControl, derma.DefineSkin, derma.GetNamedSkin, derma.GetSkinTable(), and panel skin setters:

local SKIN = {}

function SKIN:PaintFrame(panel, w, h)
    draw.RoundedBox(0, 0, 0, w, h, color_black)
end

derma.DefineSkin("MySkin", "Dark UI skin", SKIN)

local frame = vgui.Create("DFrame")
frame:SetSkin("MySkin") -- navigates to the skin definition

Skin names support completion, hover, references, and go-to-definition in the same way as panel names.

Custom wrappers

If your framework wraps VGUI or Derma APIs, annotate the wrapper parameters with @call_arg. This lets GLuaLS recognize the wrapped calls without matching the wrapper by name.

---@[call_arg("gmod.derma_skin", "define")]
---@param name string
---@param description string
---@param skin table
function MyUI.DefineSkin(name, description, skin)
    derma.DefineSkin(name, description, skin)
end

Class Explorer

The Scripted Class Explorer lists VGUI panels for navigation. Click a panel class in the explorer to open its definition.

VS Code integration

VGUI features work after the extension starts. The Class Explorer sidebar shows registered panel types under the Classes section. Configure VGUI support in the settings panel. See Garry’s Mod settings for the full reference.

Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
`gmod.vgui.codeLensEnabled`	`true`	Show code lens on panel creations/definitions
`gmod.vgui.inlayHintEnabled`	`false`	Show inlay hints for `panel:Add()` type inference

Overview

Code intelligence

Garry's Mod

Classes

Debugger

AI integration

Overview

Panel type inference

Code lens

Inlay hints for `:Add()`

Custom panels

Derma controls and skins

Custom wrappers

Class Explorer

VS Code integration

Configuration

​Overview

​Panel type inference

​Code lens

​Inlay hints for :Add()

​Custom panels

​Derma controls and skins

​Custom wrappers

​Class Explorer

​VS Code integration

​Configuration

Overview

Panel type inference

Code lens

Inlay hints for `:Add()`

Custom panels

Derma controls and skins

Custom wrappers

Class Explorer

VS Code integration

Configuration