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2. Choose a Starting Point

Pegium does not ask you to start from an empty directory. The fastest way to create a first working language is to start from one of the shipped examples and adapt it to your needs.

Why start from an example

The examples already solve the boring but important wiring:

  • parser ownership
  • services registration
  • CLI entry points
  • LSP executable shape
  • tests and formatting hooks

This gives you a concrete project skeleton with real parser, services, and tooling wiring already in place.

Which example to choose

  • use arithmetics for the smallest complete parser-to-editor example
  • use domainmodel for nested declarations and rename
  • use requirements for multi-language and workspace behavior
  • use statemachine for validation-heavy modeling DSLs

What to keep first

When you copy an example, keep the following pieces intact for the first iteration:

  • the overall project layout
  • the service bootstrap
  • the CLI and LSP entrypoints
  • the test structure

Then rename the parser, AST types, namespaces, and file associations to match your language.

Once you have chosen a starting point, continue with Write the Grammar.