Pkl IDE Support

formae uses Pkl as its primary configuration language. Pkl provides type-safe, programmable infrastructure definitions with excellent IDE support.

Install Java (required for Pkl language server)

Pkl tooling requires Java to run. We recommend using SDKMAN! to manage Java installations, as it allows you to easily switch between multiple Java versions.

Option A: Install Java with SDKMAN! (recommended)

Install SDKMAN!:

curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
source "$HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh"

Install Java:
```
sdk install java
```
Verify installation:
```
java --version
```

Option B: Install Java directly

macOS:

brew install openjdk

Linux:

Download and install OpenJDK from https://jdk.java.net/24/, then ensure the java binary is in your PATH.

Configure your editor

Choose your preferred editor for working with Pkl:

VSCode

Install the official Pkl extension for VSCode:

Visit the Pkl VSCode installation guide
Install the extension from the VSCode marketplace

Neovim

Install Pkl support for Neovim using your plugin manager:

Using lazy.nvim:

{
  'apple/pkl-neovim',
  dependencies = {
    'nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter',
  },
  build = function()
    vim.cmd('TSInstall! pkl')
  end,
  ft = 'pkl',
}

Using vim-plug:

Plug 'apple/pkl-neovim'
Plug 'nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter'

After installation, run :TSInstall pkl to install the Pkl Tree-sitter parser.

Familiarize yourself with Pkl

If you're new to Pkl, we recommend completing our Pkl primer, which covers the fundamentals in just a few minutes. Pkl's syntax is straightforward and designed for efficiency.

Key concepts you'll learn:

Basic Pkl syntax and structure
Working with types and validation
Using modules and imports