VGUI support

GLuaLS understands VGUI panel hierarchies and provides code lens and inlay hints.

Overview

GLuaLS supports VGUI, GMod’s panel GUI system. It understands vgui.Create() calls and the panel inheritance hierarchy, and it provides IDE features for VGUI development.

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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

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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
    }
  }
}

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Inlay hints for :Add()

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

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

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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 vgui.Create("MyPanel") calls. The panel type includes all methods from the PANEL table plus inherited DPanel methods.

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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.

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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

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Scripted Entity Explorer

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

VSCode 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 GMod 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