Recommended Setup for Python in code-server without Pylance

[shinyshoes404]

Hi, all. I setup a Coder server with a template that creates workspaces running code-server. I was feeling very excited about this solution for Python development until I realized that semantic token highlighting (learned what this was after much googling) is not happening in the way I am used to in the desktop version of VS Code. After digging around, it appears this is due to the fact that Pylance is closed source and not available in the code-server extensions marketplace.

Is there any way to make the highlighting in code-server function the same as in VS Code desktop? If not, what is the recommended configuration for the best experience developing with Python in code-server?

Also, shout-out to Coder. The open source solution is perfect for a hands-on lab I need to do with a small group of college students.

code-server highlighting

VS Code Desktop highlighting

[code-asher]

Glad to hear you are having a good experience with Coder!

Hopefully someone who has worked with Python and code-server can chime in; from what I have heard some folks use https://github.com/pappasam/jedi-language-server but I am not sure how it compares to Pylance.

[shinyshoes404]

@code-asher Jedi language server is available in the ms-python extension, but it doesn't seem to provide the semantic token highlighting capability that Pylance does. I'm concerned that there just isn't an answer for this in code-server for Python.

[code-asher]

Ahhh I see, that is unfortunate. Yeah it sounds like there is no open source version that can be used with code-server. 😞

[code-asher]

This is not a solution, but I will drop this link just in case, since VSCodium folks are having the same issue: VSCodium/vscodium#1556

Also I read somewhere that Pyright supposedly gave semantic token highlighting but I am not sure that is actually true. I think Pylance uses Pyright or something like that, but Pyright is available on Open VSX.