CodeQL for Zed

CodeQL language support for Zed, combining Tree-sitter syntax support with the official CodeQL CLI language server.

Status: v0.1.1 is the current release candidate. The official zed-industries/extensions pull request has not been submitted yet. plan.md and the private docs/ folder are local-only and are not tracked.

Included

• .ql and .qll language detection;
• syntax highlighting, brackets, indentation, outline symbols, and Vim-mode text objects;
• the official CodeQL CLI language server, including diagnostics, completion, hover, and definition support;
• CodeQL CLI discovery through PATH;
• explicit binary paths, complete argument overrides, and environment overrides;
• actionable errors for missing, invalid, or non-executable CodeQL binaries.

The extension does not bundle CodeQL, create databases, run repository scans, parse SARIF, or upload source code and results. Query execution remains the responsibility of the CodeQL CLI and the user's existing workflow.

Requirements

Install the CodeQL CLI separately from the official CodeQL CLI binaries. The supported minimum is CodeQL CLI 2.26.1.

Component	Supported baseline	Verification
Zed	1.16 or newer	macOS Zed 1.16.1
Linux	x64, Ubuntu 22.04 runner	CI matrix
Windows	x64, Windows Server 2022 runner	CI matrix; real-device regression pending
CodeQL CLI	2.26.1 or newer	local 2.26.1; CI 2.26.1 and 2.26.3
Paths	spaces; Windows drive configuration	Rust tests, smoke tests, and README examples

The CodeQL CLI is not redistributed by this extension and remains subject to GitHub's own license and terms.

Installation

Until the Gallery review is submitted, install the extension as a Zed dev extension:

git clone https://github.com/Fruit-Guardians/codeql-zed.git

In Zed, run zed: install dev extension, select the cloned repository, then open any .ql or .qll file. Confirm that CodeQL is available to Zed:

codeql version

If Zed cannot see the terminal PATH, configure the absolute executable path under lsp.codeql.binary.path.

CodeQL LSP configuration

No settings are needed when codeql is already on PATH. To select a specific CLI executable, add this to Zed settings:

{
  "lsp": {
    "codeql": {
      "binary": {
        "path": "/absolute/path/to/CodeQL CLI/codeql"
      }
    }
  }
}

When binary.arguments is present, it replaces the defaults. Provide the complete command, including the language-server subcommand:

{
  "lsp": {
    "codeql": {
      "binary": {
        "path": "C:/Tools/CodeQL CLI/codeql.exe",
        "arguments": [
          "execute",
          "language-server",
          "--check-errors",
          "ON_CHANGE",
          "--search-path=C:/CodeQL Packs"
        ],
        "env": {
          "CODEQL_HOME": "C:/Tools/CodeQL CLI"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

The extension starts CodeQL directly with an argument array. Paths containing spaces and Windows drive letters remain single arguments.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
codeql not found	Run codeql version; set lsp.codeql.binary.path to an absolute path and restart the LSP.
CLI too old	Use CodeQL CLI 2.26.1 or newer.
CLI cannot start	Check executable permission, GUI PATH, and the Zed log.
Custom arguments fail	binary.arguments must begin with execute language-server; do not provide only flags.
Query errors	Run codeql query compile path/to/query.ql from the query-pack root.

Quality checks

cargo fmt --check
cargo test
cargo clippy --all-targets --all-features -- -D warnings
cargo build --release --target wasm32-wasip2
python3 scripts/validate_extension.py
python3 scripts/codeql_smoke.py --codeql /path/to/codeql --fixtures fixtures/qlpack

The Python validation scripts require Python 3.11 or newer.

GitHub Actions runs these checks on Linux x64 and Windows x64 against CodeQL CLI 2.26.1 and 2.26.3.

Release status

Milestone	State
v0.1.0	released as tag and GitHub Release
v0.1.1	current release candidate; basic LSP stability work complete
Official Zed Gallery PR	prepared locally, not submitted

License and third-party notices

The extension is licensed under the MIT License. Its bundled Tree-sitter query files are adapted from tree-sitter-ql, which is also MIT licensed:

• repository: https://github.com/tree-sitter/tree-sitter-ql
• pinned commit: 5b8ee9adaa1f2a1ea958064b61f8feb0a5a886c0
• copyright: Sam Lanning and contributors

The CodeQL CLI is a separate GitHub distribution and is subject to its own license and terms.