C# definition navigation in the alpha VS Code extension.
Go to Definition
SharpLsp is building the LSP definition navigation family on top of the Roslyn sidecar. The current extension exposes the VS Code workflow while edge cases continue to be hardened.
Navigation Methods
| LSP Method | Shortcut (VS Code) | Description |
|---|---|---|
textDocument/definition |
F12 |
Navigate to the symbol's declaration |
textDocument/typeDefinition |
Ctrl+F12 |
Navigate to the type of the symbol |
textDocument/declaration |
β | Navigate to the interface / abstract declaration |
textDocument/implementation |
Ctrl+Shift+F12 |
Navigate to all concrete implementations |
The navigation family is a launch-blocking area for SharpLsp. In the alpha, validate the specific operation and project shape you depend on.
C# Navigation (Roslyn)
textDocument/definition
Roslyn resolves the symbol via SemanticModel.GetSymbolInfo() and returns source locations from ISymbol.Locations.
textDocument/implementation
Uses SymbolFinder.FindImplementationsAsync() to locate all concrete implementations across the solution. Returns Location[] when multiple exist (e.g., interface with ten implementing classes).
Special Cases
| Symbol | definition |
typeDefinition |
declaration |
implementation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable (var x = new Foo()) |
Variable declaration | Foo class |
Same as definition | β |
Method call (bar.Baz()) |
Method body | Return type | Interface / abstract method | All overrides |
| Interface member | Interface declaration | Member return type | Same | All implementing classes |
| Override method | Override site | Return type | Base virtual/abstract | All sibling overrides |
Constructor (new Foo()) |
Constructor declaration | Foo class |
Same | β |
| Partial class / method | First partial declaration |
The type | Defining partial | All partial parts |
Decompiled Source Navigation
When a symbol is defined in a referenced assembly (NuGet package, BCL), SharpLsp uses ICSharpCode.Decompiler to decompile the containing type on demand. The decompiled source opens in a read-only buffer, giving you full navigation even into framework internals.
// Ctrl+click on List<T>.Add() navigates to decompiled:
// public void Add(T item) {
// if (_size == _items.Length) EnsureCapacity(_size + 1);
// _items[_size++] = item;
// _version++;
// }Caching
All definition results are cached via salsa with the key (document_uri, version, position, method). Cache hits return in under 1ms. The method component distinguishes between definition, typeDefinition, declaration, and implementation for the same position.
Performance Targets
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Definition latency (p50) | <100ms |
| Definition latency (p95) | <250ms |
| Cached definition | <1ms |
| Find implementations (100 impls) | <500ms |