LuaLS / LuaLS/lua-language-server

VM.OnCompileFunctionParam does not work at all

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Description

How are you using the lua-language-server?

Visual Studio Code Extension (sumneko.lua)

Which OS are you using?

Windows

What is the issue affecting?

Plugins

Expected Behaviour

According to https://luals.github.io/wiki/plugins/#vmoncompilefunctionparam, VM.OnCompileFunctionParam() is supposed to work.

Actual Behaviour

It simply does not work, and throws this error instead:

2026-01-28 20:58:08.342 [info] C:\Path\plugin.lua:4: attempt to index a nil value (global 'VM')
stack traceback:
	C:\Path\plugin.lua:4: in main chunk
	[C]: in global 'xpcall'
	script\plugin.lua:157: in function <script\plugin.lua:95>

2026-01-28 20:58:08.348 [info] [Error - 8:58:08 PM] An error occurred in the plugin, please report it to the plugin author.
Please check the details in the output or log.
Plugin path: C:\Path\plugin.lua
Reproduction steps
  1. Write function VM.OnCompileFunctionParam(next, func, param) end in plugin.lua
  2. Add "Lua.runtime.plugin": "C:/Path/plugin.lua" to .vscode/settings.json or similar
  3. The error happens
Additional Notes

Please note that OnSetText() works as advertised, so the plugin system works; it is only this specific feature that does not seem to be working correctly.

For context, my library has JS-style event callbacks that work roughly like this:

addHook("PlayerUpdate", function(player)
end)

As you probably guessed already, I was hoping to use VM.OnCompileFunctionParam() to make it detect the parameter's type without requiring explicitly annotations, since generics do not seem to support this pattern at the moment?
I could also use OnSetText() instead, but it sounds like a less reliable method as it depends on the formatting, and it would also cause a warning about duplicate annotations if the user typed the ---@param explicitly.

Log File

No response

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the plugin reproduction in plugin.lua and the loading path referenced by script\plugin.lua:157, then compare the documented VM.OnCompileFunctionParam entry point with the working OnSetText hook. Reproduce the nil VM error using the shown .vscode/settings.json configuration. Done means the callback can be defined and invoked without the global VM error.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
lua
Domain
devtools, tooling
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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