LT_EX+ Extension for VS Code: Grammar/Spell Checker Using LanguageTool with Support for L^AT_EX, Markdown, and Others

LT_EX+ provides offline grammar checking of various markup languages in Visual Studio Code using LanguageTool (LT). LT_EX+ currently supports:

• L^AT_EX, BibT_EX, ConT_EXt and rsweave
• Markdown, MDX and Quarto
• Typst
• AsciiDoc
• Org and Neorg
• reStructuredText
• XHTML

In addition, LT_EX+ can check comments in many popular programming languages (optional, opt-in).

The difference to regular spell checkers is that LT_EX+ not only detects spelling errors, but also many grammar and stylistic errors such as:

• This is an mistake.
• The bananas is tasty.
• We look forward to welcome you.
• Are human beings any different than animals?

A classic use case of LT_EX+ is checking scientific L^AT_EX papers, but why not check your next blog post, book chapter, or long e-mail before you send it to someone else?

Find more information and documentation about LT_EX+ on the official website.

Until version 13.1.0, Julian Valentin developed LT_EX+ as LT_EX. LT_EX is a fork of the abandoned LanguageTool for Visual Studio Code extension. This extension would not have been possible without the work of Adam Voss^† and Julian Valentin.

Features

• Comes with everything included, no need to install Java or LanguageTool
• Offline checking: Does not upload anything to the internet
• Supports over 20 languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Chinese, Russian, etc.
• Issue highlighting with hover description
• Replacement suggestions via quick fixes
• User dictionaries
• Multilingual support with babel commands or magic comments
• Possibility to use external LanguageTool servers
• Extensive documentation

Requirements

• 64-bit Linux, Mac, or Windows operating system
• VS Code 1.91.0 or newer
• Optional:
  • If you want to check documents written in a markup language that VS Code does not support out-of-the-box (e.g., L^AT_EX), install an extension that provides support for that language (e.g., LaTeX Workshop Extension for VS Code) in addition to this extension.

How to Use

1. Install the requirements listed above
2. Install this extension (see download options)
3. Reload the VS Code window if necessary
4. Open a L^AT_EX or a Markdown document, or open a new file and change the language mode to LaTeX or Markdown (open the Command Palette and select Change Language Mode)
5. Wait until ltex-ls has been found; if necessary, LT_EX+ downloads it for you. Alternatively, you can choose offline installation.
6. Grammar/spelling errors will be displayed! (if there are any)

Information & Documentation

• General Information
  • Overview
  • Installation & Usage
    • Via Editor Extensions
      • Official Extensions
      • Third-Party Extensions
    • Via Language Clients
    • Via Command Line
  • Supported Languages
    • Code Languages
      • Markup Languages
      • Programming Languages
    • Natural Languages
  • Advanced Usage
    • Magic Comments
    • Multilingual L^AT_EX Documents with the babel Package
    • Set Language in Markdown with YAML Front Matter
    • Hiding False Positives with Regular Expressions
    • LanguageTool HTTP Servers
  • Settings
    • ltex.enabled
    • ltex.language
    • ltex.dictionary
    • ltex.disabledRules
    • ltex.enabledRules
    • ltex.hiddenFalsePositives
    • ltex.bibtex.fields
    • ltex.latex.commands
    • ltex.latex.environments
    • ltex.markdown.nodes
    • ltex.configurationTarget
    • ltex.additionalRules.enablePickyRules
    • ltex.additionalRules.motherTongue
    • ltex.additionalRules.languageModel
    • ltex.additionalRules.neuralNetworkModel
    • ltex.additionalRules.word2VecModel
    • ltex.languageToolHttpServerUri
    • ltex.languageToolOrg.username
    • ltex.languageToolOrg.apiKey
    • ltex.ltex-ls.path
    • ltex.ltex-ls.logLevel
    • ltex.java.path
    • ltex.java.initialHeapSize
    • ltex.java.maximumHeapSize
    • ltex.sentenceCacheSize
    • ltex.maxRequestSize
    • ltex.paragraphCacheTtlMinutes
    • ltex.paragraphCacheEnabled
    • ltex.completionEnabled
    • ltex.diagnosticSeverity
    • ltex.checkFrequency
    • ltex.clearDiagnosticsWhenClosingFile
    • ltex.statusBarItem
    • ltex.trace.server
  • FAQ
    • General Questions
      • What's the difference between vscode-ltex, ltex-ls, and LanguageTool?
      • Why does LT_EX+ have such a high CPU load?
      • How can I check multiple languages at once?
      • Why does LT_EX+ check in a different language than expected?
      • How can I fix multiple spelling errors at the same time?
      • How can I prevent \text{...} in math mode from producing false positives?
      • What does LT_EX+ stand for?
      • Where can I ask a question that's not answered here?
    • Questions about vscode-ltex
      • How can I prevent vscode-ltex from redownloading ltex-ls after every update?
      • Where does vscode-ltex save its settings (e.g., dictionary, false positives)?
      • How can I map the Use '...' quick fix to a keyboard shortcut in VS Code?
  • Code of Conduct
    • Our Pledge
    • Our Standards
    • Enforcement Responsibilities
    • Scope
    • Enforcement
    • Enforcement Guidelines
      • 1. Correction
      • 2. Warning
      • 3. Temporary Ban
      • 4. Permanent Ban
    • Attribution
• vscode-ltex-plus
  • Installation & Usage (vscode-ltex-plus)
    • Download Providers
    • Requirements
    • How to Install and Use
    • Offline Installation
      • First Alternative: Download the Offline Version of LT_EX+
      • Second Alternative: Download ltex-ls/Java Manually
  • Setting Scopes & Files
    • Multi-Scope Settings
    • External Setting Files
  • Commands
    • LTeX: Activate Extension
    • LTeX: Check Selection
    • LTeX: Check Current Document
    • LTeX: Check All Documents in Workspace
    • LTeX: Clear Diagnostics in Current Document
    • LTeX: Clear All Diagnostics
    • LTeX: Show Status Information
    • LTeX: Reset and Restart
    • LTeX: Report Bug in LTeX
    • LTeX: Request Feature for LTeX
  • Changelog
  • Contributing
    • Ways of Contribution
    • How to Report Bugs
      • Known Issues and Limitations
    • How to Request Features
    • How to Set Up the Project
    • How to Contribute Code
    • How to Test Pre-Releases
    • How to Edit the Documentation
    • How to Translate the User Interface
• ltex-ls-plus (LT_EX+ LS)
  • Installation
    • Download Providers
    • Requirements
    • Installation
  • Server Usage
    • Startup
      • Command-Line Arguments
      • Exit Codes
    • Checking Documents with the LSP
    • Settings
    • Quick Fixes
    • Commands
      • _ltex.addToDictionary (Client)
      • _ltex.disableRules (Client)
      • _ltex.hideFalsePositives (Client)
      • _ltex.checkDocument (Server)
      • _ltex.getServerStatus (Server)
    • Custom LSP Extensions
      • Custom Initialization Options
      • Custom Requests and Notifications
        • ltex/workspaceSpecificConfiguration (⮎)
  • CLI Usage
    • Startup
      • Command-Line Arguments
      • Exit Codes
  • Changelog
  • Contributing
    • Ways of Contribution
    • How to Report Bugs
      • Known Issues and Limitations
    • How to Request Features
    • How to Set Up the Project
    • How to Contribute Code
    • How to Test Pre-Releases
    • How to Edit the Documentation
    • How to Translate the User Interface