Changelog: Announce ocaml-eglot

data/changelog/posts/ocaml-lsp/2025-08-26-ocaml-eglot-brings-lsp-support-to-emacs.md

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+---
+title: "Emacs Integration for OCaml LSP Server: Introducing ocaml-eglot"
+tags: [ocaml-lsp, platform]
+---
+
+# Emacs Integration for OCaml LSP Server: Introducing ocaml-eglot
+
+## TL;DR
+
+`ocaml-eglot` provides full OCaml language support in Emacs through the Language Server Protocol (LSP) instead of direct Merlin integration. It offers the same features as `merlin.el` with simplified setup and enhanced capabilities like project-wide search. If you're starting fresh or want a more standardized approach, try `ocaml-eglot`, which is actively maintained. If your current `merlin.el` setup works well, you can continue using it.
+
+**Quick start**: [Install `ocaml-lsp-server`, add `ocaml-eglot` to your Emacs config](https://github.com/tarides/ocaml-eglot?tab=readme-ov-file#installation), and get the same OCaml development experience with less configuration.
+
+## What is ocaml-eglot?
+
+`ocaml-eglot` connects Emacs to `ocaml-lsp-server` using the Language Server Protocol, providing a standardized way to get OCaml language support.
+
+Since the recent versions of Emacs (29), `eglot`, an LSP client, has been shipped with Emacs. However, `merlin.el` provides more features than LSP (which is designed to be generic), so relying solely on the features of LSP and `eglot` would limit functionality. Thus, we extended the LSP server to support more features, and `ocaml-eglot` allows you to benefit from these features in Emacs.
+
+`ocaml-eglot` is a minor mode. It therefore works in conjunction with a major mode to edit Caml code. Examples of major modes include `tuareg`, `caml-mode` and the recent `neocaml`.
+
+## Who Should Use ocaml-eglot?
+
+**Use ocaml-eglot if you:**
+- Are starting fresh with OCaml
+- If you use or want to use Emacs
+- Want simplified configuration with automatic setup
+- Use multiple editors and want consistent OCaml support
+- Want access to project-wide search and rename features
+- Want to rely on an actively maintained project that evolves over time
+
+**Stick with `merlin.el` if:**
+- Your current setup is working perfectly and heavily customized
+- You prefer direct Merlin communication
+
+For the moment, we don't plan to provide any special support for `merlin.el` -- unless we receive a lot of requests.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+Follow the [installation instructions in the ocaml-eglot README](https://github.com/tarides/ocaml-eglot?tab=readme-ov-file#installation).
+
+When migrating from `merlin.el` to `ocaml-eglot`, your existing keybindings should work immediately!
+
+## Features
+
+**Error Navigation:** Quick jump to next/previous errors
+
+**Type Information:** Display types under cursor with adjustable verbosity, navigate enclosing expressions
+
+**Code Generation:** Pattern matching construction, case completion, wildcard refinement via "destruct" feature
+
+**Navigation:** Jump between language constructs (let, module, function, match), navigate phrases and pattern cases
+
+**Search:** Find definitions, declarations, and references
+
+For a detailed list of features, see [the ocaml-eglot README](https://github.com/tarides/ocaml-eglot?tab=readme-ov-file#features).
+
+## Next Steps
+
+1. Try the basic setup with an existing OCaml project
+2. Explore all the features of `ocaml-eglot`
+3. Provide feedback at [ocaml-eglot's GitHub Issues](https://github.com/tarides/ocaml-eglot/issues)
+
+## Documentation
+
+- [ocaml-eglot README](https://github.com/tarides/ocaml-eglot)
+- [OCaml.org editor setup tutorial](https://ocaml.org/docs/set-up-editor#emacs)
+
+## Related Releases
+
+On January 17, 2025, [ocaml-eglot version 1.0.0 was released](https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ann-release-of-ocaml-eglot-1-0-0/15978/14), providing a new minor emacs mode to enable the editor features provided by **ocaml-lsp-server**. Subsequent releases [1.1.0](https://github.com/tarides/ocaml-eglot/releases/tag/1.1.0) and [1.2.0](https://discuss.ocaml.org/t/ann-release-of-ocaml-eglot-1-2-0/16515) enable support for `flycheck` as a configurable alternative to `flymake` (`1.0.0` release), Emacs `30.1` support, better user experience and error handling, as well as support for new features.