lsp/protocol/typescript: add instructions for typescript compiling

Add more detailed instructions for installing and running node
and the typescript compiler on Linux and MacOS.

Change-Id: Id549760dd186d88cfa9b137e6f46dfd4d60d6322
Reviewed-on: https://go-review.googlesource.com/c/tools/+/206887
Run-TryBot: Peter Weinberger <[email protected]>
Reviewed-by: Ian Cottrell <[email protected]>

Author: pjweinbgo

internal/lsp/protocol/typescript/README.md

@@ -2,12 +2,9 @@
 
 ## Setup
 
-1. Make sure `node` is installed.
-  As explained at the [node site](<https://nodejs.org>)
-  you may need `npm install @types/node` for the node runtime types
-2. Install the typescript compiler, with `npm install typescript`
-3. Make sure `tsc` and `node` are in your execution path.
-4. Get the typescript code for the jsonrpc protocol with `git clone [email protected]:microsoft/vscode-languageserver-node.git`
+1. Make sure `node` and `tsc` are installed. There are detailed instructions below.
+2. Get the typescript code for the jsonrpc protocol with `git clone [email protected]:microsoft vscode-languageserver-node.git`
+    1. If you want to reproduce the existing files you need to be on a branch with the same git hash, for instance, `git checkout 635ab1f`
 
 ## Usage
 
@@ -32,9 +29,30 @@ To generate the client and server boilerplate (tsclient.go and tsserver.go)
 ## Notes
 
 1. `go.ts` and `requests.ts` use the Typescript compiler's API, which is [introduced](https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/Architectural-Overview) in their wiki.
-2. Because the Typescript and Go type systems are incompatible, `go.ts ` and `request.ts` are filled with heuristics and special cases. Therefore they are tied to a specific commit of `vscode-languageserver-node`. The hash code of the commit is included in the header of `tsprotocol.go` and stored in the variable `gitHash` in `go.ts`. It is checked (see `git()` in `go.ts`) on every execution of `go.ts`.
+2. Because the Typescript and Go type systems are incompatible, `go.ts` and `request.ts` are filled with heuristics and special cases. Therefore they are tied to a specific commit of `vscode-languageserver-node`. The hash code of the commit is included in the header of `tsprotocol.go` and stored in the variable `gitHash` in `go.ts`. It is checked (see `git()` in `go.ts`) on every execution of `go.ts`.
 3. Generating the `ts*.go` files is only semi-automated. Please file an issue if the released version is too far behind.
 4. For the impatient, first change `gitHash` by hand (`git()` shows how to find the hash).
     1. Then try to run `go.ts` and  `requests.ts`. This will likely fail because the heuristics don't cover some new case. For instance, some simple type like `string` might have changed to a union type `string | [number,number]`. (Look at the `UnionTypeNode` code near line 588 of `go.ts`.) Another example is that some formal parameter generated by `requests.ts` will have anonymous structure type, which is essentially unusable. (See the code related to `ourTypes`.)
     1. Next step is to try to move the generated code to `internal/lsp/protocol` and try to build `gopls` and its tests. This will likely fail because types have changed. Generally the fixes are fairly easy. (The code for `ourTypes` was a case where changes had to be made to `requests.ts`.)
-    1. Since there are not adequate integration tests, the next step is to run `gopls`. A common failure will be a nil dereference, because some previously simple default is now in an optional structure.
+    1. Since there are not adequate integration tests, the next step is to run `gopls`. A common failure will be a nil dereference, because some previously simple default is now in an optional structure.
+
+## Detailed instructions for installing node and typescript
+
+(The instructions are somewhat different for  Linux and MacOS. They install some things locally, so `$PATH` needs to be changed.)
+
+1. For Linux, it is possible to build node from scratch, but if there's a package manager, that's simpler.
+    1. To use the Ubuntu package manager
+        1. `sudo apt update` (if you can't `sudo` these instructions are not helpful)
+        2. `sudo apt install nodejs` (this may install `/usr/bin/nodejs` rather than `/usr/bin/node`. For me, `/usr/bin/nodejs` pointed to an actual executable `/etc/alternatives/nodejs`, which should be copied to `/usr/bin/node`)
+        3. `sudo apt intall npm`
+    1. To build from scratch
+        1. Go to the [node site](https://nodejs.org), and download the one recommended for most users, and then you're on your own. (It's got binaries in it. Untar the file somewhere and put its `bin` directory in your path, perhaps?)
+2. The Mac is easier. Download the macOS installer from [nodejs](https://nodejs.org), click on it, and let it install.
+3. (There's a good chance that soon you will be asked to upgrade your new npm. `sudo npm install -g npm` is the command.)
+4. For either system, node and nvm should now be available. Running `node -v` and `npm -v` should produce version numbers.
+5. `npm install typescript`
+    1. This will likely give warning messages that indicate you've failed to set up a project. Ignore them.
+    2. Your home directory will now have new directories `.npm` and `node_modules` (and a `package_lock.json` file)
+    3. The typescript executable `tsc` will be in `node_modules/.bin`, so put that directory in your path.
+    4. `tsc -v` should print "Version 3.7.2" (or later). If not you may (as I did) have an obsolete tsc earlier in your path.
+6. `npm install @types/node` (Without this there will be many incomprehensible typescript error messages.)