Development Setup

Prerequisites

Tool	Minimum version	Purpose
Rust	1.80	Compiler and cargo
Zig	0.15.2	Zig FFI layer (md4c parser and SIMD acceleration)
Bun	latest	Docs site tooling
cargo-nextest	latest	Test runner
lefthook	latest	Pre-commit hooks

Install cargo-nextest and lefthook if you don’t have them:

cargo install cargo-nextest --locked
brew install lefthook   # macOS; see lefthook.run for others
lefthook install

Clone and build

git clone https://github.com/sethyanow/markymark.git
cd markymark
cargo build

For a release-optimized build (slower compile, faster binary):

cargo build --release

The Zig FFI layer compiles automatically via build.rs. Zig 0.15.2+ is required for all builds — the library is statically linked into the binary. The build will fail if Zig is not installed or is below the minimum version.

Run tests

cargo nextest run                      # all tests
cargo nextest run -p markymark-core    # single crate
cargo nextest run -p markymark-index   # integration tests live here

The project uses cargo-nextest instead of cargo test for parallel execution and better output. Integration tests live in each crate’s tests/ directory alongside unit tests in source files (#[cfg(test)] modules).

Zig tests run separately:

cd zig && zig build test

Lint

cargo fmt --all -- --check    # formatting
cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings   # lints
cargo audit                   # dependency vulnerabilities

All three must pass before committing. The pre-commit hooks run these automatically.

Run locally

Start the LSP server (editors connect over stdin/stdout):

cargo run -- --lsp

Start the MCP server (AI agents connect over stdin/stdout):

cargo run -- --mcp /path/to/your/workspace

Pre-commit hooks

The project uses lefthook to run checks before each commit. After cloning, install the hooks:

lefthook install

The hook sequence runs in order:

1. cargo fmt — formatting check
2. cargo clippy — lint with -D warnings
3. cargo-audit — dependency vulnerability scan
4. gitleaks — secret detection on staged files
5. zig build — Zig FFI layer compilation check

If a hook fails, the commit is blocked. Fix the issue and try again.

Build the docs site

cd docs-site
bun install
bun run dev     # local preview at localhost:4321
bun run build   # production build