| # Starting the server |
| |
| The analysis server is run by executing the `dart language_server` command, |
| which is implemented in the `dartdev` package. That command invokes the `main` |
| function in `bin/server.dart`. The only thing `main` does is to create an |
| instance of `ServerStarter` and pass the command-line arguments to it. |
| |
| The starter interprets the command-line arguments in order to create and |
| initialize an `AnalysisServer`. |
| |
| Even though the command-line tools don't use it that way, the analysis server is |
| designed to be a long-lived process. |
| |
| The server communicates with a single client (the process that started the |
| server) using one of two wire protocols: a legacy protocol, which is used to |
| support IntelliJ and Android Studio, and LSP (the |
| [Language Server Protocol](https://microsoft.github.io/language-server-protocol) |
| from Microsoft), which is used to support VS Code and several other IDEs and |
| editors. The protocol is selected at start-up via command-line arguments. |
| |
| To learn more about how the server communicates with the client, you can read |
| about either [LSP](lsp.md) or the [legacy protocol](legacy.md). |
| |
| Based on the selected protocol, the starter creates an instance of one of the |
| two concrete subclasses of `AnalysisServer`, either `LspAnalysisServer` or |
| `LegacyAnalysisServer`, and initializes it. |
| |
| To learn how the server implements support for the protocols, read about the |
| [request handlers](handlers.md). |
