ek9_toggle_block_comment

Wraps a whole-line range in EK9 block-comment markers (<!- ... -!>) or removes them when the range already carries them, never nesting; answers status and edits[] (two INSERTs or two DELETEs).

Category: Editor · Compare: Comment with Block Comment (IntelliJ)

When to use it

'Comment out lines 42-50 of orders.ek9' is one call with file, startLine:42, endLine:50; re-select INCLUDING the marker lines to uncomment. Use it to TEMPORARILY exclude whole lines from compilation - debug bisection, staged rollout, scratch code.

When not to use it

PERMANENTLY removing a construct - use ek9_safe_delete (commenting-out is wrong unless truly temporary).
Commenting a single line or a partial line — use a // line comment via ek9_edit_file; this tool wraps WHOLE lines only.

Details

Wraps whole lines startLine..endLine in the EK9-distinctive <!- … -!> form (not the HTML  nor the reserved documentation <?- … -?>), each marker on its own line indented to match the first line of the range. Refuses to nest: if any line in the range begins with a marker from any of the three block-comment forms it returns status:error ('Cannot comment: line N contains a block comment marker'); // line comments inside the range are fine. Invalid range (endLine<startLine, startLine<1, or endLine past EOF) returns status:error 'Invalid line range: S-E'.

Arguments

Argument	Type	Required	What it is
`endLine`	integer	yes	Last line of the range to toggle (1-based, inclusive). Must be >= startLine.
`file`	string	yes	Workspace-relative path to the .ek9 source file.
`startLine`	integer	yes	First line of the range to toggle (1-based, inclusive).

It also takes the arguments every tool takes.

Recorded calls

Real calls, recorded against small projects and checked on every build - a changed answer fails it.

Toggle on apply

Request

{
  "endLine" : 8,
  "file" : "Hello.ek9",
  "startLine" : 8
}

Response

{
  "conflicts" : [ ],
  "edits" : [ {
    "after" : "      -!>",
    "endLine" : 9,
    "file" : "Hello.ek9",
    "startLine" : 9,
    "type" : "insert"
  }, {
    "after" : "      <!-",
    "endLine" : 8,
    "file" : "Hello.ek9",
    "startLine" : 8,
    "type" : "insert"
  } ],
  "meta" : {
    "serverMs" : "<timing>"
  },
  "resolvedPath" : "<workspace-root>/Hello.ek9",
  "risk" : {
    "crossesModuleBoundary" : false,
    "estimatedSeverity" : "trivial",
    "fileCount" : 1,
    "lineCount" : 2,
...

Cut short here: 9 more lines. The whole recorded call.

Toggle off round trip