Add beginner mode (#542)

* Add presentation mode

* Change to beginner mode

* updated server version

---------

Co-authored-by: Nicolas Klose <nicolas.klose@inf.ethz.ch>

Author: JonasAlaif

client/package-lock.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"name": "viper",
 	"displayName": "Viper",
-	"version": "5.2.0",
+	"version": "5.3.0",
 	"publisher": "viper-admin",
 	"description": "This extension provides interactive IDE features for verifying programs in Viper (Verification Infrastructure for Permission-based Reasoning).",
 	"license": "SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE.txt",
@@ -320,14 +320,19 @@
 				},
 				"viper.viperServer.customArguments": {
 					"type": "string",
-					"default": "--serverMode LSP --singleClient $backendSpecificCache$ --logLevel $logLevel$ --logFile $logFile$",
+					"default": "--serverMode LSP --singleClient $backendSpecificCache$ $beginnerMode$ --logLevel $logLevel$ --logFile $logFile$",
 					"description": "The command line arguments used for starting the Viper Server."
 				},
 				"viper.viperServer.backendSpecificCache": {
 					"type": "boolean",
 					"default": true,
 					"markdownDescription": "Use a separate cache for both backends, the option `$backendSpecificCache$` turns into `\"--backendSpecificCache\"` or `\"\"`, depending on this setting."
 				},
+				"viper.viperServer.beginnerMode": {
+					"type": "boolean",
+					"default": true,
+					"markdownDescription": "Disable some advanced features that can be confusing for beginners. The option `$beginnerMode$` turns into `\"--beginnerMode\"` or `\"\"`, depending on this setting."
+				},
 				"viper.viperServer.disableCaching": {
 					"type": "boolean",
 					"default": false,

client/package.json

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import { ProjectManager, ProjectRoot } from './ProjectManager';
 
 export class State {
     public static get MIN_SERVER_VERSION(): string {
-        return "3.0.0"; // has to be a valid semver
+        return "3.1.0"; // has to be a valid semver
     }
     public static serverVersion: string;
 

client/src/ExtensionState.ts

@@ -942,8 +942,10 @@ export class Settings {
 
         const configuredArgString = Settings.getConfiguration("viperServer").customArguments;
         const useBackendSpecificCache = Settings.getConfiguration("viperServer").backendSpecificCache === true;
+        const beginnerMode = Settings.getConfiguration("viperServer").beginnerMode === true;
         return configuredArgString
             .replace("$backendSpecificCache$", useBackendSpecificCache ? "--backendSpecificCache" : "")
+            .replace("$beginnerMode$", beginnerMode ? "--beginnerMode" : "")
             .replace("$logLevel$", convertLogLevel(logLevel))
             // note that we use functions as 2nd argument since we do not want that
             // the special replacement patterns kick in

client/src/Settings.ts

@@ -396,6 +396,8 @@ export interface ViperServerSettings {
     customArguments: string;
     //it set to false, cached errors are reused across backends
     backendSpecificCache: boolean;
+    //if set to true, some advanced features are disabled that can be confusing for beginners
+    beginnerMode: boolean;
     //disable the caching mechanism
     disableCaching: boolean;
     //After timeout ms the startup of the viperServer is expected to have failed and thus aborted

client/src/ViperProtocol.ts

@@ -1 +1 @@
-v-2026-01-24-0712
+v-2026-02-17-0930