Lsp-mode: lsp-rename says: Cannot rename symbol: the symbol is used outside main file

[bradprob]

Describe the bug
In my C++ project I try to rename a variable in a header file using lsp-rename, the variable name is not changed an the message "lsp-request: Cannot rename symbol: the symbol is used outside main file" is shown in the mini buffer.

Expected behavior
I would expecte that the name of the variable is change in the whole project.

Which Language Server did you use
clangd-10

OS
Debian experimental

Error callstack

...
[Trace - 08:37:03 PM] Sending request 'textDocument/rename - (70)'.
Params: {
  "textDocument": {
    "uri": "file:///path/to/project/src/someheader.hpp"
  },
  "position": {
    "line": 13,
    "character": 42
  },
  "newName": "net_connection"
}


[Trace - 08:37:03 PM] Received response 'textDocument/rename - (70)' in 7ms.
Result: null


[Trace - 08:37:03 PM] Sending request 'textDocument/hover - (71)'.
Params: {
  "textDocument": {
    "uri": "file:///path/to/project/src/someheader.hpp"
  },
  "position": {
    "line": 13,
    "character": 42
  }
}

[yyoncho]

@sebastiansturm can you take a look?

@bradprob in general, lsp-mode is only a frontend, based on your description it looks like it is language server limitation(or eventually you have to do more configuration).

[bradprob]

@yyoncho, it would be nice if the documentation contains some parts about the configuration with supporting back-ends like clangd.

[sebastiansturm]

as far as I know, clangd does not (yet) support renaming across different files. I thought they had recently added nonlocal renames to trunk, but apparently this is not the case. If you're using clangd 10 built from source, have a look at clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/RenameTests.cpp. That file lists a number of allowed and disallowed scenarios (all allowed ones being file-local)

[yyoncho]

Closing based on the previous comment.

[ngquerol]

Just a heads up: clangd 10, which was released two days ago, does include a command-line flag (-cross-file-rename) which should allow renames across different files.

Did not have a chance to test it yet though, will do as soon as llvm 10 is available through Homebrew.