If you don't have the semmle-code repo you may need to install Bazel manually, e.g. from https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk.

This approach uses a released codeql version and is simpler to use for QL development. From anywhere under your semmle-code or codeql directory you can run:

bazel run @codeql//rust:install

You can use shorter versions of the above command:

bazel run //rust:install  # if under the `codeql` checkout
bazel run rust:install  # if at the root of the `codeql` checkout
bazel run :install  # if at the `rust` directory of the `codeql` checkout

You now need to create a per-user CodeQL configuration file and specify the option:

--search-path PATH/TO/semmle-code/ql

(wherever the codeql checkout is on your system)

You can now use the Rust extractor e.g. to run Rust tests from the command line or in VSCode.

This approach allows you to build a Rust extractor with a CLI built from source. From your semmle-code directory run:

./build target/intree/codeql-rust

You can now invoke it directly, for example to run some tests:

./target/intree/codeql-rust/codeql test run ql/rust/ql/test/PATH/TO/TEST/

TODO

If you make changes to either

• ast-generator/, or
• schema/*.py

you'll need to regenerate code. You can do so running

bazel run @codeql//rust/codegen

Sometimes, especially if resolving conflicts on generated files, you might need to run

bazel run @codeql//rust/codegen -- --force

for code generation to succeed.

See Updating rust-analyzer.