docs(diagnostic): add blurb on how to replace builtin handlers

1 files changed, 46 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/runtime/doc/diagnostic.txt b/runtime/doc/diagnostic.txt
index 586ce02b2e..276571d042 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/diagnostic.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/diagnostic.txt
@@ -201,7 +201,52 @@ DiagnosticsChanged	After diagnostics have changed.
 Example: >
 	autocmd User DiagnosticsChanged lua vim.diagnostic.setqflist({open = false })
 <
-
+==============================================================================
+CUSTOMIZATION						*diagnostic-config*
+
+If you need more customization over the way diagnostics are displayed than the
+built-in configuration options provide, you can override the display handler
+explicitly. For example, use the following to only show a sign for the highest
+severity diagnostic on a given line: >
+
+	-- Disable the default signs handler
+	vim.diagnostic.config({signs = false})
+
+	-- Create a namespace. This won't be used to add any diagnostics,
+	-- only to display them.
+	local ns = vim.api.nvim_create_namespace("my_namespace")
+
+	-- Create a reference to the original function
+	local orig_show = vim.diagnostic.show
+
+	local function set_signs(bufnr)
+	  -- Get all diagnostics from the current buffer
+	  local diagnostics = vim.diagnostic.get(bufnr)
+
+	  -- Find the "worst" diagnostic per line
+	  local max_severity_per_line = {}
+	  for _, d in pairs(diagnostics) do
+	    local m = max_severity_per_line[d.lnum]
+	    if not m or d.severity < m.severity then
+	      max_severity_per_line[d.lnum] = d
+	    end
+	  end
+
+	  -- Show the filtered diagnostics using the custom namespace. Use the
+	  -- reference to the original function to avoid a loop.
+	  local filtered_diagnostics = vim.tbl_values(max_severity_per_line)
+	  orig_show(ns, bufnr, filtered_diagnostics, {
+	    virtual_text=false,
+	    underline=false,
+	    signs=true
+	  })
+	end
+
+	function vim.diagnostic.show(namespace, bufnr, ...)
+	  orig_show(namespace, bufnr, ...)
+	  set_signs(bufnr)
+	end
+<
 ==============================================================================
 Lua module: vim.diagnostic                                    *diagnostic-api*