#989629 ITP: elementary-code -- Essential code editor with tab support

Package:
wnpp
Source:
wnpp
Submitter:
Francisco M Neto
Date:
2025-11-29 16:48:51 UTC
Severity:
wishlist
#989629#5
Date:
2021-06-09 03:47:25 UTC
From:
To:
* Package name    : elementary-code
  Version         : 3.4.1
  Upstream Author : elementary, Inc <builds@elementary.io>
* URL             : https://elementary.io
* License         : GPL-3+, LGPL-3
  Programming Lang: Vala
  Description     : Essential code editor with tab support

Elementary Code earlier called Scratch, is an IDE
designed with simplicity in mind. It offers essential functionalities
such as git support, multi-panel and miniview support and extensions
for integration with the Terminal and web visualization.

It is written from scratch, with support for plugins. Its purpose is
to be lightweight and extensible, with plenty of customization
options. It support syntax highlighting for a wide range of
programming languages.

It is a minimalist, extensible GTK-based IDE that is not dependent
on GNOME. It follows the Elementary Human Interface Guidelines.

As with other elementary OS-related packages, I'll need a sponsor
(at least for the time being).

#989629#10
Date:
2021-06-09 12:19:00 UTC
From:
To:
Hi Francisco!

Cool :-)  By the way, how is Elementary Code, an IDE?  Upstream calls
it a "[code-specific] text-editor" here (
https://medium.com/elementaryos/scratch-is-now-code-2838e03134c7 ),
and it sounds like Code is intended to be like Atom, "a hackable text
editor" ( https://atom.io ), rather than something like GNOME Builder
or XCode ( https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/7oi8nf/scratch_text_editor_is_now_elementary_code/dsafxmb/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
).

If you'd like to use "IDE" in the long description to make it
discoverable with keyword or regex searches, maybe something could be
written about how Code is more than a text editor, but that it's for
people who don't want a full-featured IDE?  Does it support templates,
macros, code folding, any kind of linting or language server-based IDE
features (LSP), tab completion of variable, function, or class names,
etc?  More simply, does it have an LSP plugin like
https://github.com/atom-community/atom-languageclient or is one
planned?  Ideally it'd be nice if upstream could make a statement
about their vision and objectives for Code on its homepage
https://github.com/elementary/code

Because you use the keyword "minimalist", I wonder if the authors of
this software (and perhaps yourself) believe that full-featured IDEs
are not the best way to work ;-)  Not being an IDE can be a desirable
feature, after all!

Regards,
Nicholas

#989629#15
Date:
2021-06-09 12:19:00 UTC
From:
To:
Hi Francisco!

Cool :-)  By the way, how is Elementary Code, an IDE?  Upstream calls
it a "[code-specific] text-editor" here (
https://medium.com/elementaryos/scratch-is-now-code-2838e03134c7 ),
and it sounds like Code is intended to be like Atom, "a hackable text
editor" ( https://atom.io ), rather than something like GNOME Builder
or XCode ( https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/7oi8nf/scratch_text_editor_is_now_elementary_code/dsafxmb/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
).

If you'd like to use "IDE" in the long description to make it
discoverable with keyword or regex searches, maybe something could be
written about how Code is more than a text editor, but that it's for
people who don't want a full-featured IDE?  Does it support templates,
macros, code folding, any kind of linting or language server-based IDE
features (LSP), tab completion of variable, function, or class names,
etc?  More simply, does it have an LSP plugin like
https://github.com/atom-community/atom-languageclient or is one
planned?  Ideally it'd be nice if upstream could make a statement
about their vision and objectives for Code on its homepage
https://github.com/elementary/code

Because you use the keyword "minimalist", I wonder if the authors of
this software (and perhaps yourself) believe that full-featured IDEs
are not the best way to work ;-)  Not being an IDE can be a desirable
feature, after all!

Regards,
Nicholas

#989629#20
Date:
2021-06-09 14:40:47 UTC
From:
To:
Hello!

	Thanks for your comment!

	If I had to compare it I'd say it's more like Atom, yes. I have never
heard of XCode, so I can't really say anything about it, but GNOME
Builder is pretty much targeted at people developing for GNOME. Not that
it's not useful elsewhere, but it really focuses on it, having
"official" support only for the languages they use the most with GNOME
(like C/C++, Python or Rust). And it behaves a lot more like an IDE with
a lot of extra features.

	That's a good point. In fact, in their original description for it,
they mention that it _can_ become a full featured IDE if the user wants
it to. But it's designed with minimalism in mind, and has basic
features. It doesn't have all the features GNOME Builder has but, in
their words, one can "install extensions to turn Code into a full-blown
IDE".

	I don't know about the authors; as far as I'm concerned, I've coded
with emacs for 20+ years so I'm still trying to decide which way to go.
I guess it depends on project/language. But I do like Code's
minimalistic approach.

#989629#25
Date:
2021-06-09 14:40:47 UTC
From:
To:
Hello!

	Thanks for your comment!

	If I had to compare it I'd say it's more like Atom, yes. I have never
heard of XCode, so I can't really say anything about it, but GNOME
Builder is pretty much targeted at people developing for GNOME. Not that
it's not useful elsewhere, but it really focuses on it, having
"official" support only for the languages they use the most with GNOME
(like C/C++, Python or Rust). And it behaves a lot more like an IDE with
a lot of extra features.

	That's a good point. In fact, in their original description for it,
they mention that it _can_ become a full featured IDE if the user wants
it to. But it's designed with minimalism in mind, and has basic
features. It doesn't have all the features GNOME Builder has but, in
their words, one can "install extensions to turn Code into a full-blown
IDE".

	I don't know about the authors; as far as I'm concerned, I've coded
with emacs for 20+ years so I'm still trying to decide which way to go.
I guess it depends on project/language. But I do like Code's
minimalistic approach.