Release of Eclipse Theia 1.0, an alternative to the Visual Studio Code editor

Eclipse Foundation опубликовала first stable release of the code editor Eclipse Theia 1.0created with the goal of providing a truly open source alternative to the Visual Studio Code project. The editor is initially developed with full use in mind, both as a desktop application and to run in the cloud with access through a web browser. The code is written in TypeScript and spread under the free license EPLv2. The project is being developed with the participation of IBM, Red Hat, Google, ARM, Ericsson, SAP and Arduino.

Main Features:

• Using one common codebase to build desktop and web versions.
• Support for development in JavaScript, Java, Python, and other languages ​​that have protocol-based server-side handlers Lsp (Language Server Protocol), which take over the operations associated with parsing the semantics of the language. The use of LSP allows you to use more than 60 existing handlers prepared for code editors Visual Studio Code, Nuclide и Atom, which also uses LSP.
• Theia is developed by the Eclipse Foundation, which provides a neutral forum independent of the decisions of individual companies and acting in the interests of the community.
• The project is designed to be as modular as possible, allowing you to expand or change any functionality through additions.
• It is possible to create IDE-like products based on Theia by including the necessary add-ons by listing them in the package.json file.
• Support for the VS Code Extension protocol, which allows you to connect extensions developed for Visual Studio Code.
• An integrated full-fledged terminal emulator that automatically renews the connection in the event of a page reload in the browser, without losing the full history of work.
• Flexible layout of interface elements. Screen shell based framework PhosphorJS, allowing arbitrary movement of blocks (you can hide panels, resize blocks and swap them).

The editor is built on the architecture frontend/backend, implying the launch of two processes, one of which is responsible for drawing the interface, and the second for the internal logic. Processes communicate using HTTP using JSON-RPC over WebSockets or REST APIs. The backend uses the Node.js platform and, when working over the Web, runs on an external server, while the frontend with the interface is loaded in the browser. In the case of a desktop application, both processes run locally, while for
creating a self-contained application uses the Electron platform.

Of the key differences from Visual Studio Code is called: a more modular architecture that provides more options for modification; initial focus on launching not only on the local system, but also in the cloud; development on a neutral site.
It is worth noting that the fully open version of the Visual Studio Code editor also develops the project VS Codium, which includes only free components, is freed from the Microsoft brand and is cleaned from the code for collecting telemetry.

Recall that the Visual Studio Code editor is built using the developments of the project Atom and platforms Electron, based on the Chromium and Node.js codebase. The editor provides a built-in debugger, tools for working with Git, refactoring tools, code navigation, type completion, and context help. Visual Studio Code is being developed by Microsoft as an open source project. available under the MIT license, but the officially provided binary builds are not identical to the source code, as they include components for tracking actions in the editor and sending telemetry. The collection of telemetry is explained by the optimization of the interface, taking into account the real behavior of developers. In addition, binary assemblies are distributed under a separate non-free license.

Source: opennet.ru