Bespin – Browser based IDE by Mozilla Labs

Bespin is the latest thing out of Mozilla Labs. It’s a browser-based IDE written in Javascript using HTML 5.

There’s a video of two guys basically showing you how far along the development process they — aren’t. Highlighting some of the functionalities… whatever.

bespin

What’s cool

  • It runs on Firefox so hopefully once it’s been developed more (because Firefox does have some very talented developers.) it will increase the speed and options available to a programmer.
  • It could eventually be the solution for a universal IDE that supports any architecture as well command line integration and possibly collaboration across programmers. Bridging that communication gap between code and conversation.
  • You get to write your own methods for the command line.
  • It’s a new project so you could help make it what it should be.

They figured out how to do text highlighting purely in javascript and it’s architecture is such, that it’s increasingly easy to run commands that you’ve created in the console. Perhaps a custom commit, switching environments, who knows. It’s still pretty cool

What’s not cool

  • It’s slow. No matter what they say, it won’t ever replace a solid desktop development environment.
  • It runs on Firefox.
  • As of today, it’s just not practical for real-time development.
  • It doesn’t have FTP/SCP.
  • Code highlighting is seriously lacking.

I program primarily in PHP and there’s no PHP code highlighting. I guess I could extend GeSHi but my IDE already has code highlighting. Why would I want to use another one that’s worse than the one I currently use? I know where they’re going with Bespin but I think they released it a little too early. No FTP? I do plan on trying it out once a lot of these features get developed though.

Looking forward to it.

Check out Bespin, see what you think for yourself.

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3 Responses to “Bespin – Browser based IDE by Mozilla Labs”

  1. Wes  on February 19th, 2009

    I tried this a few days ago, its junk. If I’m going to use a web based editor it should at least have syntax highlighting for a PHP.

  2. this.mat  on February 24th, 2009

    Reading the discussion boards, the syntax highlighting in right now is temporary and a more solid revision of it is coming eventually. Gotta remember the thing is still in what? Alpha/Pre-Beta?

    I would see this as a viable solutions for on-the-go fixes/updates as long as they get FTP/SFTP support in…but it would be even better if they got SVN/Git in as well.

  3. bryan  on February 26th, 2009

    Yeah, I think it’s just too soon to tell.


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