I can't stand using VSCode so I wrote my own

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Performance and Electron vs. Native Editors

  • Many argue it’s easy for native code (like this editor) to vastly outperform Electron-based apps such as VSCode.
  • Others respond that algorithmic efficiency matters more than language alone.
  • Some users find VSCode “fast enough,” especially compared to heavy IDEs, while others report it getting slower over the years, especially with extensions.
  • Background tools (e.g., searches, linters, antivirus) are cited as important contributors to latency, regardless of GUI framework.

Handling Large Files

  • Several comments highlight that huge files (GB-scale JSON/XML) break many editors.
  • Sublime Text, Notepad++, UltraEdit, and VSCode (with some features disabled) are mentioned as able to cope, but often with caveats like turning off syntax highlighting.
  • Users contrast VSCode’s tendency to crash or stall with native editors that eventually complete operations.

Alternatives and Workflows

  • Many suggest Vim/Neovim/Emacs as fast, extensible options, especially now with LSP, Tree‑sitter, and DAP integrations.
  • Counterpoints: Vim/Emacs require significant configuration and have steep learning curves; some find Vim’s modality “inaccessible” or antiquated.
  • Sublime Text, Zed, Lapce, JetBrains IDEs, Theia, and Emacs distributions (e.g., Doom/Spacemacs) come up as alternatives with varying maturity and trade‑offs.

Debugging and Language Support

  • A key motivator for the new editor is good, integrated debugging (especially for C#), which some users feel is lacking or clunky in Vim/Neovim setups.
  • Others note that DAP-based debugging exists for Vim/Neovim/Emacs but report instability or complexity compared to VSCode’s out-of-the-box experience.

Cross-Platform and Implementation

  • The editor uses C++ and SDL; the author reports minimal OS-specific code and good performance across platforms.
  • Discussion notes that cross-platform UIs existed long before Electron via toolkits like Qt/GTK/Java.

Licensing, Trust, and Accessibility

  • The “for personal use only” license is seen as a blocker for corporate use and even some open-source work; “personal use” is viewed as legally vague.
  • Some are wary of running closed-source binaries from an unknown project.
  • VSCode is praised for strong accessibility (including screen reader support); many consider this essential, while others dismiss it as irrelevant to their own needs, prompting pushback emphasizing prevalence of disability and long-term ergonomics.