There are lots of excellent cross-platform editors out there. We're macOS users, and we just wanted to build something that catered specifically to that crowd. iPad is close in some respects, but would really need a totally different interaction model.
I honestly wouldn't mind an ipad golang editor that needs a mouse and keyboard. I've been using https://github.com/cdr/code-server from time to time when I wanna travel light and it's a real treat.
At last, I'm very pleased to see a native editor for a modern language like Golang, unlike the unpleasant experience I've had with VSCode and Goland which perform very poorly on my Macbook with other Electron and Java based software running.
I'm also switching back and forth with CodeRunner which runs great but has poor support for Golang debugging. If Chime adds support for a better build, run and debugging experience, it could be my 'goto' editor for Golang. I wonder if Rust could have the same treatment for a dedicated editor, perhaps.
I paid for CodeRunner for the same quality and features and if building, running and debugging features works on Chime, that would be a direct purchase from me. Thanks for your work on Chime!
We're so glad that you're interested in what we're up to!
We do have plans to offer build/run/debug/test, as that's something everyone is after. But, right now, we're very focused on the core editing experience.
Nope.
"Amazon Chime is a communications service that lets you meet, chat, and place business calls inside and outside your organization, all using a single application. "
I’m no a Go developer but was super excited to see someone taking this kind of approach to editors last time it was posted here. Downloaded and tried out the build, great stuff!
That's very kind of you. I'm afraid a bunch of things don't work without a working local Go install, but would still love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch if there's anything else you'd like to share.
Let me first of all thank you for even attempting this. An editor that comes out of the box for golang would be greatly appreciated by a lot of people, myself included.
First thing I notice opening chime is that I don't know what I can do with it. -
Other than opening a folder, getting code suggestions with ctrl+space, and getting additional context hovering with alt, I couldn't find anything I could do. - An FAQ or feature list of what Chime is able and not able to do would go a long way.
Additionally a roadmap on the next plans for it, or even better an option for people who got a license to vote for features would be also nice.
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As of now it seems like a solid start, but without simple things like a keypress to fuzzy match and open a file, show code errors, a way to run tests or code and see the output, it doesn't seem to be usable for day to day work.
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That been said, the current price is low enough that I'll be getting one simply to show support for the project and come back to it every now and then to see how it evolves.
First, thank you for taking the time to take a look and write some feedback. It's very helpful.
You aren't the first person to have difficultly understanding now to get your bearings. We hear you (and others) loud and clear about an FAQ/feature list.
An actual voting system is an interesting idea. But we prioritize feature work 100% base on feedback. I think we'll probably end up favoring requests from license holders, but we're going to attempt to satisfy as many users as we can. Within the constraints of our desire to build out features carefully.
Navigation by name (to open a file for example) is in the works, but was cut from the 1.0. Errors and warning are also being worked on. Running/testing is highly requested, but we're focusing on those for now.
Extremely kind of you to support the work like that. We will try our best make it something you do want to use for day to day coding.
A GitHub repo where people can file bugs, feature requests, and also track progress on features that are being worked on would also go a long way. This way i can subscribe on a feature I’m interested in and see when it’s shipped or ready to be beta tested.
Disappointing this is only for macOS. For the time being I'm stuck with Goland from Jetbrains or VSCode. I applaud the effort though. The ecosystem could use far more options.
- When I started typing a string, Chime added a double quote for me to terminate the string. Fine, but if I use my years of muscle memory to terminate the string myself, it should replace the inserted quote instead of letting me double them up: fmt.Printf("Hello"") this does work correctly if you used autocomplete to generate a " format " hint from fmt.Printf.
- After typing fmt.Pr<escape> it showed me a number of options including fmt.Printf. When I selected that option, it presented me with fmt.Printf( format , a ) which I could fill in, fine. But I had to deliberately move the cursor into the " a " part to replace the " a " with my argument. If I didn't and just moved right after the comma, it would do e.g.: fmt.Printf("%d", 42a) Also, the fmt.Printf would be highlighted green instead of light blue like the others. Furthermore, if I then tried to do fmt.Pr<escape> on the next line, it wouldn't offer anything semantically related, just the local variables like x and y.
Thanks so much for trying. These two issues are both fairly related, and an area of active work.
That string termination thing in particular is killing me as well. Going to be addressed in the next release or so, but thank you for reporting.
The experiences around autocomplete interactions are noted and, with the exception of the very last bit, understood. Very much appreciate you reporting what happened.
- Most needed feature: project-level fuzzy file opener. Hotkeys open a textbox that let me type letters in, which brings up files which match (ideally applying a Must-Recently-Used algo). (See Ctrl+P for VIM) ((Bonus: The fuzzy finder considers non-project imported files as well.))
One thing this entire website is missing is screenshots. I have to literally download the press kit to find them. I shouldn't even have to do that. They should be on the front-page or the downloads page, or both. Sublime Text does this, VS Code does it, Atom does it. It's just good to know what an editor looks like long before anything else.
Oh I see, I didnt click to go to the homepage so I missed it all. Maybe in blog posts like this one it might make sense to include one, even if its just a basic screenshot. You'll be glad you did this for every version release cause you can see back in time over the years as the editor evolves.
Congrats on reaching this milestone, and thank you for working on this! As a user of Go and macOS, I'm glad it's being developed.
I've installed it, and will give it a shot. I may need to wait for a few more features before I can use it (e.g., ability to open many Go files from a project and switch between them), but what's there so far looks nice. Two-finger scrolling with bounce at the ends is very pleasant, better than Sublime Text.
Best of luck post-1.0.0!
Edit: I just realized I can open an entire directory, which gives me a sidebar and solves the problem of being unable to switch between files.
26 comments
[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 70.1 ms ] threadIs Chime only going to be for macOS, or are there plans to also bring it to other platforms like iPad, Windows, etc, too?
There are lots of excellent cross-platform editors out there. We're macOS users, and we just wanted to build something that catered specifically to that crowd. iPad is close in some respects, but would really need a totally different interaction model.
I'm also switching back and forth with CodeRunner which runs great but has poor support for Golang debugging. If Chime adds support for a better build, run and debugging experience, it could be my 'goto' editor for Golang. I wonder if Rust could have the same treatment for a dedicated editor, perhaps.
I paid for CodeRunner for the same quality and features and if building, running and debugging features works on Chime, that would be a direct purchase from me. Thanks for your work on Chime!
We do have plans to offer build/run/debug/test, as that's something everyone is after. But, right now, we're very focused on the core editing experience.
See https://aws.amazon.com/chime/
First thing I notice opening chime is that I don't know what I can do with it. - Other than opening a folder, getting code suggestions with ctrl+space, and getting additional context hovering with alt, I couldn't find anything I could do. - An FAQ or feature list of what Chime is able and not able to do would go a long way.
Additionally a roadmap on the next plans for it, or even better an option for people who got a license to vote for features would be also nice.
---
As of now it seems like a solid start, but without simple things like a keypress to fuzzy match and open a file, show code errors, a way to run tests or code and see the output, it doesn't seem to be usable for day to day work.
---
That been said, the current price is low enough that I'll be getting one simply to show support for the project and come back to it every now and then to see how it evolves.
Good luck :)
You aren't the first person to have difficultly understanding now to get your bearings. We hear you (and others) loud and clear about an FAQ/feature list.
An actual voting system is an interesting idea. But we prioritize feature work 100% base on feedback. I think we'll probably end up favoring requests from license holders, but we're going to attempt to satisfy as many users as we can. Within the constraints of our desire to build out features carefully.
Navigation by name (to open a file for example) is in the works, but was cut from the 1.0. Errors and warning are also being worked on. Running/testing is highly requested, but we're focusing on those for now.
Extremely kind of you to support the work like that. We will try our best make it something you do want to use for day to day coding.
- When I started typing a string, Chime added a double quote for me to terminate the string. Fine, but if I use my years of muscle memory to terminate the string myself, it should replace the inserted quote instead of letting me double them up: fmt.Printf("Hello"") this does work correctly if you used autocomplete to generate a " format " hint from fmt.Printf.
- After typing fmt.Pr<escape> it showed me a number of options including fmt.Printf. When I selected that option, it presented me with fmt.Printf( format , a ) which I could fill in, fine. But I had to deliberately move the cursor into the " a " part to replace the " a " with my argument. If I didn't and just moved right after the comma, it would do e.g.: fmt.Printf("%d", 42a) Also, the fmt.Printf would be highlighted green instead of light blue like the others. Furthermore, if I then tried to do fmt.Pr<escape> on the next line, it wouldn't offer anything semantically related, just the local variables like x and y.
That string termination thing in particular is killing me as well. Going to be addressed in the next release or so, but thank you for reporting.
The experiences around autocomplete interactions are noted and, with the exception of the very last bit, understood. Very much appreciate you reporting what happened.
- Most needed feature: project-level fuzzy file opener. Hotkeys open a textbox that let me type letters in, which brings up files which match (ideally applying a Must-Recently-Used algo). (See Ctrl+P for VIM) ((Bonus: The fuzzy finder considers non-project imported files as well.))
- Debugger integration. (My preference is Delve.)
- Syntax error highlighting.
- Consider using https://github.com/fatih/vim-go/ as a list of nice features to add to your short(long)-list of ideas.
LMK, if I can elaborate on anything. I'll be watching. Thanks for your hard work!
Navigation by typing was planned, but ultimately pulled from our 1.0. It's in the works. As is errors and warnings.
Debugging is a very common request, but its a large feature. We'd like to do it well, and there are other things we have to get to first.
Screenshots tell you a lot about an editor.
I've installed it, and will give it a shot. I may need to wait for a few more features before I can use it (e.g., ability to open many Go files from a project and switch between them), but what's there so far looks nice. Two-finger scrolling with bounce at the ends is very pleasant, better than Sublime Text.
Best of luck post-1.0.0!
Edit: I just realized I can open an entire directory, which gives me a sidebar and solves the problem of being unable to switch between files.