Zed

Zed is a high-performance, multiplayer code editor developed by Zed Industries, the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter. Zed is a high-performance, collaborative code editor developed by the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter. Written from scratch in Rust, it efficiently leverages multiple CPU cores and the GPU to provide a fast and responsive coding experience. Here's an in-depth look at Zed:

Core Features:

• Speed and Performance:

  • Zed is built in Rust, ensuring it can leverage multiple CPU cores and GPU for a fast, responsive coding experience. It's known for its quick startup times and smooth performance even with large files.

• Multiplayer Collaboration:

  • Real-time collaboration is at the core of Zed. Developers can work together on code, share screens, and communicate via voice chat directly within the editor.

• AI Integration:

  • Zed AI: Powered by Anthropic's Claude, it provides AI-assisted coding features through an assistant panel where developers can interact with language models to generate, transform, or analyze code.

• User Interface and Customization:

  • Customizable UI: Users can tailor their coding environment with themes, extensions, and settings to fit their workflow.

  • Vim Mode: Offers Vim keybindings for users accustomed to modal editing.

• Editing and Navigation:

  • Multibuffers: Allows editing multiple files within one tab by composing excerpts from across the codebase.

  • Breadcrumbs and Symbols: Navigation features like breadcrumbs for file paths and quick access to symbols within files.

• Extension Ecosystem:

  • Zed supports a growing number of community-created extensions, enhancing functionality across different programming languages and tasks.

• Remote Development:

  • Supports working on code hosted on remote servers via SSH, ensuring you can code with Zed's UI even when the codebase isn't local.

Recent Updates and Features:

• Zed v0.162: Introduced indicators in the project panel for files with warnings or errors.

• Zed AI Enhancements: With updates like the introduction of "Fast Edit Mode" for near-instantaneous refactoring using Claude 3.5 Sonnet.

• Voice Chat: Added in version v0.93.3, enabling audio communication within the editor.

Platform Support:

• Currently Available: macOS, Linux.

• Windows: Unofficial support exists, but official support is not yet available; users can build from source.

Community and Feedback:

• GitHub: Zed is open-source, with active development and contributions from the community on GitHub.

• User Feedback: Developers have praised Zed for its speed and collaborative features, although some have noted the need for further polish in areas like plugin support or cross-platform consistency.

Installation and Accessibility:

• Installation: Zed provides scripts for easy installation on supported platforms, with guides for Linux users to handle specific GPU configurations if needed.

• Updates: Automatic updates are available after initial installation.

Citations:

• Information about Zed's features, updates, and user experiences can be found on their official website, through posts on X by Zed Industries, and in various tech forums:

  • Core Features and Performance:

  • AI Integration and Recent Updates:

Zed is carving out a niche for itself among code editors by focusing on speed, collaboration, and integrating AI in a manner that enhances developer productivity. Its ongoing development and open-source nature suggest a commitment to evolving with the needs of modern software development.