JetBrains Fleet, New Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Will it Replace Visual Studio Code and IntelliJ IDEA?
A month ago, JetBrains officially announced their new Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which they named “Fleet”. If we look at the functionality of Fleet, we can say that this IDE is a competitor to Visual Studio Code and even JetBrains' IDE, namely IntelliJ IDEA.
What is JetBrains Fleet?
JetBrains is a Czech software development company that specializes in developing IDE applications. Some of the IDE applications that have been created by JetBrains include AppCode, CLion, DataSpell, GoLand, WebStorm, IntelliJ IDEA, and many other IDE applications. JetBrains is also the company that created the Kotlin programming language.
In 2022, JetBrains launches its newest IDE called Fleet. JetBrains Fleet is a polyglot editor and IDE application. Fleet is built using the IntelliJ platform on the backend and new UI and distributed architecture.
JetBrains Fleet Features
JetBrains Fleet has features that may only be available in the Fleet IDE for now, including:
- Editor-light (Editor-light)
Fleet uses the IntelliJ code processing engine, which runs separately from the editor itself. This IDE allows us to change the mode from a text editor to IDE according to our wishes, so we can use this IDE quickly when needed. Even according to several sources who have tried, Fleet is considered to be faster than VS Code. - Distributed for flexibility
The Fleet architecture is designed to support a variety of configurations and workflows. We can simply run Fleet on our machine, or move just some processes to another place, like putting code in the cloud. - Maximum collaboration
With Fleet, we can work on code together with other people. Fleet allows more than just sharing an editor. We can share terminal and debugging sessions, do code reviews, explore code, and many other things live. - Smart Mode
Fleet inherits some of the most beloved features of IntelliJ-based IDEs such as navigation to definition and usage, live code quality checks, and quick fixes. - Support multiple languages
Fleet provides a polyglot experience, offering intelligent support for multiple languages and technologies, with support for more planning through custom plugins. With the help of LSP, we can also use other language services on Fleet.
Disadvantages of JetBrains Fleet
Of course, not all the features that JetBrains brings to its newest IDE can be enjoyed by everyone, there are some drawbacks, including:
- Simple UI initial view
JetBrains is considered to have made the UI from scratch, different from their other products. But the interface looks very simple and does not look unique. Maybe for some people, it will look quite boring. According to some, the initial appearance of Fleet is quite similar to Notepad++. - IDE speed is still the same
When changing from text editor mode to IDE mode, it will take about 3 seconds, about the same as any other JetBrains IDE. After being in IDE mode, we still feel the speed is quite heavy like other IDEs. - Still very new
Since Fleet was only launched around October 2022, and is still in the closed preview stage, of course, there will probably still be many bugs and features that have not been optimized.
That's the introduction of the Fleet app, the newest IDE product from JetBrains. Because it still tends to be new, of course, there will be advantages and disadvantages to this IDE. What do you think, is JetBrains Fleet worthy of replacing Visual Studio Code and IntelliJ IDEA? Visit the Radya Digital blog for more information about technology and tips on IT.