Posted by the IDX crew
Six months in the past, we launched Challenge IDX, an experimental, cloud-based workspace for full-stack, multiplatform software program growth. We constructed Challenge IDX to simplify and streamline the developer workflow, aiming to scale back the ocean of complexities historically related to app growth. It actually looks like we have piqued your curiosity, and we love seeing what IDX has helped you construct.
For instance, we lately discovered about Tanaki, an AI-enhanced content material creation app constructed utilizing Challenge IDX:
 |
Pasquale D’Silva one of many builders that constructed Tanaki, stated:
“Utilizing the IDX shared workspace to construct Tanaki has been so enjoyable. It permits our distant crew of imagineers to construct collectively in a single place. It’s a magic collaboration portal!”
Builders at Google have additionally been utilizing IDX internally to assist pace up growth throughout numerous initiatives. One instance is the the Firebase Weblog, the place the total authoring, growth, and deployment of the Astro-powered undertaking is dealt with utilizing IDX:
 |
One other fascinating undertaking leveraging IDX’s extensibility mannequin is Malloy, a brand new open-source knowledge language accessible as a VS Code extension that operates towards databases like BigQuery:
 |
Lloyd Tabb, a Distinguished Software program Engineer at Google, instructed us:
“I take advantage of IDX with the Malloy undertaking. I usually have a number of completely different knowledge initiatives going concurrently and IDX lets me shortly spin up an occasion to resolve an issue and it’s trivial to configure.”
If you wish to share what IDX has helped you construct, use the #ProjectIDX tag on X.
What’s new in IDX?
Along with seeing the way you’re utilizing IDX, a key a part of constructing Challenge IDX is your suggestions, so we’ve continued to roll out options so that you can take a look at. We’re excited to share the most recent updates we have applied to expedite and streamline multiplatform app growth, so you may ship with pace, ease and high quality.
Preview your app straight in IDX with our iOS simulator and Android emulator
We’re bringing the iOS Simulator and Android Emulator to the browser. Whether or not you’re constructing a Flutter or net app, Challenge IDX now permits you to preview your purposes with out having to depart your workspace. If you use a Flutter or net template, Challenge IDX intelligently masses the suitable preview surroundings in your software — Safari cell and Chrome for net templates, or Android, iOS, and Chrome for Flutter templates.
 |
IDX’s net and Android emulators mean you can develop, take a look at, and debug straight out of your workspace, consolidating your multi-step, multiplatform course of into one place. With iOS simulation you may spot-check your app’s structure and conduct whilst you work. This function remains to be experimental, so make sure you try it out and ship us suggestions.
Get began quick with a wealthy library of undertaking templates
4 of our prime ten function requests have been to help extra templates, so we’re happy to share that we’ve added new templates for Astro, Go, Python/Flask, Qwik, Lit, Preact, Strong.js, and Node.js. Use these templates to leap proper into your undertaking so you may spend much less time establishing and extra time creating.
 |
| Take a look at our new and improved template gallery |
In fact you may nonetheless import your individual repo from GitHub, straight out of your native information, or you may select your individual setup utilizing a customized Nix surroundings.
Rapidly construct and customise your IDX workspace with enhancements to Nix
 |
IDX makes use of Nix to outline the surroundings configuration for every workspace to present you flexibility and extensibility in IDX – even our templates and previews are configured utilizing Nix to make sure they’re working appropriately inside IDX. We’re constantly engaged on Nix enhancements to assist enhance your productiveness, so now you may:
- Customise IDX starter templates simply by leveraging Nix extensibility.
- Scale back the probability of errors and write code extra effectively with Nix file modifying, together with help for syntax highlighting, error detection, and prompt code completions.
- Get well from damaged configurations shortly and keep away from pointless rebuild makes an attempt with main enhancements to the environment customization workflow, together with seamless surroundings rebuilds and troubleshooting.
Simply construct, take a look at, and deploy apps with extra new IDX options and sources
 |
- Auto-detect community ports wanted for purposes or providers and modify the firewall settings to allow ingress and egress with none extra configuration in your finish.
- Immediately run command-line instruments, scripts, and utilities straight inside workspace with out the necessity to set up them domestically in your machine.
- Simplify the method of working with Docker containers and pictures straight from the event surroundings by enabling Docker in your dev.nix file.
AI launched in 15 new areas
 |
We’ve launched our AI capabilities within the following 15 international locations: India, Australia, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. Extra international locations will probably be enabled with AI entry quickly – point out your curiosity for AI growth on this function monitoring submit and keep tuned for extra AI updates.
Bettering collectively
We’re always engaged on including new capabilities that will help you do greater high quality work, extra effectively, with much less friction. We’ve addressed dozens of your function requests and glued a mess of bugs you flagged for us, so thanks in your continued help and engagement – please maintain the suggestions coming by submitting bugs and function requests.
For walkthroughs and extra info on all of the options talked about above, take a look at our documentation web page. In the event you haven’t already, go to our web site to enroll to attempt Challenge IDX and be part of us on our journey. Additionally, make sure you take a look at our new Challenge IDX Weblog for the most recent product bulletins and updates from the crew.
We will’t wait to see what you create with Challenge IDX!
