What is this?
Eclipse Theia is an extensible open-source framework for building full-fledged, multi-language cloud and desktop IDEs and tools with modern web technologies. This repository contains the sources of the Theia Platform itself.
Eclipse Theia is an extensible open-source framework for building full-fledged, multi-language cloud and desktop IDEs and tools with modern web technologies. This repository contains the sources of the Theia Platform itself.Is this an editor I can just install and code in, or something developers build on?It is a framework rather than a finished editor: you compose your own IDE or tool on top of the platform. The ready-to-use Theia IDE is built from artifacts in sibling repositories of the same project.
It is a framework rather than a finished editor: you compose your own IDE or tool on top of the platform. The ready-to-use Theia IDE is built from artifacts in sibling repositories of the same project.How do I get started building my own IDE with it?The README links getting-started guides on the Theia website for common scenarios: developing a Theia application, writing VS Code-like or Theia extensions, and packaging a desktop app with Electron. The repo's examples folder has browser and Electron sample apps you build with npm.
The README links getting-started guides on the Theia website for common scenarios: developing a Theia application, writing VS Code-like or Theia extensions, and packaging a desktop app with Electron. The repo's examples folder has browser and Electron sample apps you build with npm.What do I need installed before it will build?Node.js 24 or later (the repo's engines field requires node >=24), plus npm — the codebase is a Lerna monorepo assembled with npm scripts. No Python, Go, Rust, or Java toolchain is involved.
Node.js 24 or later (the repo's engines field requires node >=24), plus npm — the codebase is a Lerna monorepo assembled with npm scripts. No Python, Go, Rust, or Java toolchain is involved.Do the IDEs you build with it run in the browser, on the desktop, or both?Both: building browser-based and desktop IDEs is in the project's stated scope. The repository ships example applications for each — one running in the browser and one packaged with Electron.
Both: building browser-based and desktop IDEs is in the project's stated scope. The repository ships example applications for each — one running in the browser and one packaged with Electron.How do I extend or customize an IDE built on Theia?Theia provides two extension paths covered by its guides: VS Code-like extensions and native Theia extensions. The architecture is explicitly designed to stay highly flexible for adopters building their own tools on top of it.
Theia provides two extension paths covered by its guides: VS Code-like extensions and native Theia extensions. The architecture is explicitly designed to stay highly flexible for adopters building their own tools on top of it.How actively is it maintained, and how do releases work?Very actively: it publishes regular GitHub releases with changelogs, maintains a public roadmap, and holds a weekly developer call. Every release also ships an SBOM published to the Eclipse Foundation SBOM registry for supply-chain transparency.
Very actively: it publishes regular GitHub releases with changelogs, maintains a public roadmap, and holds a weekly developer call. Every release also ships an SBOM published to the Eclipse Foundation SBOM registry for supply-chain transparency.What are similar projects?graphiql, gitpod, jupyterlab, rust-analyzer, vscodium, slate, DSH-better-sidebar, vscode-extension-samples
graphiql, gitpod, jupyterlab, rust-analyzer, vscodium, slate, DSH-better-sidebar, vscode-extension-samples