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Code Bubbles
Rethinking the User Interface Paradigm of Integrated Development Environments



FAQ

When can I download Code Bubbles and try it out on my code base?
We will be making some initial announcements on Twitter very soon.


Can I open existing projects/use existing plugins?

Yes-- Code Bubbles is actually built on top of Eclipse, using Eclipse as the backend. This means you can run Eclipse essentially in the background and switch back to it if needed to use a specific plugin. In addition, it means any Eclipse project should work in Code Bubbles.

Does this approach mean I can't have access to my files?

No-- You can actually still access your files. At the moment we do allow you to open a file in a large bubble (this collapses each function by default, which you can then selectively expand or tear out), or you can switch back to Eclipse (see above) to edit there.

Do you have keyboard shortcuts?

Yes-- These are not shown in the video for brevity, but for example, you can open the search box, choose a function by typing, and then open it by pressing enter, all without the mouse -- several automatic placement options are available (e.g. place in same group, place in separate group, etc.). Code Bubbles is intended to be usable largely (but not completely) without the mouse.

Do you support auto complete?

Yes-- We use Eclipse as the backend to provide auto complete data to the frontend. In addition to standard operations, you can also type the name of a function that does not exist yet; upon pressing enter the backend will add a function to the appropriate class and then open it as an empty bubble for you to fill in at your leisure.

How can I download it?

Please sign up for the Beta here. We will be doing several small initial releases, and then several larger releases leading up to a public, free download option.

What operating systems does it run on?

Windows, Linux and Mac.

What other related systems have been done?

In the papers we discuss related work in detail. We will be putting up a related work page online shortly.

Will I need a large monitor?

We recommend one 1920x1200 monitor (e.g. 24") or several lower resolution monitors.