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1.9 KiB
+++ slug = "thoughts-on-zed" title = "Zed: Early Thoughts" date = 2024-08-24T15:37:07.509694-04:00 draft = false
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tags = ["software", "review"] +++
I've been using Zed a bit, and as a software developer on the internet, I have thoughts.
I'm using it to write Elixir/Phoenix, HTML/CSS, and some Markdown, and it's trying to take the place of the venerable Emacs (running DOOM).
In no particular order:
- A truly open-source editor! Written in Rust! Finally, a modern editor that isn't a Microsoft embrace/extend/extinguish vector!
- Goddammit is that a Github sign-in link? Shit.
- The built-in vim mode isn't bad, but it pales in comparison to
evil-mode. Specifically I can't highlight a region and:%s/search/replace/ginside it. - I think having
:open the command palette is a bad idea. The way one uses the command palette vs vim-style commands has less overlap than you'd think. - It's pretty! Look I'm not immune to eye-candy, and Emacs has always ranked low in that area.
- I'm not getting anything from elixir-ls. Even Emacs automatically installs and sets that up so...y'know, damn. Two demerits, Mr. Zed.
- Same with speling check in things like Markdown files.
- Like most things, it ignores the "Emacs-keys" GTK setting &emdash; not being a GTK app I'm not shocked, but things like Firefox respect it, so it can be done. Ctrl-A not going to beginning of line, for instance.
- Not sure I love this though:
I'm running solo at the moment so I haven't tried any of the "multiplayer" remote-pairing stuff. I believe it's behind a Github-login though, and I wish that weren't the case.
Overall: three stars, worthy of your time and attention, also please stop using Microsoft products.