Turbokod
A Retro IDE
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What is Turbokod?
TurboKod is an experimental IDE (Integrated Development Environment) inspired by TurboC++ 3, featuring a retro Text User Interface (TUI) with a modern macOS application. It was created as an experiment to port the TurboVision C++ codebase to Mojo and build a simple editor that could potentially replace daily-driver IDEs like PyCharm.
Key features include copy/paste/undo functionality, multiple cursors, integrated debuggers, syntax highlighting (including nested languages with JetBrains-style comments), find-in-files, integrated documentation, an integrated Git client roughly modeled after lazygit, spell checking, and integrated LSP support (including custom LSPs like the iommi_lsp for Django development with special features).
TurboKod is designed for developers who appreciate retro 90s-era development aesthetics while needing modern IDE capabilities. It's particularly suitable for Python/Django developers, Rust developers, and programmers who want a lightweight yet powerful IDE with a classic MS-DOS/Turbo Vision look. The creator has been using it as their daily driver for approximately 4 days and reports it's going well for real development work.
Turbokod pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Free and open source. TurboKod is available on GitHub under the boxed/TurboKod repository. No paid tiers or commercial plans are mentioned on the website. The project was created as an experimental hobby project.
Turbokod pros
- Retro TurboC++ 3-inspired TUI interface with modern macOS app
- Copy/paste/undo functionality built in
- Multiple cursors support for efficient editing
- Integrated debuggers for code testing
- Syntax highlighting including nested languages
- JetBrains-style comments for nested language syntax highlighting
- Find-in-files capability for quick code navigation
- Integrated documentation viewer
- Integrated Git client modeled after lazygit
- Spell checking for code and comments
- LSP support including custom Django-specific LSP
- Can serve as daily driver IDE replacing PyCharm
- Lightweight retro aesthetic with modern functionality
- Built using Mojo language with TurboVision port
- Works well for Django development
- Open source and free to use
- Created with significant Claude AI assistance
Turbokod cons
- Experimental IDE not yet production-ready for all use cases
- Very new project with only ~4 days of daily driver usage
- Git client is roughly modeled and may lack advanced features
- Custom LSP for Django required (not built-in)
- Limited community and ecosystem compared to established IDEs
- Retro TUI may not appeal to developers preferring modern GUIs
- Unclear language/compiler support beyond Python/Django/Rust
- No official pricing or enterprise support mentioned
Frequently asked questions about Turbokod
What is TurboKod?
TurboKod is an experimental IDE inspired by TurboC++ 3, featuring a retro Text User Interface (TUI) packaged as a modern macOS application. It was created as an experiment to test if Claude could port the TurboVision C++ codebase to Mojo and build a editor capable of replacing daily-driver IDEs like PyCharm.
What programming languages does TurboKod support?
Based on the creator's usage, TurboKod supports Python and Django development (with a custom iommi_lsp), and Rust development. The syntax highlighting supports nested languages with JetBrains-style comments, suggesting potential for multi-language support.
Is TurboKod ready for daily development work?
The creator has been using TurboKod as their daily driver for approximately 4 days and reports it's going well, particularly for Django development. However, it's still labeled as an experimental IDE, suggesting it may not be fully production-ready for all use cases.
Does TurboKod have Git integration?
Yes, TurboKod includes an integrated Git client that is roughly modeled after lazygit. It provides Git functionality within the IDE, though it may lack some advanced features of dedicated Git tools.
What is the TurboVision port to Mojo?
The project started as an experiment to test how well Claude could port the C++ codebase for TurboVision (Borland's TUI framework from the 90s) to Mojo (a modern programming language). The port was described as 'fairly good' by the creator.
Does TurboKod support multiple cursors?
Yes, TurboKod includes multiple cursors support, which allows developers to edit multiple locations in code simultaneously, a feature common in modern IDEs.
What syntax highlighting features does TurboKod have?
TurboKod includes syntax highlighting that supports even nested languages with JetBrains-style comments. This means it can highlight syntax within comments or nested code blocks similar to how JetBrains IDEs handle multi-language files.
Is there Django support in TurboKod?
Yes, but it requires a custom LSP. The creator developed their own LSP called iommi_lsp (available at GitHub - boxed/iommi_lsp) that adds Django special features to TurboKod for Django development.
Does TurboKod have spell checking?
Yes, TurboKod includes spell checking functionality for both code and comments, helping developers catch typos during development.
Where can I get TurboKod?
TurboKod is available on GitHub at the repository boxed/TurboKod. It is free and open source. The creator used Claude extensively to build the project and admits this openly.