The Web is rich in online tools that help you create websites and Web applications. But the developers behind Codio have even bigger ambitions. Combining the power of the cloud with modern browser technologies, Codio is live proof that you can do some serious client-side development without the need for installing additional software.
Codio makes a good first impression by offering support for numerous programming languages and databases right out of the box. This includes HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, CoffeeScript, C, PHP, Java, Ruby, Python, MySQL, Haskell, phpMyAdmin and several others.
The cloud plays an important role in making Codio truly stand out. Every project you make has its own individual server which Codio refers to as a “Box”. The Box is powered by Ubuntu and comes with several essential software like SVN, NodeJS, Mercurial and Ruby with the option of adding more components. You are also granted full terminal access so you get a lot of flexibility.
For a Web app, Codio looks fantastic. It is very easy to create an account to give the service a try and the interface features several help popups that teach you how to get started and use the various features. The main editor looks like a real coding app especially when you put your Web browser to full screen view. You can customize the panels, work with multiple files in different windows or tabs and switch the coding view to a live preview. The file tree is on the left side by default to make it really easy to manage your project. As with any regular app, there is a menu bar that provides you access with the rest of the features.
From big things like AutoComplete and file templates to very small and helpful things like keyboard shortcuts, Codio is a feature-packed browser-based IDE that is fit for any computer or mobile device including a Chromebook. In fact, it makes the other coding solutions for the Chromebook look like little toys.
Codio is completely free to try allowing you to create unlimited public projects (which are good for forking) and a single private project. You only have to pay if you want unlimited private boxes as well.