# Kyde

> A fast native Git client and code editor for macOS focused on commit and diff workflows, built with GPU-rendered native UI via Zed's gpui framework.

Kyde is a fast, native Git client and code editor built primarily for macOS, created by Kyle Johnson (kyle-ssg). It focuses on the commit and diff workflow — the parts of a modern IDE that developers use most — without the overhead of a full IDE or Electron-based app. The project is open source under the Apache License 2.0 and is written in Rust.

## What It Is

Kyde is a desktop application that combines a Git client with a lightweight code editor, targeting developers who spend most of their time in the commit and diff view rather than a full IDE. It is built on gpui — the same GPU-rendered native GUI framework used by the Zed editor — which means no web layer, no Electron, and no JVM startup time. The README describes it as "a fast native commit and diff code editor — a Git client for macOS."

## Architecture and Stack

Kyde's technical foundation is deliberately minimal and performance-oriented:

- **gpui** (Apache-2.0) — Zed's native, GPU-rendered GUI framework for all UI rendering
- **git** — shelled out directly; no libgit2 dependency
- **similar** (Apache-2.0) — handles line and word diffing
- **tree-sitter** — powers syntax highlighting, installed on demand via a built-in Language Plugins manager
- **alacritty's VTE engine** — backs the embedded multi-tab PTY terminal

Each language grammar is a Cargo feature, so builds can include only the grammars needed, reducing binary size and resident RAM.

## Core Features

The README documents a substantial feature set across four main areas:

**Git workflow:**
- Side-by-side diff with word-level highlighting and a center gutter for staging/reverting hunks
- Commit view with editable diff, message box, and per-hunk or whole-file staging
- Branch switcher with searchable tree and Recent/Local roots
- Commit history log with read-only diff against parent, latest, or local working tree
- Rollback window with checkbox tree and optional deletion of added files
- Push support when ahead of upstream

**Code browsing and editing:**
- Folder tree with git-status colors and file-type icons
- Text editor with undo/redo, find & replace, syntax highlighting, code folding, and auto-save
- Markdown live preview pane
- Image preview for PNG/JPG/GIF/WebP
- Language Plugins manager supporting TypeScript/TSX, JavaScript, Rust, JSON, Markdown, Shell, CSS, SCSS, YAML, TOML, Python, HTML, Go, R, and LaTeX

**Search and navigation:**
- Go to File (`⌘⇧O` / `⌘P`) and Find Action (`⌘⇧A`) fuzzy finders
- Find in Files (`⌘⇧F`) via `git grep` with jump-to-match
- Scratch files for throwaway buffers

**Terminal:**
- Embedded multi-tab PTY terminal docked at the bottom, toggled with `⌃\``
- Full color, scrollback, resize, mouse select/copy, bracketed paste, and URL click support

## Performance Design

The README states that a 37,000-line `package-lock.json` scrolls at approximately 120fps. This is achieved through viewport virtualization (only on-screen rows are shaped per frame) and async highlighting (large files open instantly as plain text, then highlight off-thread). Performance is guarded by `perf_*` time-budget tests and headless-gpui smoke tests that render every screen and fail on any panic. An on-screen FPS monitor is available as a toggle.

## Update: v1.3.0

The latest release is **kyde-v1.3.0**, published on 2026-06-24. The repository was created on 2026-06-22, making this a very recently launched project with rapid early iteration. Prebuilt releases are macOS-only (Apple Silicon and Intel x86_64 zips); Linux and Windows packaging scripts exist in the repository but are not wired to the release pipeline. The README notes that re-enabling cross-platform builds is a "good first issue" for contributors on those platforms.

## Known Limitations and Roadmap

The README is candid about current gaps:
- No soft-wrap or caret-follow scrolling yet; the editor uses a flat `String` buffer rather than a rope
- File watching refreshes on focus only; live updates via `notify` are planned
- No LSP or AI integration is mentioned

## Features
- Side-by-side diff with word-level highlighting
- Center gutter for staging/reverting hunks
- Commit view with editable diff and message box
- Branch switcher with searchable tree
- Commit history log with read-only diff
- Rollback window with checkbox tree
- Push support when ahead of upstream
- Folder tree with git-status colors
- Text editor with undo/redo and auto-save
- Find & replace in file
- Find in Files via git grep
- Syntax highlighting via tree-sitter
- Built-in Language Plugins manager
- Code folding for grammar-backed languages
- Markdown live preview pane
- Image preview for PNG/JPG/GIF/WebP
- Embedded multi-tab PTY terminal
- Go to File and Find Action fuzzy finders
- Scratch files for throwaway buffers
- WebStorm and VSCode keymap presets
- Configurable theme via ~/.config/kyde/theme.json
- GPU-rendered native UI at 120fps
- Viewport virtualization for large files
- Async syntax highlighting
- Install shell command (ky symlink)
- Searchable recents with branch and path

## Integrations
Git, tree-sitter, gpui (Zed GUI framework), alacritty VTE engine

## Platforms
WINDOWS, MACOS, LINUX, VSC_EXTENSION, JETBRAINS_PLUGIN, CLI

## Pricing
Open Source

## Version
kyde-v1.3.0

## Links
- Website: https://github.com/kyle-ssg/kyde
- Repository: https://github.com/kyle-ssg/kyde
- EveryDev.ai: https://www.everydev.ai/tools/kyde