Fleet Will Coexist with JetBrains’ IntelliJ Line and Serve as a Lightweight Code Editor with a Different Take on IDE Organization
JetBrains has introduced an early preview of Fleet, an innovative IDE designed to transform the software development experience. Announced on November 29, Fleet promises to deliver a next-generation development environment that emphasizes simplicity, lightweight operation, and flexibility. According to JetBrains, Fleet is ready to use right out of the box, eliminating the need for extensive configuration and providing a streamlined setup for developers.
While JetBrains is renowned for its IntelliJ IDEA IDE, particularly for Java development, Fleet represents a significant departure from its established product line. Fleet is intended to complement rather than replace the IntelliJ IDEA suite. It offers a different perspective on IDE organization and functionality, catering to users who may need a more lightweight code editor. JetBrains plans to continue enhancing IntelliJ IDEA while also developing Fleet to provide diverse options for their user base.
Eugene Toporov, JetBrains’ Vice President of Marketing, highlighted the company’s vision for Fleet in a recent statement. He emphasized that both Fleet and the IntelliJ-based products will coexist, offering users varied choices depending on their needs. This approach ensures that JetBrains can cater to different development preferences without disrupting the experiences of existing users.
One of Fleet’s key features is its rapid readiness for simple tasks. Developers can quickly access a full development environment with a single click, utilizing the IntelliJ code-processing engine for advanced features such as project-aware code completion, navigation to definitions and usages, refactoring, quick fixes, and real-time code checks. This integration aims to provide a seamless and efficient coding experience.
Fleet also supports collaborative and remote development, expanding its utility beyond individual projects. Initially, Fleet supports programming languages including Java, Kotlin, Go, Python, and Rust. JetBrains has plans to extend support to additional languages in the future, enhancing the IDE’s versatility and appeal to a broader audience.
The development of Fleet has been a multi-year endeavor for JetBrains, involving experimentation with various architectures, technologies, and user experience approaches. The goal of Fleet is to enhance productivity for all developers, regardless of their coding environment, preferred programming languages, or development workflows. As Fleet progresses, it aims to offer a modern and adaptable solution that complements JetBrains’ existing tools and meets the evolving needs of the development community.