lipi is a lightweight code editor written in C++ using Qt and developed as an open-source project under the Wave Foundation. It is designed to be simple, extensible, and fully controllable at the source level.
The project focuses on providing a clean editing environment without inheriting the complexity or rigid assumptions of large-scale editors and IDEs. lipi is intended to remain understandable, predictable, and adaptable over time.
lipi is an editor, not a full integrated development environment. Its scope is intentionally limited to core editing functionality and related tooling.
The editor provides:
- Text editing optimized for source code
- Folder-based file exploration
- Data-driven syntax highlighting
- An integrated terminal panel
Language servers and heavyweight background systems are intentionally not part of the core design.
lipi includes a built-in file explorer that allows opening a folder and navigating its contents using a tree view. Files and directories can be created, renamed, or deleted directly from the explorer through a context menu.
The explorer can be shown or hidden as needed to keep the workspace focused and uncluttered.
Syntax highlighting in lipi is defined entirely through external JSON files. Each language is described declaratively using regular expressions and formatting rules.
This approach allows:
- Adding new languages without recompiling the editor
- Supporting custom and experimental languages
- Iterating on syntax definitions independently of the core codebase
The editor view is optimized for readability and precision. It uses a fixed-width font, displays line numbers, and avoids unnecessary visual elements.
Cursor position and document state are handled explicitly to provide clear and predictable feedback.
lipi provides an integrated terminal panel inspired by modern editor workflows. The terminal is embedded directly into the editor interface and behaves as a continuous console rather than separating input and output.
The terminal is intended as a practical companion to the editor rather than a full terminal emulator.
lipi is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See the LICENSE file for details.