And the iPad doesn’t even know what that means. It just emulates some of Vim’s default keybindings. Many Vim users (like myself, for instance) map a fancy key combo like “jj” to make exiting insert mode easier, but CodeSandbox isn’t actually Vim. By default, that command is wired to the Escape key. Since you need to get out of insert mode to move your cursor again, you need some sort of command to exit insert mode. And, importantly, there’s an insert mode, where you use your keyboard to type. There’s the selection mode, where you use those same navigations keys to select text. See, in Vim, there are different “modes.” There’s the default mode where you use the keyboard to navigate around your document. CodeSandbox was all I needed, and my iPad was suddenly an ultra useful webdev box - at least for building the sort of small experiments I gravitate toward.Įxcept there was one problem: the iPad doesn’t have an Escape key. Contrast that to the iPad alternative: seconds spent poking at the screen with your clumsy finger, hoping iOS will discern your intent.īasically, everything was going great. Moving the cursor, highlighting text, deleting words or lines, moving lines, and jumping large distances in a file all require just a couple keystrokes in Vim. Vim keybindings are my preferred way to navigate around text, and it’s especially important on the iPad where you don’t have a mouse for assistance. CodeSandbox also sands off some of the rough edges of configuration files and has a lot of premade projects built with various technologies (React, Vue, Redux, and even exotic frameworks like Hyperapp), which makes it easy to get started with the uber-complicated build chain that modern web development seems to require.Īnd I was extra excited to see that CodeSandbox has a Vim mode. So as long as you stick to the world of JavaScript, it’s almost as powerful as a traditional desktop-based web development setup. Therefore, the iPad won’t be able to stop me from my dreams of creating my “Calculator 2: The Sequel to Calculators” web app in JavaScript.ĬodeSandbox allows you to use arbitrary NPM packages, and it has a code editor based on VS Code’s own editor. It’s a website, and everything runs in the browser. I knew just the place to go: CodeSandbox. Unlike on the Pixelbook, where I wanted a full-on Rust development environment basically comparable to my Mac setup, I decided to just do some JavaScript-based web development on my iPad. Under the hood is the same Unix kernel that makes macOS excellent for programmers. It’s ironic because the iPad is excellent for creators in so many ways like drawing, design, and music. It makes a little bit of sense: the strictures of iOS and the App Store are why a years-old iPad is vastly more responsive and cruft-free than a similarly aged MacBook Pro.īut it makes developing software nearly impossible. Chapter 1: The journey begins by lowering my expectationsĪs everyone knows, Apple is scared to death that anyone might ever run arbitrary code on one of its pristine iOS devices. I can’t promise you it’s a worthwhile destination, but I learned a lot on my way there. Will I ever actually use it for this purpose? Maybe! But we’ll get to that.įeel free to follow in my footsteps if you, too, wish to code on the iPad. Unfortunately, it’s very bad for complex tasks and intentionally crippled for software development.īut I’m older and wiser now, and after an entire Saturday spent bashing my head against a wall, I’m happy to report that I can use a $799 tablet computer to write software. It’s super portable, has great battery life, an excellent screen, and the limited multitasking keeps me focused. ![]() I love using the iPad for writing and other creative work. It wasn’t easy or simple or straightforward, but it worked in the end: I had all the power and flexibility of Linux, access to my favorite code editor (VS Code), and, of course, the slick web browsing experience that Chromebooks are known for.Īround that same time, I attempted to set up an iPad for coding. A few months ago, I detailed my process for setting up a Pixelbook to code on.
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