Release notes

This page provides information about the changes in each release of Project IDX.

June 2024

• New Custom templates docs and improvements to Customizing your workspace docs
• You can now start in Dartpad and continue working in IDX with an "Open in IDX" button.
• Updated to CodeOSS 1.89.1 (rolling out over the next few weeks)

Templates

• Added new API server templates for Go, Node, Python/Flask, PHP, Java, Dart, .NET, Ruby, and C++
• Update Gemini templates for Gemini 1.5 Flash and Pro
• Update template documentation to support default files to open on instantiation, and update most templates to use this
• Startup improvements for some templates
• Improvements to reliability for npm-based templates.
• Updated default Flutter workspaces to Flutter version 3.22.2
• Fixes for Next.js, Go, and Gemini + Maps Platform templates

Gemini in IDX

• Improvements to codebase indexing
• Improvements to code completion with richer project-level context
• Improvements to Interactive Chat (this feature is still in private preview)

Integrations

• Add link to API keys dashboard for Gemini and Maps integrations
• Improvements to Cloud Run integration: define build and app folder, save preferences, option to disconnect projects, and more.
• Fixes for OAuth flows
• Fixed an error related to API key IDs being too long

Other improvements

• Enable "unfree" Nix packages to be used in IDX
• Enable use of Nix channel stable-24.05
• Add support for shell variable substitution in dev.nix environment variables.
• Improvements to recovery mode handling
• Fixed license presentation for the "Add nix packages" UI
• Fixes for LSP runtime failures.
• Fixes common ports such as 8080 being unavailable due to internal services
• Fixed suggested system tool packages in the Terminal getting stuck
• Fixed a crash related to large file uploads
• Fixed the Back button not working in Dashboard in some instances
• Improvements to Dashboard loading times
• Removed sharing for /preview route (still experimental)

May 2024

May 29, 2024

• Simplified the process for adding and customizing services such as MySQL, Postgres, Redis to workspaces, using the new services configuration object for dev.nix.
• Improved documentation, particularly around environment customization (dev.nix).
• Improved the chat UI experience for Gemini in IDX.
• Update default Flutter workspaces to the latest stable release (3.22).
• Updated the built-in version of the Firebase CLI (firebase-tools) to 13.9.
• Added an "Open in IDX" button generator to the documentation.

May 14, 2024

• IDX is now in open beta! Read more in the blog.
• We've launched a discussion forum. Have a question about IDX? Consider asking there!
• Changed the maximum number of workspaces from 2 to 5 (for users enrolled in the no-cost Google Developer Program).
• Added a new "Integrations" section to streamline deploying to Firebase Hosting and Cloud Run, and simplify adding the Gemini API and Google Maps Platform to your app.
• Added several new templates, including Firebase Genkit, Google Maps Platform and Gemini with Google Maps. Also removed the PaLM API template in favor of the existing Gemini API template.
• Improved the built-in, still-experimental Chrome DevTools Console integration in web previews.
• Removed several superfluous notifications and popups, for Flutter workspaces, and for external links across workspaces.
• Improved the reliability and handling of Git import.
• Several reliability and performance improvements across IDX and Gemini in IDX.
• Fixed edge cases that resulted in IDX previews not working.
• Fixed an endless loading spinner appearing in the Android emulator for Flutter workspaces.
• Improved default dev.nix files across templates.
• Remove the internal gc folder from .idx, as it was causing confusion.

May 1, 2024

• Improved performance for .aiexclude calculation.
• Several key fixes to the chat engine for Gemini in IDX.
• Added more tools to the baseline Nix environment (e.g. unzip).

April 2024

April 19, 2024

• Set Flutter builds to run during workspace creation (onCreate).
• Enabled serving for IDX workstations out of Europe and Asia.
• Improvements to underlying Nix infrastructure to reduce load time.
• Minor fixes and improvements to Astro templates.
• Preinstalled FlutterFire CLI for Flutter workspaces.
• IDX AI is now Gemini in IDX.
• Improved load times for Next.js template.
• UI and performance improvements for Gemini in IDX.
• Fixed a bug where Gemini chat continued generating chats after switching threads.
• Improved load times and reliability for IDX workspaces.
• Improvements to the experimental version of Chrome DevTools embedded in IDX.
• Fixed Nix package index and upgraded to latest version.
• Removed exposed admin port
• Installed Flutter to home disk and removed pre-installed Firebase plugin in preparation for an updated Firebase integration.
• Updated templates to improve caching and load times and to not use shared npm cache across templates.
• Resolved bugs in Android preview.
• Updated Flutter template to the latest version and revamped how Flutter environments are set up.

Apr 12, 2024

• Added template caching support to the environment-service.
• Fixed issue with Gemini chat slash commands failing without active editor.
• Improved default .idx/dev.nix file across several templates.
• Improved UI handling for extensions added to the .idx/dev.nix file and Nix package search when editing .idx/dev.nix files.
• Improvements to performance and UI for Gemini chat.
• Resolved bugs in Gemini in IDX license log and rejected suggestions.
• Added button to stop generating suggestions in Gemini chat.
• Updated privacy notice and added language selector.
• Updates to the onboarding experience for new users.
• Added Langchain option to the Gemini API template.
• Updated language describing emerging features for Gemini in IDX.
• UI improvements.
• Improvements to load time and performance.

March 2024

March 26, 2024

• Upgraded nodejs to version 20 to fix npm issue on node 18.
• Added Go to the Gemini API template.
• Added a helpful comment after running Nix shell programs.
• Turned off prefer-offline in default npmrc.
• Removed NPM_CONFIG_GLOBALCONFIG from templates and dev.nix.
• Updated Flutter version to 3.19.3.
• Improved quality of code completion suggestions.

March 14, 2024

• Improved package name handling in npm install.
• Removed iOS previews from the dev.nix configuration for all templates.
• Standardized dev.nix file format for all templates.
• Fixed npm cache errors when installing certain packages from the ephemeral cache.
• Fixed emulator compiler error.
• Updated link to FAQ page.
• Fixed SC2088 ShellCheck warning.
• Added Android Tools to Flutter templates.
• Updated icons and made cosmetic improvements to the UI.

March 7, 2024

• Bug fixes and improvements to Gemini.
• Removed iOS and Safari simulation from IDX previews.
• Fixes and improvements to the Django template.
• Enabled Nix for all workspaces.

February 2024

February 22, 2024

• Added Flutter DevTools.
• Turned on code completion from Gemini by default.

February 16, 2024

• Fixed broken Go tools installation in the Go template and added nodemon.
• Added Angular CLI in the Angular template.
• Added gitignore to the LangChain JS template.
• Gemini now merges sequential code blocks.
• Updated privacy text and included link to privacy notice.

October 2023

October 10, 2023

• You can now use AI code assistance inline to generate new code or modify existing code directly where you want it. Toggle inline AI code assistance by pressing Cmd/Ctrl + I.
• Customize your workspace icon on the IDX dashboard by adding an image named icon.png to your .idx directory (.idx/icon.png).
• Nix is now enabled for workspaces by default. Learn more about Nix and IDX.
• Added Docker support to IDX. Set up Docker directly from the workspace by adding services.docker.enable = true; to the .idx/dev.nix file.

September 2023

September 26, 2023

• List of workspaces shared with you shows what user shared them.
• Added a warning that notifies you if you've tried to share a workspace you already own with yourself.
• Added welcome screen for Gemini on first launch.
• Updated documentation and feedback links in the navigation menu.
• Gemini code completion is turned off by default. To turn it on, modify the option in your settings.
• Updated Flutter version for Flutter workspaces.
• UI improvements.

September 12, 2023

General

• Improved support for Firebase Emulator Suite.
• IDX now opens index.html by default on blank web app template.
• When you generate a temporary access token to share your workspace (for example, for use in a cURL request to a service running on our workstation), a window pops up with a copyable access token.
• Updated blank web workspace template.
• Adjusted the alignment for the account selection screen.
• Resolved issue where removed users were still appearing in the shared access list, as described in Share Workspace issues.
• Improvements to Flutter workspaces.

Nix

• Streamlined package loading for popular programming languages and improved startup speed for Nix-enabled workspaces.
• Enhancements to Nix configurations and improved support for Flutter workspaces.

Gemini

• Improvements to Gemini.
• Standardized font sizes in Gemini chat.

August 2023

August 22, 2023

• Submit feedback and feature requests through IssueTracker instead of UserVoice. IssueTracker supports screenshots and videos, enabling more robust feedback and feature requests.
• Code completion now includes support for YAML.
• Improvements to Gemini.
• Added clarity on the login error page regarding Google Accounts and access.
• Infrastructure improvements and security patches.

August 15, 2023

• New git flow now supports URL based auto-fill. Users can now pass in params like url, type, and nix to auto-fill the new workspace form.
• Fix codicons not showing up in Safari.

Nix

• Nix workspaces can now listen on "command not found" and suggest packages to install.
• Firebase-related bug fixes for Nix workspaces.
• Set WEB_HOST env var in Nix workspaces for easier debugging.
• Users can use Nix flakes for their build logic.

August 1, 2023

• Bug fixes and stability improvements.
• Most of workspace config is now namespaced under "idx," not "ide." Learn more in Customize the IDX environment.

Previews

• New console in web previews surfaces console.log statements to help with debugging.
• Links inside the apps rendered in the previews are now clickable.
• UI improvements.
• Preview commands can now run in different directories. For example, it's now possible to set cwd in the config relative to the workspace directory.

Nix support

• Nix support is now available as an option more broadly.
• Added nix channel support. Supported channels are "stable-23.05" and "unstable." Learn more in Customize the IDX environment.
• Nodejs and Python3 are installed by default if no .idx/dev.nix configuration is present in the workspace.
• It's now possible use Nix itself inside the workspace.