Issues with IDE and CMS

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Firstly, the addition of the IDE is awesome and I’m looking forward to using it for all code, however there are a couple of issues that are stopping me using it completely:

The IDE:

  1. Autocomplete within the IDE is not the same as autocomplete within the studio editor’s code panel. Elements and their functions do not autocomplete or suggest within the IDE, so it’s far slower to code page code within the IDE. Until the IDE responds in the same way as the studio code panel, I can’t commit to the IDE for all use.

  2. As a result of the point above, I have switched back and forth between the IDE for page code and backend code. However as you can’t edit code within the studio editor while the IDE is open, you have to close it and wait for the system to register the change, which has taken up to 30 mins in one case.

  3. To try and ‘reset’ the system to notice the IDE had been closed, I tried refreshing the editor page. This doubled the issue and created another duplicate user that appeared to also be in the IDE, doubling the wait time as well. For reference, I am the only user on this site, so it created multiple duplicate users of my profile. Closing and reopening chrome had the same effect.

There was no way to get back to editing code on the editor without just waiting for the system to time out.

Side note: Let users choose where the studio code panel sits! The sidebar option isn’t convenient for single screen use and decreases code window size by at least 50% off the editor x version.

The CMS

I need to reiterate the point made by many other wix developers that the limits to CMS items is an extremely poor choice, likely led by people in charge of generating revenue for Wix, rather than the development team.

No other environment utilises line caps. This will kill Wix for anyone more than a beginner user and it will jump back 10 years to being a drag and drop editor only. No experienced developers or agencies are going to put large data-driven sites on a platform which limits items. You’re gifting your most valuable customers to your competitors, that will market their platforms against this failing.

If you’re trying to allocate server usage, work on a data usage based tariff like every other hosting and database service.

Bug Reporting:

Your Known Issues post suggests going through customer care to report an issue. Please change this to recommend forum posting or create a bug report form like EX used on rollout.

I just spend 1 hour trying to get the IDE issue passed on to the studio dev team, via 4 clueless Wix CS agents that to their credit, don’t have any real knowledge of the platform in detail, especially with new studio features. It’s not fair to burden them with detailed bug reports which may get altered on their way to the right team.

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Thank you for sharing your insights, @Breakscape. I completely resonate with your perspective. Personally, I’ve grown accustomed to the familiar flow of working within the built-in code panel of the editors. This approach has made coding more seamless within my visual workflow. As someone who delved into coding through Velo and its predecessors, I’ve found comfort in the simplicity of the IDE embedded within the editor. It almost feels like these ‘advanced’ IDEs aren’t a necessity for me as someone not exclusively focused on development.

What strikes me about the new IDE is how it seems to compartmentalise each role into distinct areas, which contrasts with Wix’s historical approach of fostering accessibility for various user levels, whether they’re beginners, designers, or seasoned developers. It’s evident that there’s always a place for advanced features, but the beauty of the platform has been its inclusivity.

Moreover, the division between the new IDE and the editor disrupts the flow that many of us have become accustomed to since we began our journey with the platform. The visual connection between code and interface has been instrumental in shaping our understanding of the platform. The new IDE, although introduced with great potential, seems somewhat detached and not as well-integrated as one might have hoped.

I’m also on the same page about the loading speed of the new IDE, and the transition between the VS code IDE and the studio IDE seems to take a while before it’s recognised. This waiting period can be a bit cumbersome and affects the overall experience.

I’m open to exploring the new IDE to some extent, though I share your sentiment that the sudden shift can be a significant adjustment. It’s a bit challenging to invest time in adapting to a new workflow when the old one seemed to be functioning quite well. In my view, it’s not solely about the unfamiliarity of the new IDE, but rather a preference for the old setup, which was already quite functional.

To sum up, I’d personally appreciate the return of the previous setup within the editor, perhaps with some UX improvements, while having the option to use the new IDE for those who require the full-stack capabilities. As someone who often works with a single-screen setup, the new IDE’s compatibility with multi-screen configurations does seem to influence its design.

Your feedback is invaluable, and it’s evident that your experience is shared by many. By discussing these points constructively, we (the users of these tools) hope to see improvements that can accommodate both the existing user base and those who might find the new IDE more suitable.

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Hey @Breakscape!

Thanks for all your insights. The team is currently taking the feedback shared, and working to improve the experience. Your thoughts are helpful in shaping and impacting the roadmap of Wix, so keep them coming.

On the side of bug reporting, yes, we do encourage users (and will continue to) head toward Wix Support to report any issues. The reason for this, is that reporting via the forum is not a scalable solution, and would likely lead to not getting enough information.

Reporting via support ensures we get the info needed and are able to track issues properly. That being said, I get that at times it isn’t perfect, but we’ll continue improving.