Fast, Rust-based Zed Code Editor Finally Arrives On Windows

Zed, nan “next-generation” codification editor from nan creators of Atom and Tree-sitter, has yet arrived connected Windows. Zed is simply a quick, Rust-based wide codification editor pinch GPU acceleration that I first reviewed 2 years ago erstwhile it was MacOS only.

When I first reviewed Zed, I wondered erstwhile it would travel to Windows. As a basal programming tool, a codification editor has to activity connected arsenic galore systems arsenic reasonably possible. A package developer cannot ever take their moving aliases target platform, truthful they request reliable devices they tin beryllium judge will screen each platforms.

Zed’s first reluctance to build for Windows is simply a reflection of their team’s size and experience, not their dedication. So while this reappraisal hits a fewer antagonistic points, I’m assured they will align pinch nan Windows improvement segment and hole immoderate issues.

I usage Zed arsenic my “other” editor — nan 1 that handles files successful and astir nan main project. For me, it can’t return nan spot of Visual Studio / Visual Code for C#, but is much than bully capable for JSON files, Ruby support scripts, etc. I surely look for it to switch nan aging Sublime Text.

Zed ever supports keyboard efficiency, and location is almost ever a measurement to hindrance an cognition to nan keyboard. However, successful 2025 astir group do usage nan mouse, and this is good supported too.

First Impressions and Initial Setup connected Windows

I’ll trial connected my aged Windows 10 machine, which hosts nan Windows broadside of my development. It feels for illustration I’ve had to usage Sublime everlastingly connected that machine, truthful it’s bully to do a virgin instal of Zed:

It starts pinch this bully setup page, and you’ll statement I could import my Sublime bindings. As I vanished setup, it opened retired pinch this invited page:

I was intrigued by nan “Clone Repository” option, truthful I entered nan url for a repo, entered a target files and sewage nan pursuing response:

Nothing other was explained. After an update, nan opening surface nary longer had this available. So I conjecture we should hide this for now and presume it will beryllium fixed successful nan background. As I said, this is nan bleeding edge.

Language Support and File Encoding Issues

After opening a project, Zed detects nan connection of nan codification record and invites you to load up nan correct connection server. (It would person to beryllium a overmuch much obscure connection than C# not to observe it):

We past instantly get nan expected ordered coloration.

If you look intimately astatine nan screenshot above, you tin spot an underscore arsenic nan very first character, which nan record apparently ignores, but it can’t beryllium deleted without problems. This is because nan format nan record is saved successful is UTF-8 pinch BOM (or Byte Order Mark), which Zed does not recognize. As mentioned, this is thing that Zed will beryllium much alert of arsenic they synch pinch issues much apt to look pinch Windows.

I besides recovered refreshing diagnostics did not activity peculiarly smoothly, but again this seems minor. Lets get into multibuffers and cursors.

Understanding Multibuffers and Multiple Cursors

Multibuffers enactment arsenic windows into different files, but each connected 1 page. As an example, I tin hunt for references to a method. In VS Code, these would beryllium listed successful different pane. But successful Zed we spot them each together:

Expanded, these are each windows into nan applicable file, pinch a fewer lines for discourse supra and beneath successful each case:

I tin participate immoderate buffer and edit it directly. You tin besides spot that I tin jump to nan root record arsenic well. In addition, I tin make world changes. When successful a multibuffer, it is imaginable to usage aggregate cursors to edit each record simultaneously. Below, I selected instances of nan people word GainedKnowledge and extended each of them astatine nan aforesaid time:

This is simply a much generic characteristic than nan adjacent balanced “change symbol.”

Integrated AI pinch Anthropic’s Claude

One of nan bully conveniences is control-+, which allows you to zoom successful connected conscionable nan record matter content, and it useful quickly.

When I first reviewed Zed, “signing in” seemed to beryllium a unusual and moreover arguable request for an editor, moreover though it was chiefly for utilizing nan collaboration features. Now, of course, group motion successful their AI vendors anyway. Speaking of which, Zed goes pinch Anthropic’s Claude arsenic its default built-in ample connection exemplary (LLM) agent, though it tin activity pinch immoderate vendor:

I wasn’t going to look astatine nan AI part, arsenic that will intelligibly run astatine slightest arsenic good arsenic it has done before. However, it did thief maine present nan terminal.

Using nan Integrated Terminal

When authenticating Claude, it defaulted to nan tiny terminal login:

After choosing options, this allows Zed to abstracted from Anthropic’s charging authentication successful a bully fashion, while besides answering nan costs question:

While it did person to spell to nan web to finish, nan terminal vanished erstwhile I was done connected nan web — a bully touch.

I brought up nan terminal again via nan bid palette ctrl-shift-p, which ties commands to keybindings. After requesting a caller terminal return, I noted it utilized Powershell:

Of course, what precisely “the terminal” is successful Windows varies depending connected what you need, as Warp for Windows besides discovered. For me, it is git bash, but others usage WSL. I deliberation these options will beryllium improved complete time.

Finally, nan costs person now centered connected AI use. Though arsenic before, astir group will astir apt not beryllium paying initially.

Conclusion: Zed’s Future connected Windows

There is capable present for Zed to liking a declare successful having a afloat supported editor successful each awesome system, and that successful itself lifts it to an exalted position. The longer it tin withstand nan Windows-specific bug reports successful its Discord channel, nan quicker nan merchandise will mature.

Zed is still somewhat astatine likelihood pinch nan developer community, successful that it focuses connected velocity and AI. But I expect it to get expanding traction arsenic everyone’s “other” editor.

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