A lightweight, fast, .NET-based code editor
"Like VS Code, but it doesn't eat your RAM"
VS Code (Electron-based):
- 300-500MB RAM usage for a text editor
- Slow startup (loading Chromium + Node.js)
- Extensions crash the entire editor
- Memory leaks everywhere
- Built on JavaScript/TypeScript (the 10-day hack)
BarrerCode (.NET 10 + Avalonia):
- 50-100MB RAM (5x less than VS Code)
- Fast startup - compiled binary, not interpreted
- Stable - compile-time safety, no runtime crashes
- Cross-platform - Windows, Linux, macOS (native, not Electron)
- C# extensions - type-safe, isolated, can't crash editor
BarrerCode
├── Core (C#)
│ ├── Text editing engine
│ ├── LSP client (Language Server Protocol)
│ ├── Extension host
│ └── Project management
├── UI (Avalonia)
│ ├── Cross-platform native UI
│ ├── No Electron bloat
│ └── Hardware-accelerated rendering
└── Extensions (C#)
├── Compile-time checked
├── Sandboxed execution
└── Git integration (LibGit2Sharp)
- Create Avalonia project structure
- Basic text editing component
- File explorer
- Syntax highlighting
- Open/Save files
- Language Server Protocol client
- C# language support (.NET SDK integration)
- IntelliSense/autocomplete
- Go to definition
- Find references
- C# plugin architecture
- Extension marketplace
- Git integration (LibGit2Sharp)
- Terminal integration
- Debugger support
- Multi-cursor editing
- Search/replace
- Theme system
- Settings sync
- Memory efficient - No V8 engine overhead
- Fast - Compiled, not interpreted
- Type-safe - Catch errors at compile time
- Cross-platform - Runs everywhere without Electron
- Modern - Actually modern (2025), not 1995 JavaScript
| Feature | VS Code | BarrerCode |
|---|---|---|
| Memory (idle) | 300-500MB | 50-100MB |
| Startup time | 2-5 seconds | <1 second |
| Runtime | Electron (Chromium + Node.js) | .NET 10 native |
| Language | TypeScript/JavaScript | C# |
| Extensions | JavaScript (can crash editor) | C# (isolated, safe) |
| Updates | Often break things | Compile-time safety |
Use the right tool for the job.
- Text editors should be lightweight, not Chromium browsers
- Applications should be compiled, not interpreted
- Extensions should be type-safe, not runtime disasters
- "Good enough" is not good enough
Built by BarrerSoftware with the same philosophy as BarrerOS:
- Question everything
- Build what SHOULD exist
- Own your stack
- 🏴☠️ Fuck it, we ball
# Clone
git clone https://github.com/BarrerSoftware/BarrerCode
# Build
cd BarrerCode
dotnet restore
dotnet build
# Run
dotnet runMIT License - Fork it, modify it, use it.
Early Development - Born December 5, 2025
This is a proof of concept that .NET can build better desktop applications than Electron.
If you're tired of VS Code eating your RAM, star this repo and let's build something better together.
"The best way to predict the future is to build it."
— BarrerSoftware, 2025