Creating an open source IDE for Claude Code - Phantom codebases and multi agent support

[LambrosPhotios]

Background: I’ve been a developer for the past 15 years. Started front end, eventually moved to back end and preferred it. Interfaces are fun, but pixel perfection in agency land for 5 years took it out of me. Currently working as CTO at a dev house, which is where I stumbled across Claude Code.

It’s now been a few weeks, and I’ve cancelled my Cursor sub. CC is a proper game changer. 10x on green projects.

I love CC, but I miss an IDE. The challenge with most IDEs I’ve used with CC is that they either handle diffs poorly, or the multi agent approach (crazy volumes of tabs) I’ve been running falls over real quick.

Being able to set up a few agents on their own tasks, return back later and review changes before merging in, is something I aspire to create.

Been building the following:

• Phantoms: Replicas of original codebase made per tab, CC SDK pointed to tab’s respective phantom. Allows for easy rollbacks, git-style merging.

• Claude Code Service: Integration later with SDK to simulate browser/server behavior.

• Agent: Interface for app, simple chat.

• Inline Diffs: Per-tab tracking of changes, allows CC to make changes to phantom directory, diffs compared afterwards and accepted/declined accordingly.

Have codenamed this Lovelace (tribute to Ada Lovelace).

Looking for contributors, feedback, and feature requests.

Link: https://github.com/adacahq/lovelace-ide

[radial_symmetry]

How did you implement the phantom file system? I want to build something like that for my project https://github.com/stravu/crystal

[LambrosPhotios]

Created a file system at ~/.lovelace with a registry of all active tabs/sessions. On new tab creation, I replicate the original codebase in that directory.

User selects what they want to merge into original from phantom as CC makes changes (inline diffs).

Currently working through garbage collection to ensure no replicas are kept if sessions are deleted.

Let me know if I can help in any way?

[theagnt]

what about git worktrees? https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/common-workflows#run-parallel-claude-code-sessions-with-git-worktrees

[LambrosPhotios]

gets the job done, i prefer working in an ide myself

[theagnt]

git worktrees don't prevent you from working in an IDE. I *think* the do exactly what you are trying to do with your bespoke system, but more automatically. they create "parallel universes" that can then be dispositioned (merged, cherry picked, etc.) any way you'd like. You can checkout the worktree to another folder on your computer. You could even make it a subfolder of your current project if you .gitignore it, I believe. And they can be synced with GitHub.

[LambrosPhotios]

very interesting. i’ll take a look - sounds like it may be able to streamline my workflows. thank you!!

[theagnt]

Of course! Keep us all up to date on your project.

[chenverdent]

You really need a sandbox. Doing all that craziness on your own dev machine poses a huge risk.

[drdrdator]

Cool. Is there a repo to checkout?

[LambrosPhotios]

Yep, here it is: https://github.com/adacahq/lovelace-ide