Crest-Editor

A high-performance Android code editor built with Jetpack Compose and a desktop-grade editor engine, designed for mobile developers who want a VS Code-like workflow on Android.

Overview

Crest-Editor brings the feel of a desktop IDE to Android devices. It combines a touch-optimized Monaco editor, a Linux-based development environment, and a native Compose interface to provide a fast, flexible, and familiar coding experience for mobile development.

This project aims to make coding on Android feel less like a compromise and more like a proper workspace: multi-tab editing, terminal access, filesystem tools, settings management, and developer workflows that work well on smaller screens.

Key Features

Desktop-grade code editor

• Monaco editor with VS Code-style editing behavior
• Touch-aware selection and interaction model for mobile screens
• Floating actions for copy, paste, select all, and editing shortcuts
• Keyboard-friendly workflow with support for common developer actions

Linux development environment

• PRoot-based sandbox for running Linux tooling on Android
• Built-in terminal for shell workflows and project tasks
• Support for common developer runtimes and command-line tools
• Workspace access for local files and project folders

Android-native experience

• Jetpack Compose UI designed for mobile workflows
• Multi-tab workspace layout
• Settings screen inspired by VS Code preferences
• Auto-save and dirty state tracking for editing reliability

VS Code-style configuration

• JSON-based settings management
• Reactive configuration updates
• A familiar editor experience for users coming from desktop IDEs

Architecture

CrestEditor Android Shell
    |
    +-- Jetpack Compose UI
    |   +-- Tabs and workspace explorer
    |   +-- Settings and preferences
    |   +-- Terminal and developer tools
    |
    +-- Monaco Editor Core
    |   +-- Syntax highlighting and editing
    |   +-- Mobile-focused interactions
    |
    +-- Runtime and Sandbox Layer
        +-- Linux environment via PRoot
        +-- Terminal session management
        +-- File system and project access

    +-- Core Management Layer
        +-- Settings manager
        +-- Workspace manager
        +-- Process and terminal bridge

Project Structure

Crest-Editor/
├── app/
│   ├── src/main/
│   │   ├── AndroidManifest.xml
│   │   ├── assets/
│   │   ├── java/com/cresteditor/
│   │   ├── core/
│   │   ├── editor/
│   │   ├── runtime/
│   │   ├── settings/
│   │   ├── ui/
│   │   └── workspace/
│   └── build.gradle.kts
├── editor-core/
│   ├── src/
│   ├── vite.config.js
│   └── package.json
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
└── gradle.properties

Configuration Reference

The project uses a settings.json-style configuration layer for editor behavior and runtime preferences.

Setting key	Type	Default	Description
files.autoSave	string	afterDelay	Save mode for dirty files
files.autoSaveDelay	number	1000	Delay before auto-save in milliseconds
files.showHiddenFiles	boolean	false	Show dotfiles in workspace view
editor.fontSize	number	14	Editor font size
editor.tabSize	number	4	Number of spaces per tab
editor.wordWrap	string	on	Word wrap mode
editor.minimap.enabled	boolean	false	Toggle minimap
editor.theme	string	vs-dark	Editor color theme
terminal.integrated.fontSize	number	13	Terminal font size

Requirements

• Android SDK with compile support for SDK 34
• Minimum Android SDK: 26
• JDK 17 or newer
• Node.js 18+ for editor-core build steps
• Arm64 target support for native runtime components

Build and Run

Build Monaco editor core

cd editor-core
npm install
node ./node_modules/vite/bin/vite.js build

This generates the editor assets used by the Android app.

Build the Android app

./gradlew assembleDebug

The produced APK is typically located under:

app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more information.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. If you want to improve the editor, fix bugs, or add features, open an issue or submit a pull request with a clear description of the change.

Contact

For project updates and discussions, use the GitHub repository and issue tracker.