Haystack - Visualize and edit your codebase on an infinite canvas

Hi Product Hunt, I'm Akshay from Haystack! Haystack is an IDE that lets you visualize and edit your codebase on an infinite canvas Here’s a demo of what it looks like: Our vision of Haystack is an AI-augmented IDE that helps you navigate your codebase at lightspeed. You should be able to type a vague description of the code you’re looking for (“Show me the code flow that triggers after we click the submit button”) and immediately see the right result. But we don’t think the traditional split-panel interface is the best fit for this type of rapid navigation. Inspired by the fluidity of design tools like Figma and Miro, we realized that the canvas layout is a perfect way to represent and operate on code flows, and a great base for all the AI tooling we want to build! This is how Haystack was born. Who's Haystack for? - Software engineers who work with dense, interconnected codebases - Developers who work with many layers of abstraction (e.g. interfaces, header files, etc.) - Folks who are exploring an unfamiliar codebase for the first time Here's what Haystack offers: 🔎 Isolate Relevant Code: Instead of just being able to view files, Haystack enables you to look at just functions, classes, etc. This is helpful when you need to view different parts of code within the same file! ➡️ Automatic code connections: As you traverse through your code, Haystack will automatically draw connections between related logic, such as functions that call one another. This helps you understand your code at a glance, especially when multiple functions or methods are working together. 📝 Save and load workspaces: Need to switch to another task but don't want to lose your current context? You can save and load all editors on the canvas any time, allowing you to keep your current workspace in case you ever need it again. Haystack is now source-available at https://github.com/haystackedito...! You can also download Haystack from https://haystackeditor.com/.

Hey Akshay, The infinite canvas concept reminds me a bit of mind-mapping tools. How accurate are the AI-augmented features at finding specific code flows based on natural language queries? Do you have plans to integrate with popular version control systems? Congrats on the launch!

It’s always exciting when tools take over the more tedious parts of coding, like refactoring. How intuitive has the experience been for those who’ve used it? Any learning curve?

Finally, I can pretend to be a coding ninja without all the hard work 🥷💻!

Hi @akshaysg and congrats on the launch! Super interesting and innovative tool for anyone that needs to dive deep into complex codebases. Just a quick question: is Haystack going to be integrated within VSCode or is it a replacement for it?

Kudos on creating such a user-friendly IDE! It’s refreshing to see a tool designed to make coding less daunting.

This looks awesome! I've been wanting something that simplifies coding tasks.

I can see this being really useful for someone new to coding. Automating the tedious bits can make it so much less overwhelming. Would be cool to hear how beginners have found it!

Absolutely agree with this! Haystack seems like a game-changer for anyone dealing with complex codebases. The idea of visualizing and editing code on an infinite canvas is brilliant, especially for developers who need to keep track of multiple layers of abstraction. The automatic code connections feature sounds like it will save so much time and effort in understanding how different parts of the code interact with each other. Plus, being able to save and load workspaces is a huge productivity boost. Can't wait to try it out and see how it transforms my coding experience! 🚀

In general I believe this IDE has the potential to significantly improve how we approach coding.

It would be nice if the connections could be customized to show different types of relationships between code components.

Congrats on the launch of Haystack! Re-imagining the IDE with a 2D digital whiteboard that visualizes code connections is an innovative approach. Excited to see how it enhances the way developers understand and navigate code!

Haystack sounds like a game-changer for navigating complex codebases! The vision of combining AI with a fluid, canvas-based interface is incredibly exciting, especially for developers dealing with layers of abstraction and interconnected logic. The ability to type a vague query and quickly find relevant code flows is something that could save hours of manual searching. Key features like isolating specific parts of the code, automatically drawing connections between related functions, and saving workspaces really address pain points in code exploration and understanding. The canvas layout inspired by tools like Figma and Miro is a fresh approach that seems like a perfect fit for this. Opening it up as a source-available tool is a great move, and I can see it gaining traction in the developer community. Congrats on the launch, and looking forward to seeing how Haystack evolves!

Haystack is an innovative IDE that transforms the coding experience by placing it on a 2D digital whiteboard. This unique approach allows users to visualize their code as a graph of interconnected components, making it easier to understand how different parts of the codebase interact with one another. The automatic drawing of connections as you navigate and edit files enhances the overall workflow, enabling developers to grasp complex relationships quickly and intuitively. One of the standout features of Haystack is its ability to align with our mental model of coding, which significantly improves productivity and reduces the cognitive load associated with traditional IDEs. This user-centric design fosters a more engaging and efficient coding environment, making it suitable for both novice and experienced developers. As a constructive suggestion, it would be beneficial for Haystack to include more collaborative features, such as real-time editing and sharing capabilities, to further enhance teamwork and communication among developers. This addition could make Haystack an even more powerful tool for collaborative projects. Overall, Haystack is a remarkable advancement in the IDE landscape that promises to redefine how we interact with code.

I love the name Haystack ! It perfectly captures the essence of finding in a haystack especially when working with dense code

This is a great solution for many, I remember doing similar things on paper for some tricky situations. Congrats on the launch! 🚀

I’m really impressed with how Haystack approaches IDE design. It feels much more intuitive than the usual split-panel setups! Does it also support code dependency analysis Congrats on the launch! @akshaysg

When I deal with some complicated codebases, I will use your tool to visualize the connections between code sections.

this looks amazing, downloading it right away! Is this build on top of VSCODE? Does it work with all the same extensions (and possibly also through SSH)?

I'm curious to see how this handles large projects with complex dependencies.