Chinese Developers Release CEC-IDE, Claimed as First Independently Developed IDE

Summary

Chinese developers recently launched CEC-IDE, claiming it as the first independently developed IDE from China. However, it was quickly revealed to be a superficial rebrand of VSCode, featuring only minor UI changes, a custom extension marketplace, and a VIP function, while still retaining Microsoft's copyright. DigitalGD, the company behind it, issued an apology for negligence regarding licensing and misleading claims, subsequently removing the IDE from its website. This incident underscores the critical importance of genuine engineering effort and a step-by-step approach over shortcuts in product development.

China witnessed the recent launch of a new IDE called CEC-IDE, which boldly claims to be the first IDE independently developed by Chinese developers. Initially, this release was anticipated to be a moment of pride for the country, as it marked the availability of a homegrown IDE. However, the situation quickly took an embarrassing turn, and the entire narrative soon became a subject of ridicule.

It has come to light that the so-called independently developed IDE, CEC-IDE, is actually built upon the renowned VSCode IDE. The developers merely made superficial changes to the software, such as modifying the icon and name, while establishing their own extension marketplace and introducing a VIP function. Surprisingly, the copyright information still indicates that it is a Microsoft product.

Furthermore, the overall look and feel of CEC-IDE closely resemble that of VSCode.

Released by DigitalGD(Digital Guangdong Network Construction Co., Ltd), the IDE faced scrutiny from netizens who questioned its claim of independent development. In response, the company has issued an apology statement.

... Due to negligence during version iteration updates, the MIT license file was missing in recent versions. The use of phrases like "independently developed" in product descriptions has been questioned by netizens. We deeply regret and feel responsible for this oversight. The company has instructed the relevant work teams to make serious rectifications. Moving forward, we will further enhance our product development management mechanism.

Presently, the official website of CEC-IDE no longer displays any useful information, as the IDE has been removed from the website. Interestingly, someone opened an issue on the original VSCode repository, which has now been closed due to the intense nature of the discussion.

This incident serves as a reminder that engineering innovation cannot be achieved through shortcuts. It emphasizes the importance of hard work and a step-by-step approach in creating exceptional products.

CHINA CECIDE CEC-IDE

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  COMMENTS

3
Tim Cook
Oct 1, 2023 at 11:12 pm

Guys we are launching one soon too! (keep this quiet)

kaichun
Oct 23, 2024 at 3:34 am

????????

kaichun
Oct 23, 2024 at 3:35 am

The shame has been spread abroad.