Simplicity Playground

Inspiration

Even as developers, it was hard for us to get started with Simplicity. The old Web IDE didn’t give much feedback or guidance, making it difficult to understand what was possible. We wanted to change that and make Simplicity more approachable for anyone curious about it.

What it does

Simplicity Playground upgrades the original Web IDE with features developers expect: LSP integration, syntax highlighting, and autocomplete. It provides real-time feedback, better navigation, and a smoother workflow for writing and exploring Simplicity smart contracts.

How we built it

We started by setting up the existing Simplicity Web IDE, then extended it with the Language Server implementation and integrated syntax highlighting. We connected the LSP through websockets with the IDE.

Challenges we ran into

Understanding the structure of the IDE and how to inject new developer tools was tricky. We also encountered some issues with the LSP setup and maintaining consistent communication between the IDE and LSP.

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

We transformed a basic text editor into a modern developer environment. The IDE now feels intuitive and gives immediate insight into the structure of Simplicity programs with inline error highlighting and documentation on hover.

What we learned

We learned a lot about how Simplicity works, how HAL, and how language servers can drastically improve the developer experience. We also deepened our understanding of Web IDE design, integration, Rust, and Web Assembly.