CipherStudio: A Browser-Based React IDE

Overview

CipherStudio is a modern, browser-based React IDE that allows users to write React code, preview changes in real time, manage projects, and securely store their work in the cloud. It is designed to provide a smooth developer experience directly in the browser without requiring local setup.

What Users Can Do

• Write React Code: Edit React components directly in the browser.
• Real-Time Preview: Instantly see UI changes as you type.
• Project Management: Create, save, and organize multiple projects.
• File Explorer: Manage multiple files per project like a real IDE.
• Authentication: Secure login and signup using JWT-based authentication.
• Cloud Storage: Persist projects securely in MongoDB.
• Theme Toggle: Switch between dark and light modes.
• Responsive UI: Works seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices.

Why I Built This

I built CipherStudio to explore how modern browser-based IDEs work under the hood and to solve a few real problems I noticed:

• Setting up local React environments is painful for beginners.
• Existing online IDEs feel heavy or overcomplicated.
• I wanted a focused, React-only coding environment.
• I wanted to understand real-time preview systems deeply.
• I wanted hands-on experience with full-stack authentication and storage.

This project helped me bridge the gap between frontend tooling and backend architecture.

Tech Stack

Frontend

• React 18
• TypeScript
• Vite
• Tailwind CSS
• React Router
• Sandpack (CodeSandbox)
• Axios

Backend

• Express.js
• TypeScript
• Prisma ORM
• MongoDB
• JWT Authentication
• bcryptjs

Architecture Highlights

• Frontend and backend are fully separated.
• Sandpack handles safe in-browser code execution.
• Prisma manages schema and database interactions.
• JWT secures API access.
• Environment-based configs for local and production.
• Deployed using Vercel (frontend) and Railway/Render (backend).

After Launch & Impact

• Successfully built a full browser-based IDE from scratch.
• Improved understanding of code execution sandboxes.
• Learned secure authentication patterns.
• Gained experience deploying scalable full-stack apps.
• Strengthened understanding of developer tooling UX.

Future Plans

• Enable project sharing via public links.
• Add version history for projects.
• Improve editor performance for large files.
• Introduce AI-assisted code suggestions.

---