The latest articles on DEV Community by Armin Daraei (@armindaraei). https://dev.to/armindaraei https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4005648%2Fa482ffeb-11d4-49ca-b18c-a578bae77ded.jpg https://dev.to/armindaraei en Armin Daraei Sat, 27 Jun 2026 18:11:26 +0000 https://dev.to/armindaraei/from-idea-to-ide-building-laracode-a-minimalist-phplaravel-ide-with-python-ttkbootstrap-1gkp https://dev.to/armindaraei/from-idea-to-ide-building-laracode-a-minimalist-phplaravel-ide-with-python-ttkbootstrap-1gkp <h1> From Idea to IDE: Building Laracode 🚀 </h1> <blockquote> <p>A minimalist native IDE for PHP &amp; Laravel developers — built with Python.</p> </blockquote> <p>As a developer, I’ve always preferred minimal tools — fast, clean, and focused.</p> <p>While working with PHP and Laravel, I often felt that many IDEs were either too heavy or packed with features I didn’t really need. I wanted something lightweight and distraction‑free.</p> <p>So I decided to build my own tool.</p> <p>That’s how <strong>Laracode</strong> was born. ⚡</p> <h2> 💡 The Idea </h2> <p>Laracode started with a simple question:</p> <p><strong>Can I build a lightweight IDE focused on PHP and Laravel development using Python?</strong></p> <p>Instead of using heavy desktop frameworks, I chose to build a <strong>native desktop application using Python</strong>.</p> <p>The main goals were simple:</p> <ul> <li>Minimal interface ✨ </li> <li>Fast performance ⚡ </li> <li>Native desktop experience 🖥️ </li> <li>A focused workflow for Laravel developers 🧑‍💻 </li> </ul> <h2> 🧩 What is Laracode? </h2> <p><strong>Laracode</strong> is a minimalist desktop IDE designed specifically for <strong>PHP and Laravel developers</strong>.</p> <p>The goal is not to replace large IDEs, but to provide a <strong>clean and simple environment</strong> focused on writing and running Laravel projects.</p> <p>Current features include:</p> <ul> <li>Clean code editor 📝 </li> <li>Project creation 📁 </li> <li>Built‑in terminal 💻 </li> <li>Integrated file explorer 🗂️ </li> <li>Ability to run local servers 🌐 </li> <li>Lightweight native performance ⚡ </li> </ul> <h2> ⚙️ Technology Stack </h2> <p>Laracode is built using:</p> <ul> <li>Python 🐍 </li> <li>Tkinter </li> <li>ttkbootstrap for modern UI styling 🎨 </li> </ul> <p><strong>ttkbootstrap</strong> extends Tkinter with modern themes and styled widgets, making it possible to create a cleaner interface while keeping the application lightweight.</p> <p>The interface design is inspired by the <strong>One Dark Pro</strong> theme 🌙.</p> <h2> ⚠️ Important Prerequisites </h2> <p>Since Laracode is designed for Laravel development, you must have:</p> <ul> <li>PHP installed </li> <li>Composer installed </li> <li>Both added to your system PATH </li> </ul> <p>Without these tools, creating and running Laravel projects will not work properly.</p> <h2> 📸 Screenshots </h2> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F5uic0h16gvtajfaf83r5.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F5uic0h16gvtajfaf83r5.png" alt=" " width="799" height="459"></a></p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F6nojax17ab2gfy0pgpte.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F6nojax17ab2gfy0pgpte.png" alt=" " width="800" height="425"></a></p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fqvn9f26vetz20g7prhex.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fqvn9f26vetz20g7prhex.png" alt=" " width="502" height="537"></a></p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fp1h9s0cx59abfa4hiy26.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fp1h9s0cx59abfa4hiy26.png" alt=" " width="502" height="537"></a></p> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fqfrnucpsp26wheg26av2.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fqfrnucpsp26wheg26av2.png" alt=" " width="800" height="460"></a></p> <h2> 🌍 Open Source </h2> <p>Laracode is open source and available on GitHub:</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/armindaraei1381/Laracode" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/armindaraei1381/Laracode</a></p> <p>You can contribute by:</p> <ul> <li>Reporting bugs 🐛 </li> <li>Suggesting features 💡 </li> <li>Submitting pull requests 🔧 </li> </ul> <p>Feedback is always welcome.</p> <h2> 🔮 What's Next? </h2> <p>Future plans include:</p> <ul> <li>Better syntax highlighting ✨ </li> <li>More Laravel automation ⚙️ </li> <li>Performance improvements 🚀 </li> <li>Possible plugin system 🔌 </li> </ul> <h2> ⭐ Support the Project </h2> <p>If you like the project, consider:</p> <ul> <li>⭐ Starring the repository on GitHub </li> <li>🐛 Reporting bugs </li> <li>💡 Suggesting new features </li> </ul> <p>Every bit of feedback helps improve Laracode.</p> <h2> 💭 Final Thoughts </h2> <p>Building Laracode reminded me why I enjoy programming.</p> <p>Sometimes the best way to learn is to build the tool you wish already existed.</p> <p>If you're a <strong>Laravel or Python developer</strong>, I’d love to hear your feedback.</p> php laravel python opensource