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JetBrains Thinkrail
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JetBrains has released ThinkRail, an open-source 'agentic IDE' (a coding app where an AI agent helps write and manage code). It is still an incubator project, which means it is an early experiment.
What happened
JetBrains shared ThinkRail on GitHub. ThinkRail is a coding app built around the pi coding agent. It lets the AI agent work on a project, keep notes about that project, and reuse helpful skills. The team also plans to add extension support, so the app can build its own tools based on how a person works.
Key facts
- Each workspace is a separate git worktree, with its own branch and folder.
- You can run several pi chat sessions in one workspace, each with its own model.
- The chat shows live token and cost counts.
- Finished or dormant workspaces move to a shelf after a merged or closed pull request, or after a quiet week.
- The project is marked as a JetBrains incubator project.
Key ideas in plain words
Git is a tool that tracks changes to code. A worktree is a second working copy of a project, so an agent can make changes without touching your main copy. A pull request (PR) is a request to add a set of changes to the main project. Specs are plain text notes, kept in SPEC.md files next to the code, that describe what the project is meant to do.
Why it matters
Many people now use AI agents to write code. ThinkRail tries to keep the agent's work safe and organized, and to keep project knowledge in files that last longer than one chat. If it works well, it could make AI-assisted coding easier to manage for many developers.
What to watch
- Whether the planned extension support arrives and how it works.
- How well the agent handles parallel workspaces and pull requests in real projects.
- Whether the project keeps growing as an open-source tool on GitHub.
Glossary
- JetBrains
- A software company that makes tools for programmers, including code editors (IDEs).
- IDE
- Integrated Development Environment: an app where people write, test, and manage code in one place.
- pi
- A coding agent, an AI helper that writes and changes code, that ThinkRail is built around.
- git worktree
- A extra working copy of a project, so changes can be made without touching the main copy.
- SPEC.md
- A plain text file that describes what part of a project is meant to do.