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Rebound Editor

A keyboard-first native code editor with Vim keys, also embedded in Rebound Retro Studio.

State
In development
Version
1.5.0-alpha.15
As of
2026-10-05

Still in development — nothing to download yet.

I wanted an editor that opens instantly, obeys Vim keys, and is not a browser wearing a window frame. This is that editor, and it is also the editing surface inside Rebound Retro Studio — one implementation, two homes, which is why it gets more use than a side project usually would.

What it does

  • Vim, properly. Operators composed with motions, counts, registers, marks, charwise, linewise and blockwise Visual, u and Ctrl-R. There is a second, plain keyboard profile for when someone else is at the keyboard.
  • Panes and tabs, :sp / :vsp, the unfocused pane dimmed so you can see where the cursor actually is.
  • Find and replace with /, n, N and :s/old/new/. Literal matching, no regular expressions — a scope decision, not an oversight.
  • It notices when a file changed under you. Focusing the window re-checks the file on disk; if it moved, you get Reload or Keep Mine, and never a silent overwrite in either direction.
  • Syntax highlighting for 6502, 45GS02 and 68000 assembly, Commodore BASIC and C.
  • Scrolling by the pixel, and a held drag past the edge of the pane keeps selecting.
  • A git panel with per-hunk revert and a diff view.

Where it actually stands

The current development version is 1.5.0-alpha.15, installed and proven on 2026-10-05. The v1.5 editing phases are closed; beta is next. The same editor is embedded in Studio; a public standalone download has not been supplied.

Screenshots

Rebound Editor — screenshot 1 of 1

What’s next

  • Phase 7: beta and the remaining release checks.
  • Dead keys work in the document; find and Vim command prompts still need their own input anchor.