StudentIDE

A scalable, cloud-based IDE and project management platform for computer science education.

Live Demo

Overview

StudentIDE is a full-stack virtual coding environment designed to eliminate local setup bottlenecks. It provides educators with robust project management tools and gives students instant access to pre-configured, locked-down virtual workspaces.

The Problem & The Solution

The Problem: Traditional coding assignments require students to manually download starter files, configure their local IDEs, manage dependencies, and adhere to strict file-naming conventions. This leads to "environment fatigue" and wastes valuable instructional time.

The Solution: I built StudentIDE to abstract away environment configuration. Educators create a single project definition, and students launch a fully configured, containerized development environment with a single click.

Key Features for Educators:

• Custom Environments: Provision workspaces in Python, Java, Node.js, and more.
• Seamless Distribution: Distribute starter files and project instructions directly within the workspace.
• Integrity Controls: Restrict IDE extensions (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor) to prevent unauthorized assistance.
• Centralized Dashboard: Collect and review all student submissions in one place.

Technical Stack & Architecture

Core & Infrastructure

• AWS ECS (Elastic Container Service): Orchestrates isolated, scalable student workspaces.
• AWS ECR & EFS: ECR manages the custom Docker images for the IDE environments, while EFS provides persistent, attached storage for active student sessions.
• AWS S3: Handles secure cloud storage for starter files and final project submissions.
• AWS Lambda: Executes event-driven, serverless backend functions.
• Cloudflare DNS: Dynamically registers and manages subdomains for active ECS tasks, routing students to their specific workspaces.
• Docker: Containerizes the core applications and student environments.

Frontend

• Next.js & React: Powers a fast, server-side rendered user interface.
• Tailwind CSS: Delivers a responsive, highly customizable styling system.
• Vercel: Manages the CI/CD pipeline and global edge deployment for the frontend.

Backend & Tooling

• Supabase (PostgreSQL): Relational database managing users, project metadata, and session state.
• Better Auth: Handles secure authentication, including Google and GitHub OAuth integrations.
• Turborepo: Optimizes the monorepo structure, managing dependencies and build pipelines across multiple packages.
• TypeScript & Bun: Ensures end-to-end type safety across the stack, utilizing Bun for rapid local development execution.
• Github Actions: For CI/CD pipeline automation, including production deployments.

System Workflow

1. Provisioning: An educator creates a project definition, which is serialized and stored in Supabase.
2. Distribution: The platform generates a unique project link to share with students.
3. Execution: Upon clicking "Launch Workspace," the backend triggers an AWS ECS task. Cloudflare dynamically registers a unique subdomain routed to this specific container.
4. Development: The student accesses their isolated, browser-based IDE via the generated subdomain.
5. Submission: Upon completion, the workspace state and files are securely packaged and uploaded to AWS S3 for educator review.

Product Roadmap

• Expanded Runtimes: Add support for PyGame, Rust, and Machine Learning environments.
• Custom Dockerfiles: Allow educators to define bespoke environments via custom Dockerfile or entrypoint.sh uploads.
• Real-Time Auditing: Implement word-level keystroke tracking to help educators visualize student progress and verify academic integrity.
• Live Collaboration: Enable educators to drop into active student workspaces for real-time support and feedback.
• Automated CI/CD Grading: Allow educators to define automated test suites that run against student submissions upon completion.