Summary:

Integration of Clojure REPL for Enhanced Development Experience

Title: Add Support for Clojure REPL to Enhance Clojure Development

Description:

Greetings, Zed development team,

I recently explored Zed for my Clojure projects and was truly impressed by its capabilities. The tool's intuitive design and robust feature set prompted me to consider transitioning my entire Clojure workflow into Zed. However, during my exploration, I identified a critical gap that significantly impacts the usability of Zed for Clojure development - the absence of Clojure REPL integration.

The Issue:

Clojure development is heavily reliant on the Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL), a fundamental tool that enables developers to interactively write and test their code. The ability to connect to an already running REPL or initiate a new REPL session directly within the editor is not just a convenience; it's a necessity. This feature facilitates the execution of entire files (namespaces) or selective code snippets, allowing developers to immediately observe and analyze the outcomes of their code execution.

The Request:

I kindly urge the Zed development team to consider integrating Clojure REPL support into the editor. Such integration should enable:

• Connection to an existing REPL session or initiation of a new session within Zed.
• Execution of entire Clojure files (namespaces) or specific code snippets directly from the editor.
• Real-time observation of code execution results within the editor environment.

For a practical example of this functionality, please refer to how the Spacemacs Clojure layer REPL is implemented. This feature set is a cornerstone of Spacemacs' popularity among Clojure developers, despite common performance grievances.

Why This Matters:

Spacemacs, a popular editor among Clojure developers, already incorporates these functionalities, resulting in its widespread adoption within the Clojure community. However, Spacemacs users often report performance issues, particularly on Mac systems, which are prevalent among our community. By integrating Clojure REPL support, Zed has the potential to attract a significant portion of these users, enhancing their development experience while addressing performance concerns.

Conclusion:

The integration of Clojure REPL would mark a significant step forward in making Zed a comprehensive tool for Clojure development. It addresses a crucial need within the community and could dramatically increase Zed's adoption among Clojure developers. Thank you for considering this request, and I am excited about the potential improvements in future versions of Zed.

If applicable, add mockups / screenshots to help present your vision of the feature