A tech startup from Rajasthan is enabling techies to code from anywhere in over 35 programming languages. The platform called Dcoder can let anyone code using just their smartphone. ?
The idea germinated in Ankush Chugh’s mind when he understood the value of a laptop. Being a coder himself, Ankush wanted to find an alternative to the laptop that will allow programmers to code from anywhere, anytime. A computer is a lifeline for most coders. The problem arises when it goes missing for even one day, or when they need to access their code while traveling.
The solution that Ankush has built is essentially an IDE (code editor and compiler) for mobiles. Dcoder will let programmers, coders, students and hackers to code on mobile to practice and improve skills. Ankush started working on Dcoder and launched it in July 2016.
Dcoder supports over 35 programming languages. It is a mobile coding platform (IDE) developed by Ankush and a team of five other developers. Ankush took nearly eight months to launch the minimum viable product (MVP) other team members joined. A large part of the team are students.
Dcoder works exactly similar to a full-fledged desktop IDE software. You write your code on the phone using Dcoder’s code editor. The platform then sends to the cloud server where it is compiled and executed. The IDE shows the program’s output on the mobile screen. Dcoder’s code editor, CodeNow lets programmers select a template form the option on the app.
A section in the platform, Algoyo lists challenges that coders can participate in. The team is trying to create engaging environment by pushing users to participate in these challenges. Algoyo also has the ‘Global Leaderboard’, which allows developers to showcase their coding skills and get ranking based on their performance.
In just one year of the launch, Dcoder already has one million downloads on Google Play Store and 1 lakh active users on the platform. The team is constantly scaling servers and optimizing solutions to offer optimum performance. The platform has grappled with several challenges as well.
The platform was launched with an initial investment of $200. Rajasthan government’s iStart initiative and Facebook’s FB Start Accelerated Startups are actively supporting Dcoder. The team is provided with AWS credits and incubation space at Jaipur’s Bhamashah incubation center.
Ankush has big plans for the future of Dcoder. The team wants to work on world’s biggest connected coding platform. The platform will help coders start coding on desktops and pick up where you left on a mobile phone. The team wants to reach out to three million programmers in the next one year.