Building a leaner IDE, one plugin at a time

CoGo™ shipped Release 1 as a 1 GB Android package. For developers on phones with limited storage or data plans, that number matters. Our answer has been fractionalization: splitting CoGo into a lean core and a growing set of independently installable plugins, so anyone can download only what they need. That work is ongoing, and this post collects the full library in one place for the first time.

The case for this approach keeps getting stronger. At this year’s CSTA conference, educators were clear that tools for students in low-resource environments have to fit the device, the storage, and the workflow of someone who may not have a laptop or a fast connection. Fractionalization is our answer to that. A developer who does not need Python does not have to carry a Python runtime. A student on a phone with 8 GB of storage can install a lean core plus exactly the plugins their project requires.

Why the library keeps growing

The plugin system was not designed to be a finished list. It was designed to grow, both from our own team and from the broader CoGo community. Every new plugin is another way for a developer to customize their install, reduce their footprint, or add a capability they specifically need without forcing it on everyone else.

All plugins are available at appdevforall.org/addons. Here’s the current library.

I. Build and native development

•         APK Analyzer

Once you build an APK, this plugin lets you look inside it. You can inspect its structure, see what is taking up space, and understand what is actually being packaged. At 4.33 MB it is a lightweight tool that is useful when a build comes out larger than you expected or behaves differently than it should.

•         Keystore Generator

Shipping a release version of an Android app requires a signed APK, which means you need a keystore. The process is complicated and easy to get wrong. This plugin walks you through creating a private key for a signed release build at 7.59 MB, without leaving CoGo.

•         NDK Installer

The Android Native Development Kit lets you write performance-critical code in C and C++. This plugin installs the NDK toolchain on your device so you can compile native code directly from CoGo, without a desktop machine.

•         Cotg-NDK (community plugin by Arman King)

An alternative NDK environment. Rather than using CMake, Cotg-NDK compiles C++ projects directly, which makes the setup faster and more lightweight for projects that do not need CMake’s full feature set. A good alternative to the NDK Installer if your workflow allows it.

II. UI design and prototyping

•         Jetpack Compose Preview

If you are building UIs with Jetpack Compose, this plugin lets you preview your layouts directly inside CoGo without running a full build. That kind of fast feedback loop is something desktop developers take for granted in Android Studio, and now it is available on your phone. At 28.82 MB, it is a meaningful addition to your install, but for any developer doing Compose work it pays for itself immediately.

•         Layout Editor

The Layout Editor brings drag-and-drop editing for XML layouts to CoGo. The layout editor used to be a core feature, but it has been moved to a plugin so developers who work primarily in Jetpack Compose or who prefer to edit XML directly do not have to carry it. It is 9.18 MB.

•         Sketch to UI

Draw a rough app layout by hand, photograph it, and CoGo generates working Android XML from the sketch. The plugin uses a YOLOv8 object detection model trained on hand-drawn Android UI components, running entirely on-device with no internet connection required. For more detail on how it works, see the original Sketch to UI blog post.

•         Icons Repository (community plugin by Omar Haidar)

This plugin integrates Google’s Material Design icon library into CoGo so you can browse and insert icons directly into your project without going online.

III. Language support

•         Python and Flask

This plugin adds Python and Flask to CoGo. It is primarily useful as a demonstration of how new languages and project types can be added through the plugin system, and it works well in that role. A note from the plugin author: only light testing has been done, so use it at your own risk. Bug reports and pull requests are welcome through the standard channels. Customer support is not able to help with issues specific to this plugin.

•         Flutter Template (community plugin by RJ Ali)

This plugin adds five starter templates for Flutter projects to the New Project page. It was contributed by RJ Ali through our community contribution process. If you are exploring Flutter development on your phone, these templates give you a working starting point without building the project structure from scratch. The plugin is 4.83 MB. Community plugin submissions and downloads are at appdevforall.org/addons/#community.

IV. Code editor enhancements

•         Snippets

Code snippets are reusable blocks of code that slot into your project through the autocomplete feature. If you find yourself typing the same patterns repeatedly, this plugin lets you define them once and reuse them with a few keystrokes. It is one of the smallest plugins in the library at 4.37 MB and one of the most immediately practical for anyone working on multiple projects.

•         Template Manager

The Template Manager gives you a visual interface for browsing, installing, uninstalling, and deleting project and file templates. Templates are .cgt files that give you a working starting point for a new project. This plugin is 4.68 MB and pairs naturally with the Flutter Template community plugin.

•         Markdown Previewer

CoGo lets you view rendered markdown and HTML files directly inside the IDE. If your project includes documentation, a README, or notes in markdown format, this 4.51 MB plugin means you no longer need to switch to a browser to see what those files actually look like.

•         Rainbow Parentheses

Nested code blocks are easier to read when the paired parentheses, brackets, and braces are color-coded. That is exactly what Rainbow Parentheses does. It is the smallest plugin in the current library at 653 KB, which means there is almost no reason not to install it if you work with deeply nested code.

V. Productivity

•         Client Time Tracker

When you are deep in a coding project, the last thing you want to think about is a stopwatch. But if you work with clients, accurate timekeeping is essential. The Client Time Tracker automatically tracks your billable coding sessions based on real-time editor activity. You can configure settings for clients, rates, currencies, and taxes, and generate invoices as PDF, CSV, or Excel files.

•         Voice Alerts

Voice Alerts provides audio notifications for build status. When your build finishes or fails, CoGo tells you. If you tend to switch to something else while a build runs, or if you simply find it easier to hear the result than to watch for it, this is worth the 9.69 MB install. It is also a good example of an accessibility-oriented plugin that makes CoGo more usable for developers who benefit from audio feedback.

VI. Learning and reference

•         Bookshelf

Reference documentation takes up a lot of space, and not every developer needs the same materials. The Bookshelf plugin lets you choose which supplemental instruction and reference resources get added to CoGo’s help system, so you carry only the docs that are actually useful to you. At 20.02 MB it is larger than most plugins in the library, but compared to bundling all reference materials into the core install, the savings are significant.

•         Learn AI Anywhere

This is the largest plugin in the current library at 118.02 MB, and it earns the size. Learn AI Anywhere brings offline-first, mobile-friendly AI literacy lessons directly into CoGo, including video guidance, through a partnership with LearnAIAnywhere.org. For developers who want to build their understanding of AI alongside their coding skills, and do it without an internet connection, this is a meaningful addition.

The CSTA conference made clear that AI literacy is now an expected part of CS education, not an elective topic. The updated CSTA PreK–12 standards reflect this directly. A plugin that delivers offline AI instruction on the same device where students are writing code is one direct response to that expectation.

VII. Just plain fun

•         Random XKCD

Not every plugin has to be serious. Random xkcd adds a browser for the popular xkcd comic strip to CoGo’s bottom sheet. At 4.81 MB it is entirely optional and entirely worth it if you appreciate a break between builds. The xkcd comic is licensed under a CreativXKCDe Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license.

The library is open

The plugin system means that new features, educational tools, accessibility improvements, and language supports can be added to CoGo without inflating the install for developers who do not need them. That is the real value of fractionalization: not just smaller APKs, but a more adaptable tool that can serve a wider range of learners and workflows.

The full plugin library is at appdevforall.org/addons. If you are an educator thinking about how CoGo might fit into your classroom, or a developer who wants to build a plugin of your own, we want to hear from you. Happy coding.