Compiler Explorer — Split panes

Dev ToolsSee it livegodbolt.org

Source lines and the assembly they compile to share the exact same pastel background colour, so two independently-scrolling panes stay visually linked with zero interaction — a wire you can see instead of one you have to hover to find.

Compiler Explorer — Split panes — captured interface — Page excerpt · scroll inside to explore

Source capture · 2026-08-01Open full image ↗

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Why this pattern works

Steal the colour-linked pane pattern wholesale: assign each logical block of source a distinct pale background (mint, yellow, lavender) and paint the exact same colour behind whatever it maps to in the other pane. It replaces a hover-to-highlight interaction with a permanently-visible one, which matters anywhere two representations of the same thing sit side by side — source/preview, query/result, input/diff. Also worth lifting: each pane gets its own compact toolbar (language picker, action icons) directly under its own tab, so panes are self-contained enough to add a third or a fourth without redesigning anything.

Design notes

Surface: Compiler Explorer split-pane view, one C++ source pane and one x86-64 assembly output pane, both showing a single trivial example function
Navigation: Barely any. A slim top bar (logo, Add/More/Templates menus, a dismissible Discord banner, sponsor logos, Share/Policies/Other) sits above the workspace and is never touched again once you're editing. Everything else lives inside the two panes themselves.
Layout: A hard vertical split down the middle, each half a card with its own tab strip. Left pane fixed to source, right pane fixed to output; both scroll independently and can presumably be resized or multiplied via the per-pane corner controls.
Density: Editor-dense: 13px monospace, tight line-height, line numbers flush left. Built for staring at four lines of code and eight lines of assembly, not for browsing.
Color: White canvas, near-black monospace text, one blue accent on the language/compiler badges — and then three pastel row washes (mint, pale yellow, pale lavender) that exist purely to link lines across panes. No other colour anywhere in the shot.
Type: Monospace for all code in both panes; a small humanist sans for every chrome element (tabs, toolbar labels, dropdowns). Size never changes — hierarchy is entirely positional (which pane, which toolbar row), not typographic.
Pattern: Line-level colour linking: line 2 of the source and the three assembly lines it produced share one pastel background; line 3 and its two lines share another; line 4, the closing brace, and its two lines share a third. Scroll either pane and the colour is still there — it's not a hover state, it's baked into the row.
States: This is the default/example state — Compiler Explorer loads with a placeholder comment and a working example rather than a blank editor, plus a live green compile-status dot showing the last run succeeded.
Don't: Don't make the link colours a hover-only highlight. The entire value is that it's ambient and always-on — a hover version makes you check every line one at a time instead of seeing the whole shape of the mapping in one glance.

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# My project
[Describe the product, audience, and screen you want to improve]

Stack: Use the existing project stack
Task: Implement the interface and verify the result in the existing project.

## Tool guidance (Any AI tool)
Use available project tools to inspect, implement, and test. State any unavailable capabilities.

# Design reference: Compiler Explorer — Split panes
Source: https://godbolt.org/
Swipefile reference: https://swipefile.design/ref/godbolt-compiler/
Captured: 2026-08-01. This is a dated reference, not a claim about the current live product.
Capture scope: a page excerpt. Do not infer unseen sections or interactions.

## Objective
Adapt the interaction and layout patterns below to my project. Use my own content and identity. Do not reproduce logos, proprietary copy, or brand assets.

## Reference notes
- surface: Compiler Explorer split-pane view, one C++ source pane and one x86-64 assembly output pane, both showing a single trivial example function
- nav: Barely any. A slim top bar (logo, Add/More/Templates menus, a dismissible Discord banner, sponsor logos, Share/Policies/Other) sits above the workspace and is never touched again once you're editing. Everything else lives inside the two panes themselves.
- layout: A hard vertical split down the middle, each half a card with its own tab strip. Left pane fixed to source, right pane fixed to output; both scroll independently and can presumably be resized or multiplied via the per-pane corner controls.
- density: Editor-dense: 13px monospace, tight line-height, line numbers flush left. Built for staring at four lines of code and eight lines of assembly, not for browsing.
- color: White canvas, near-black monospace text, one blue accent on the language/compiler badges — and then three pastel row washes (mint, pale yellow, pale lavender) that exist purely to link lines across panes. No other colour anywhere in the shot.
- typography: Monospace for all code in both panes; a small humanist sans for every chrome element (tabs, toolbar labels, dropdowns). Size never changes — hierarchy is entirely positional (which pane, which toolbar row), not typographic.
- pattern: Line-level colour linking: line 2 of the source and the three assembly lines it produced share one pastel background; line 3 and its two lines share another; line 4, the closing brace, and its two lines share a third. Scroll either pane and the colour is still there — it's not a hover state, it's baked into the row.
- states: This is the default/example state — Compiler Explorer loads with a placeholder comment and a working example rather than a blank editor, plus a live green compile-status dot showing the last run succeeded.
- dont: Don't make the link colours a hover-only highlight. The entire value is that it's ambient and always-on — a hover version makes you check every line one at a time instead of seeing the whole shape of the mapping in one glance.

Useful for: Steal the colour-linked pane pattern wholesale: assign each logical block of source a distinct pale background (mint, yellow, lavender) and paint the exact same colour behind whatever it maps to in the other pane. It replaces a hover-to-highlight interaction with a permanently-visible one, which matters anywhere two representations of the same thing sit side by side — source/preview, query/result, input/diff. Also worth lifting: each pane gets its own compact toolbar (language picker, action icons) directly under its own tab, so panes are self-contained enough to add a third or a fourth without redesigning anything.

## Acceptance criteria
- Existing project conventions, design tokens, working functionality, and unrelated changes are preserved.
- Two or three reference principles clearly support the user's task; conflicts are resolved in favor of usability and the existing product.
- Reusable components and semantic HTML express the interface. Available licensed assets are used; important UI text is never rendered as a bitmap.
- Every visible control has a defined behavior. Loading, empty, error, success, disabled, and long-content states are specified where relevant. Demo data is clearly labeled.
- Navigation and content adapt at 375px, 768px, and 1440px without horizontal page overflow. Keyboard use, visible focus, labeled inputs, at least 44px touch targets, readable contrast, and reduced motion are supported.
- Verification distinguishes rendered behavior from proposals and identifies anything still requiring a backend or external service.

## Quality bar
Clear hierarchy, consistent spacing, restrained surfaces, and purposeful motion. Avoid decorative gradients, excessive cards, placeholder buttons, and invented metrics unless the project calls for them. Do not claim a feature is connected or tested without evidence.

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## Objective
Adapt the interaction and layout patterns below to my project. Use my own content and identity. Do not reproduce logos, proprietary copy, or brand assets.

Compiler Explorer — Split panes

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