COC
CoCalc
Collaborative cloud notebooks (Jupyter, LaTeX, SageMath) with real-time editing
Polynote
Polyglot notebook with IDE‑grade editing for Scala, Python, SQL
Polynote delivers a modern notebook experience with IDE‑style autocomplete, WYSIWYG text cells, multi‑language support, and real‑time runtime insight for Scala, Python, SQL, and Vega.
Overview
Overview
Polynote is a notebook platform that blends the interactivity of traditional notebooks with the productivity of an IDE. It targets data scientists, engineers, and educators who work with Scala, Python (including Spark), SQL, and Vega visualizations.
Capabilities
The editor provides autocomplete, parameter hints, and plans for jump‑to‑definition, while text cells use a WYSIWYG interface with TeX equation rendering. Multiple languages can coexist in a single notebook, sharing variables and functions seamlessly. A tasks pane reports kernel activity and a symbol table displays defined symbols, helping users avoid scrolling to locate definitions. Compile errors and runtime exceptions are highlighted directly in the code cells.
Deployment
Polynote runs on the JVM and can be started via Docker or a native binary distribution. The Apache‑2.0 licensed project is hosted on GitHub and includes documentation on the official website. Its modular architecture allows integration with existing Spark clusters and other data processing back‑ends.
Highlights
IDE‑grade code editing with autocomplete and parameter hints
WYSIWYG text cells with TeX equation support
Seamless multi‑language notebooks sharing definitions across Scala, Python, SQL, Vega
Live runtime insight via tasks view and symbol table
Pros
- Rich editor features rival IDEs
- Mix languages in a single notebook
- Immediate visibility into kernel activity
- Supports Spark‑enabled Python
Considerations
- Experimental project may lack long‑term stability
- Limited language set beyond four
- UI may feel unfamiliar compared to Jupyter
- Requires Java runtime for Scala kernel
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Fit guide
Great for
- Data scientists who need Scala alongside Python
- Developers wanting IDE‑like editing in notebooks
- Teams building reproducible analyses with Spark
- Researchers requiring inline equations and visualizations
Not ideal when
- Users limited to a single language like pure Python
- Environments without Java installed
- Projects needing extensive plugin ecosystem
- Beginners preferring the simplicity of Jupyter
How teams use it
Exploratory data analysis with Scala and Spark
Combine Scala's type safety with Spark's distributed processing in an interactive notebook.
Prototyping machine learning pipelines mixing Python and SQL
Write data extraction in SQL, transform with Python, and iterate quickly.
Creating interactive reports with Vega visualizations and LaTeX equations
Produce publish‑ready documents that embed rich charts and mathematical notation.
Teaching multi‑language concepts in a single notebook
Demonstrate how definitions in one language are accessible from another.
Tech snapshot
Jupyter Notebook53%
TypeScript22%
Scala22%
Less2%
HTML1%
JavaScript1%
Frequently asked questions
Is Polynote free to use?
Yes, it is released under the Apache‑2.0 license.
Which programming languages does Polynote support?
Currently Scala, Python (with optional Spark), SQL, and Vega.
Can I run Spark jobs from Polynote?
Yes, Python notebooks can be configured to use Spark.
How does editing differ from Jupyter?
Polynote offers IDE‑style autocomplete, parameter hints, and inline error highlighting.
How do I get started with Polynote?
Installation instructions are available on the official website and the GitHub repository, including Docker images.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 4,587
- Watchers
- 4,587
- Forks
- 392
LicenseApache-2.0
Repo age7 years old
Last commit4 weeks ago
Primary languageJupyter Notebook
Last synced yesterday