dpc - DevPlace Code
A terminal-native agent for autonomous software engineering. Implemented in Nim as a single self-contained binary, developed and maintained with dpc itself as part of its own engineering workflow.
What is dpc?
dpc (DevPlace Code) is a standalone terminal application that runs an autonomous AI software engineering agent directly in your terminal. It connects to the DevPlace gateway to access frontier models, executes tools (read files, edit code, run commands, search the web), and renders everything in a responsive TUI - no IDE plugin, no browser tab, no Electron wrapper.
No configuration required. Each user downloads a pre-compiled binary with their credentials embedded, built on demand by this site. Install the file and run it; there is nothing else to set up.
Key features
900k token context
A large context window allows dpc to hold entire codebases or full documentation sets in a single session. Automatic compaction and archival preserve continuity in long sessions.
Vision support
Interpret screenshots, error captures, and UI mockups directly. The same session handles text and images.
Agent swarms
Run multiple sub-agents in parallel, each with its own context and a live output display. Large tasks are decomposed and executed concurrently.
Rich reactive TUI
Damage-driven rendering, zero-byte-idle output, proportional scrollbars, an inline cell-diff engine, full multiline input, and live shell command output. Written in Nim with no UI framework dependency.
Deep research
Multi-step web research with source aggregation. deep_search performs thorough investigation; ai_search returns quick answers with citations.
Autonomous agent loop
Plan, execute tools, reflect, verify. dpc calls tools, reads their output, and iterates until the task is complete, generating scripts for repetitive work rather than repeating it token by token.
Token efficiency
Repetitive work is delegated to generated scripts. The embedded BM25 knowledge base answers reference questions in a few hundred tokens without a network request.
Session resume
Save and resume sessions with context, tool state, and history preserved. Continue exactly where a previous session ended.
Claude workflows & agents
Reads the same .claude/ directory structure used by Claude Code: workflows, agents, and slash commands work without modification.
Safe file modification
Read-before-write enforcement on every edit, timestamped backups in managed file operations, and verification gates after changes.
Extensive tool inventory
More than one hundred registered tools: file operations, search, web retrieval, shell execution, sub-agent delegation, syntax validation, vision analysis, scheduled prompts, systemd management, and more. The tool set is extensible.
Security auditing
Supports authorized security assessment workflows - dependency review, configuration audits, and OWASP-aligned code analysis - within the same agent loop.
Design principles
- Self-contained binary. A single executable with credentials embedded at build time. No runtime dependencies, no configuration files.
- Zero-byte-idle rendering. While idle, dpc writes nothing to the terminal. Text selection and copy-paste always work.
- Damage-driven paint. The terminal is repainted only when content changes - no unconditional frame loops, no flicker.
- Embedded knowledge base. The Agent Knowledge Docs ship inside the binary. Reference answers require no network access and no additional keys.
- Written in Nim. Native performance, a small binary, and precise memory control.
- No JavaScript frameworks. The TUI uses raw terminal escape codes; this web frontend uses standard HTML and vanilla ES modules.
- Token discipline. Every subsystem is designed to minimise token usage and maximise effective context.
- Self-application. This website and substantial parts of dpc were developed with dpc, which serves as a continuous integration test of the agent itself.
- Multi-language proficiency. Python, Nim, TypeScript, JavaScript, Go, Rust, HTML, CSS, and shell are covered by the toolchain and knowledge base.
- Transparent usage. Real-time context and token usage are always visible in the status bar.
- Safe by design. Read-before-write enforcement, idempotent operations, and verification gates after every change.
Platform & account
Active community
Questions, feature requests, and bug reports are handled through the DevPlace community, and directly shape development priorities.
Daily free credits
Every account includes a daily usage allowance at no cost and with no credit card required.
DevPlace account
One free DevPlace account provides access to the platform, the community, and dpc.
Low-latency inference
The gateway is optimised for streaming responses with low latency and high throughput.
Architecture at a glance
Nim terminal UI: reactive component tree, damage-driven paint, scroll-shift optimiser, inline cell-diff engine.
Plan → execute tools → reflect → verify. Parallel sub-agent swarm support.
100+ tools: file ops, web, search, code execution, sub-agent delegation, extensible.
OpenAI-compatible proxy through DevPlace. Multi-model, multi-provider routing. 900k context. Vision support.