iThoughtsX Redux!

Building the next iThoughtsX in 2026
This is a DEMO site exploring the possibilities of building a file type compatible replacement for iThoughtsX
The entire contents of this page is being edited in 'the original' iThoughtsX on my Mac. This demo software reads the original format which is sitting in a shared folder. No importing or exporting needed.
Most of the code is written by AI (ok wishful thinking, the reality is, AI writes the code (badly), and then I fix it and remove the spaghetti). It is still faster to work this way, but has its own unique frustrations!
As a developer, this is a continuous learning experience as the models slowly get smarter and more capable. Its all about figuring out how hard we can lean on them and get a net positive result ;)
Here are some test nodes to play with (try moving them around with keyboard commands (if you are a seasoned iThoughtsX user), try using number keys to open N levels. (mouse drag is now implemented but drop targets only work if you drop on the right hand side of the node. (work in progress)
PRESS dot (".") to open up this folded node (or click the plus sign on the RHS)
Child Node 1
Child Node 2
The Goals for this project:
To keep the same file format (itmz) format for read and write (this means you dont lose anything since you don't need to export to a different format)
To reach feature parity with iThoughtsX for the features I use on a daily basis
To provide a framework on top of which I can add all sorts of goodies that I wished iThoughtsX had included
To be able to run as a Web App on my phone or as a Native App on my desktop - Craig Scott originally intended to do an Android App, but it never happened... well now it can!
To be able to run on 'old' devices. (I have a perfectly good iPad2 which I'd like to be able to use as a recipe book in the kitchen)
About Me:
Contact me by email: simon dot ryan at gmail.com
Please Leave Feedback
Thanks for those that have contacted me directly, its good to know that there are so many others wanting a solution to our current dilemma!
How I'm using AI to help me write this:
Can this be 'vibed'? No, but... we can get a long way if we keep a close eye on how the agent codes.
For the LLMs I'm using only local models. These models change on a weekly basis. Currently I'm using mostly MiMo-V2.5-Pro and GLM-5.1 but I’m also using Qwen-3.6-27B as a general all round workhorse
I'm finding that the AI is helping when it knows what I don't know, however as the project is getting larger, it is having issues with reusing existing code as I cant fit it all in the context. - I now have a working solution to this using a Knowledge Graph that has full repo understanding of the code
The best prompting technique seems to be to ask it for 3 options on how to do something, then I pick the one I'm happy with and tell it to "go ahead and code option N", then when it is done, I 'git diff' or use vim to view the changes.
This approach hasnt changed for this and other projects I’m doing
Work in Progress
May/June 2026 - I’ve now finished creating my new agentic coding harness and am starting to do some architectural work
Old entries
Roadmap
Short Term Roadmap:
Architectural considerations for multi-platform. Most of the code I have previously done puts a backend dependancy on python. I’m now exploring moving all of this code into the browser, this means I can run almost anywhere, but with a few caveats around filesystem access.... more to come.
More drop types (drop to parent, sibling above, sibling below)
Visual drop indicator for touch devices (not sure how I'll do this yet)
Medium Term Roadmap:
Roadmap items Completed:
Manual tests I do before updating on this public demo site
New Features and differences to iThoughtsX