Choosing a Integrated Development Environment

Come on, we need to hear about your preferred integrated development environment (IDE). Without a shadow of a doubt, every programmer has his or her preferred IDE.

In contrast, some people like using Vim with its many extensions. However, many developers swear by either Visual Studio or IntelliJ IDEA. It usually boils down to the language and framework used. To be sure, Visual Studio might be used to develop Java code, but there are better options.

However, there are a few options available for various languages. If, for example, you find yourself needing to develop a program in Python or Ruby. In deciding between a dedicated IDE as well as a self-configured environment, let’s take a look at the two most common options.

True IDE

Development Environment

We take a look at JetBrains’ IDEs as an instance. The success of their Java IDE, IntelliJ IDEA, propelled them to the limelight. They eventually released additional items with multilingual support. Products are available now that are compatible with a wide variety of languages and frameworks, including  Javascript, Ruby, PHP, C++, Python, and many more. The shared user interface is the most convenient feature.

The transition from Java to Ruby’s environment was painless for me. It takes time to master a new language and set of rules, so I choose to concentrate on that rather than my environment. All JetBrains IDEs have the same UI in terms of their views, choices, panels, and the like. Similarly, the key mappings are the same. You can maintain your level of productivity with code reworking if you develop a set of habitual quick cuts.

Bug fixing in projects is a lot like that. Although the interfaces are uniform, the internal settings of each product vary depending on the language. The ability to step inside a function and check variables at each iteration is not something that programmers need to pay heed to. Learn the procedure in one JetBrains IDE, and you’ll find it to be intuitive in all of them.

Self-made Environment

Development Environment

However what if you don’t like any of the current IDEs, want more granular control, or need a cost-free alternative? You may alter the settings in your environment. You may avoid doing so by not launching your application. Many custom settings nowadays are built on an editor that can accept plugins. Virtually every up-to-date editor, such as Sublime, VS Code, or Atom, provides excellent customization options.

Choose a text editor you like using and have a look at the plugins the community has to offer. Several of my friends are Vim fans and based their work on it. They upgraded it with all the required add-ons and plugins. Eventually, it became obvious that they had a fully functional IDE in place. In addition to being a free program, VS Code also has a sizable user base. With the many add-ons they provide, you can get quite near to the professional IDE. Once a handful of Ruby on Rails development plugins were installed, VS Code became almost feature-parallel to RubyMine.

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