During the past few years, the importance of going digital
has become quite clear. Business owners know that in order to stay competitive
and retain their customers, they need a website for business or a mobile app.
All websites and apps are written in code and a developer
uses numerous tools during code creation and testing. Prior to the integrated
development environment (IDE), programs were written in text editors which was
a long and complex process. But, when IDEs appeared, everything changed.
IDE is a software application that provides all the tools
any application programmer or website developer needs in one place. Therefore,
there is no need to select, deploy, integrate and manage them separately.
IDE is designed with the goal of simplifying software
development and helps identify and minimize coding mistakes and typos.
Importance of an IDE
If you’re a developer, you probably know the advantages of
IDE and how important it is in Software Development and the process of going
digital. But if you have no experience in coding, you may not know what an IDE
is or how you can choose the best IDE.
Simply put, an IDE for a programmer is like a calculator for
a mathematician. It handles all development stages and related tasks. Although
the tools available within each integrated development environment are
different, they generally allow the programmer or website developer to color
code, format source code, identify errors, create reports, etc.
A software developer needs technological support when typing
the code to build a large-scale system. This is where IDE comes in and helps
the developer write, correct and improve the code much faster and easier.
Features of IDEs
An integrated development environment combines common
development tools into a single graphical user interface (GUI) and thus
eliminating the need to switch between them.
Each IDE works in a different way depending on the
development environment; However, all of them have 3 common features:
- Source code editor: Every IDE has a text editor which is
designed to help write software code and edit it. Code editor simplifies or
enhances the process of writing and editing the code and may have features such
as syntax highlighting and language specific auto-completion.
- Compiler or interpreter: Compilers transform the source code
into a form that computers can process and execute.
- Debugger: Debugging tools are used during testing and help
developers identify and correct errors in the source code.
These features allow programmer or website developer to
write, improve, and process code within a single environment, but when
searching for the best IDE, you may look for additional features based on the
project.
For example, autocomplete feature enables the IDE to
intelligently identify and insert common code components which not only saves
time, but also reduces the likelihood of typos and bugs.
Another feature you might need is Syntax highlighting which displays
the code in different colors and fonts according to different elements and
makes it easier to read and scan.
One of the most important features to look for when choosing
the best integrated development environment is high integration. Poor
integration is
detrimental to development workflows and productivity, so you have to make sure
the IDE is able to incorporate all your other development tools.
Types of IDE
There are a variety of IDEs available to use, from
cloud-based IDEs to ones customized for creating mobile applications or those
specific to Apple or Microsoft development.
Let’s review different types of IDEs and their applications.
Multi-Language IDE
IDEs are typically specific to a single programming
language. However, there are some IDEs that support multiple languages such as
Ruby, Python, Java and PHP.
A programmer or website developer should figure out which
languages he will be coding in and then choose the IDE accordingly.
IDE for mobile development
Due to digitalization, companies are forced to develop
mobile apps or a website for business in order to survive.
A lot of IDEs, particularly multi-language IDEs, have
mobile-development plugins and normally work with code that runs on iOS or
Android devices. There are also IDEs that support multiple operating systems
and can be used to develop an application intended for use on iOS, Android, and
a web page.
HTML IDE
IDEs for developing HTML applications are very popular among
website developers and automate numerous tasks involved in the process of creating
a website.
If you have started the journey of going digital by creating
a website for business, this type of IDE can help you in numerous ways.
Cloud-based IDE
Cloud-based IDEs have many capabilities and benefits. Cloud
IDEs enable developers to access their code and software development tools from
anywhere in the world from any compatible device.
This type of IDE usually has minimal to nonexistent download
and installation requirements and makes collaboration among developers who are
geographically dispersed easier.
Key benefits of IDEs
There are a number of reasons to use an IDE, most of which are
related to software development. However, advantages of IDE are not limited to
one area.
Improved productivity
The first and most important purpose of an IDE is to increase
productivity by making the development process easier and faster.
Different tools and features provided by IDE help developers
complete their development tasks faster, keep up to date with the latest best
practices and deliver top-quality software on time.
Therefore, an integrated development environment is very
useful for any business which is in the process of going digital and wants to
speed up the development of the app or website for business.
Faster setup
Without an IDE, developers have to spend a lot of time
configuring multiple development tools. IDE provides the same set of
capabilities in one place which means the setup process is fast and easy and there
is no need to constantly switch tools.
Standardization
Working in the same development environment enables
programmers or website developers to work together seamlessly and adhere to
specific standards, thus regulating the development process.
Importing libraries
When you’re working on a software development project, sometimes
there are requirements that you need in order to figure out how to code. One of the best advantages of IDE is that there is no
longer the need to create the code from scratch, because another developer
already has and you can use it as a new library.
IDE Disadvantages
The work of a developer is quite complex and takes a lot of
time, but having access to useful tools makes the job easier and quicker.
That’s why many programmers use an integrated development environment to manage
their workflows, access a suite of development tools, and reduce errors.
Although using an IDE helps a programmer or website
developer in many ways, there are some disadvantages that can be associated
with this practice:
- Some IDEs are very complex and have a steep learning curve.
- A novice programmer or developer may be overwhelmed by different
features the IDE provides.
- If programmers become too reliant on IDE shortcuts or other assistance,
they may develop bad coding practices.
TOP IDEs
Whether you’re looking for a simple, language-specific IDE
or a full-featured one, there are many options available. In the following, we
have put together a list of 5 useful and robust IDEs that make it easier for
you to find the tools you need to do the project.
- Visual Studio: this popular IDE supports web, mobile, app,
and game development and uses AI to learn from edit to finish the lines of
code.
- IntelliJ: it is one of the best IDEs for Java and indexes
the code to provide relevant suggestions and to complete the code.
- Aptana Studio 3: an ideal IDE for web development with autocomplete
feature for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- PyCharm: although it is one of the best IDEs for Python, it
has a premium version which supports other languages. This IDE checks the
quality of your code and also has autocomplete.
- PhpStorm: a reliable option for web development which
supports front-end languages including HTML 5, CSS, Sass, Less, JavaScript and
others, and also major software such as WordPress, Drupal, Laravek, etc.
Conclusion
Integrated development environment or IDE is a collection of
facilities provided to programmers and database designers and simplifies
creating and using a database.
Using IDE improves the productivity of software developers and
enables them to complete their projects more easily and in a shorter time.
Without an IDE, developers have to spend a lot of time deciding
what tools to use for different tasks, configure the tools and learn how to use
them. Luckily, most and sometimes all the necessary tools are included in one
integrated development environment.
If you want to find the best IDE for your project, first you
have to determine what you need out of it because each IDE provides different
features. For example, to select the best IDE, you may focus on factors like
language support, operating system (OS) needs or cost. If you have any
questions about other advantages of IDE or how to use it to create a website for
business, contact us to get the help you need.