IDEs

Integrated Develop Environments (IDEs) are software packages that attempt to provide comprehensive support for programming

• and possible other software development activities

1. The Components of an IDE

What’s the minimum that we expect in an IDE?

• editor
• build
  • maybe no more than compiler invocation
  • with error messages captured/interpreted/walked by editor
• run/execute
• debugger

The Components of an IDE (optional)

What would we like to see in an IDE?

• syntax highlighting & aid in editor
• documentation (API) look-up
• flexible/configurable build
• packaging/deployment options

The Components of an IDE (deluxe)

What makes us giddy when we see it in an IDE?

• smart feedback in the editor
  • learns API of new code
  • suggestions
• coding aids in editor
  • templates
  • common refactoring (transformations)
• documentation generation
• test integration
• integration with version control

2. IDE Examples

2.1 emacs

The *nix swiss army knife of editors, emacs has long functioned as a basic IDE:

• syntax-highlighting editor
• build support (invokes *nix make)
  • parses error messages from compilers & other tools
• debugger interface
• works directly with many version control systems

References, if you are unfamiliar with this:

• Compiling in emacs
• emacs Debugging mode (CS252)

emacs Strengths and Weaknesses

• highly portable
• supports virtually any language you would have a compiler for
• even in windowed mode, leans toward keyboard rather than mouse
  • (not sure if that’s a pro or a con)
• outdated interface
• high learning curve

2.2 Microsoft Visual

Visual Studio

• syntax-highlighting editor
  • background compilation provides quick feedback on simple errors
• built-in build manager
  • limited configurability
• debugger interface
• some designer tools (e.g., design classes in UML)

Visual Strengths and Weaknesses

• wide variety of languages (but Microsoft processors)
• single-OS
• closely integrated with Microsoft compilers
• modern, mouse-oriented interface
  • (What does Windows 8 do to that?)

I’ve never been fond of Visual, but that comes more from my opinion of the MS compilers. MS C++ had recurring issues with basic standards conformance and std library implementation. And MS’s support of Java was perpetually luke-warm.

2.3 NetBeans

Free IDE originally distributed by Sun as “the” development platform for Java.

• Still largely Java centric, though some support for other languages
  • particularly web-related languages like Javascript, CSS, XSL
• Portable (written in Java)
• Tends to track the trends and hot topics in the Java world promptly
• editor, build manager, debugger
• moderately extensible

Netbeans and Visual clearly stole interface ideas from one another.

(Then Eclipse came along and stole from them both.)

I have not used NetBeans in a long time. I remember it as being incredibly sluggish even on reasonably high-powered desktops.

My enduring impression is that Eclipse seemed to do everything NetBeans wanted to do, did it about 6 months later, but did it better.

2.4 Single-Language IDEs

The open source community has produced numerous single-language IDEs.

Many are focused on educational use.

Examples:

C++

Bloodshed Dev-C++, Code::Blocks

Java

BlueJ, Dr. Java, jGrasp

3. Eclipse

Probably the hottest IDE in the open source world:

• syntax-highlighting editor, multi-language support
  • strong hinting, API, interface aid
  • templates and refactoring
• build support
  • easily configured or switched to other build tools
• background compilation for quick detection of language errors
• integrated *unit testing support
• solid debugger, intuitive handling of threads
• some packaging & deployment support
• integrates with most version control systems
• modular plug-in extensibility with a rich variety available

Eclipse is available here.

3.1 Availability

• Eclipse is installed on both the CS Dept Windows PCs and Linux servers
  • Includes basic packages for Java & C++ support
• We will be working with much more advanced tools in this course
  • will need to install our own plugins
• Every student will therefore need to prepare their own personal development environment with
  • Java 1.7
  • g++
  • Eclipse

.