Whether you’re a professional developer or you’re just a new developer learning how to code, staying on top of the latest Integrated Development Environments is a rigorous challenge. Frankly speaking, there is no best IDE for everyone. The best IDE is the IDE that suits best for you, so below is a selection of 6 of the most popular choices to help you figure out which one you should pick.
How exactly is an IDE different from a Text Editor?
An IDE is more than just a simple text editor. While some famous text editors such as Sublime or Atom may offer many convenient features like syntax highlighting, customizable interfaces and extensive navigation tools, they only allow you to write a source code. You at least need a compiler and a debugger to make functioning applications.
An IDE encapsulates all these components and some more. Some IDEs come with additional features for automating, testing and visualizing the development process. The term “integrated development environment” in itself means that you have everything you will need to turn a source code into a functioning app and program.
So let’s start our list for TOP 6 IDE for a developer.
1. Microsoft Visual Studio
At the top of our list is Microsoft Visual Studio. It is a premium IDE used by a large number of people. It ranges in price from $699 – $2,900 depending on the edition and licensing. This IDE is capable of creating all types of programs, from web applications to mobile apps to video games. This series of software includes number of tools for compatibility testing so that you can judge how your apps run on more than 400 devices and browsers. All thanks to its flexibility and simple User Interface, Visual Studio is a great tool for both students and professionals.
SUPPORTED LANGUAGES: It support many languages including ASP.NET, DHTML, JavaScript, JScript, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual C++, Visual F#, XAML and many more.
Some of its Notable Features are:
- An always growing massive library of extensions
- IntelliSense
- Straightforward workflow and file hierarchy
- Insights for monitoring performance in real time
- Automation tools
- Split screen support
- Error list that allows debugging while building
- Approval checks when deploying apps via ClickOnce, Windows Installer or Publish Wizard
Drawbacks: It have its Drawbacks too. Being a heavyweight IDE, Microsoft Visual Studio takes considerable resources to open and run, hence making simple edits time consuming on some devices. For simpler task, it is easier to use a lightweight editor.
2. NetBeans
Netbeans is a free and open-source IDE. It is considered ideal for editing existing projects or when you are starting your project from scratch, NetBeans supports a simple drag-and-drop interface that comes with convenient project templates. It is primarily used to develop Java based applications, but you can download plugins that support other languages.
SUPPORTED LANGUAGES: It supports languages like C, C++, C++11, Fortan, HTML 5, Java, PHP and more.
Some of its Notable Features are:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Dynamic and static libraries
- Multi-session GNU debugger integration with code assistance
- Allows for remote development
- Compatible with Windows, Linux, OS X, and Solaris platforms
- Supports Fortan and Assembler files
- Supports a number of compilers including CLang/LLVM, Cygwin, GNU, MinGW and Oracle Solaris Studio
Drawbacks: This free IDE consumes a lot of memory, so it might perform sluggishly on some machines.
3. PyCharm
PyCharm is the most powerful IDE for python.It provides users a free Community Edition, 30-day free trial for the Professional Edition, $200 – $700 for an annual subscription. Comprehensive code assistance and analysis make it the best IDE for Python programmers of all ability levels. PyCharm also supports other languages and works on multiple platforms. So practically it comes handy for everyone.
SUPPORTED LANGUAGES: AngularJS, CSS, HTML, Coffee Script, JavaScript, Node.js, Python, TypeScript and Cython.
Some of its Notable Features are:
- Compatible with multiple OS like Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
- Comes with Django IDE
- Can be easily integrated with Git, Mercurial and SVN
- Customizable interface with VIM emulation
- JavaScript, Python and Django debuggers
- Also supports Google App Engine
Drawbacks: Many users have complained that PyCharm has some bugs, such as the autocomplete feature occasionally stops working, which turned out to be a minor inconvenience.
4.IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is a very convenient IDE developed by Jet Brains. This IDE offers users a free Community Edition, 30-day free trial for the Ultimate Edition, and costs $550 – $700 annually depending on the features. IntelliJ IDEA, which also supports Java 8 and Java EE 7, comes with some extensive tools that helps in developing mobile apps and enterprise technologies for multiple platforms. When it comes to its pricing, IntelliJ is a great deal due to the massive of list of features you get.
SUPPORTED LANGUAGES: It supportrs a number of languages like AngularJS, CoffeeScript, CS, HTML, JavaScript, LESS, Python, Ruby, Sass, Node JS, PHP, TypeScript and more.
Some of its Notable Features are:
- Test runner UI
- Code coverage
- Extensive database editor and UML designer
- Supports multiple build systems
- Intelligent text editors for HTML, CSS, and Java
- Integrated version control
- Deployment and debugging tools for most application servers
- AIR Mobile supports Android and iOS devices
Drawbacks: This one comes with a learning curve, so it is not considered the best IDE for naïve programers. There are many shortcuts that are needed to be remembered, and many users complain about its complex UI.
5.Eclipse
Eclipse is a free and open source editor useful for beginners and pros alike. It is very flexible when we talk about its functionality. Originally a Java environment, Eclipse now has a wide range of capabilities all thanks to a large number of plug-ins, extensions, and Bundles. In addition to debugging tools and Git/CVS support, Eclipse comes with Java and Plugin Development Tooling. If that’s not enough for you, there’s plenty of other packages to choose from that include tools for charting, modeling, reporting, testing and building GUIs.
SUPPORTED LANGUAGES: C, C++, PHP, Python, Java, Perl, Ruby and more
Some of its Notable Features are:
- A plethora of package solutions allowing for multi-language support
- Java IDE enhancements such as hierarchical views of nested projects with customizable perspectives
- Task-focused interface including system-tray notifications
- Automated error reporting
- Tooling options for JEE projects
- JUnit integration
Drawbacks: While Eclipse is very versatile software, the have many options that may be irritating to newcomers. Eclipse lacks the same features as IntelliJ IDEA, but it is open source.
6.Code::Blocks
At the bottom of our list is Code::Blocks, but don’t mistake it as lesser than any of the above. It is another popular free and open source option. It is a highly customizable IDE that performs consistently across all platforms, so it suits better to developers who frequently switch between workspaces. The plug-in framework lets developers tweak this IDE to meet their needs.
SUPPORTED LANGUAGES: C, C++, Fortran
Some of its Notable Features are:
- It is Compatible with multiple Operating Systems like Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Supports multiple compilers including GCC, MSVC++, clang and more
- Debugger that includes breakpoint support
- Written in C++
- Requires no interpreted or proprietary languages
- Supports many pre-built and custom-built plug-ins
- Text editor with syntax highlighting and autocomplete
- Simple task management tools ideal for multiple users
- Customizable external tools
Drawbacks: Though Code::Blocks comes with many features, it is a relatively lightweight IDE, so it’s not preferred for larger projects. It’s a great tool for beginners, but advanced coders get frustrated with the limitations.
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