Eryk Stefaniak works as a software engineer, and in the following article, he provides insights into Integrated Development Environments for developers.
Programming and Software Development have a reputation for being mentally draining and time-consuming.
While it does take effort to produce software solutions and programs, it shouldn’t discourage aspiring tech-enthusiasts and tech-savvy individuals from pursuing or furthering a career in computers.
Why?
Because IDE (Integrated Development Environments) exists to aid them in working efficiently.
In this article, Eryk Stefaniak discusses the importance of IDE in the tech sphere.
Eryk Stefaniak Explains the Fuss-Free Solution to Coding Chaos
IDE programs come with various features, depending on what programmers need. Since programming mostly involves inputting codes in text forms, most IDE programs and apps are text editors – albeit customized for coding.
These days, many IDE programs are available. But their availability also depends on Operating Systems and programming language compatibility.
Eryk Stefaniak discusses some popular programs along with their supported language/s:
| Software | Primary Programming Language Use |
|---|---|
| Eclipse | Java |
| Visual Studio | Node.js/Javascript |
| Dev-C++ | C and C++ |
| PyCharm | Python |
| PhpStorm | Php |
| JCreator | Java |
Note:
Most of the listed IDE software apps and programs are compatible with Windows, MacOS, and Linux Operating Systems. However, JCreator only runs on Windows (unless Linux users use Wine to run the IDE).
Eryk Stefaniak states that it’s also worth noting that programmers and developers can write codes in simple Notepad applications. But what makes this software different is its unique features.
But how do these program features better the jobs of developers and programmers?
Common Features
Since most IDE software is Notepads tailored for software developers and programmers, many IDEs are programmed to help users write, read, and find their codes easier and quicker.
Though differing in features, many IDE software include the following:
Numbered Lines
Programming languages are unique. That said, they don’t follow typical grammar rules.
Eryk Stefaniak notes that because of this, programmers usually section commands, depending on their purpose. However, as developers type commands long enough, there becomes an abundance of codes, and searching for the specific ones can make it challenging for programmers.
As such, these programs typically label each line with numbers, allowing users to trace and search for specific codes more easily.
Furthermore, the abundance of coding can visually overwhelm developers and programmers.
Option for Drop-down Coding Portions
Writing down commands takes up several lines. But to programmers, the first line already gives away the code’s purpose. However, a developer’s eyes are still regular human eyes. Therefore, too much visual stimulation can still overwhelm them.
Eryk Stefaniak says that fortunately, most IDE software allows them to minimize sections of their codes, leaving only the main command visible – think of it as similar to any file and how its name makes it easy to distinguish its contents based on the title alone.
To further help users, most Integrated Development Environments programs and applications also color-code the inputted sections.
Color-coded Sections
All developers and programmers have a penchant for innovative solutions. It would be unfortunate if the Integrated Development Environment software they use is not advanced enough to recognize basic programming patterns and templates.
That’s why most apps and programs color-code each coding section – to help users find the codes based on memory.
Eryk Stefaniak asks, if readers are still confused as to how these features help programmers? Let’s elaborate on how these simple – yet useful – solutions make it easier for them to program.
IDE and Efficiency
It may seem like common IDE features exist for better organization – and it’s true. But the reason why organizing codes is paramount in programming, it’s because of the following:
Quicker Code Searches
As detail-oriented and tech-savvy as developers are, they’re still humans – they still have to manually type codes, leaving space for errors. But to prevent these errors, the numbered and color-coded sectioned commands and prompts help them search for the codes they typed prior.
However, even if they don’t come back to the commands they already coded to revise them, many still return to them to polish their programs.
Decreases Eyesore
Eryk Stefaniak says that anyone who has ever looked at the same thing long enough can feel overwhelmed – kind of like rereading a word over and over. It stops making sense, eventually, primarily because of the uniformity. As such, people take a break to rest their eyes.
But can programmers afford such a luxury?
In most cases, they can’t. That’s why Integrated Development Environment programs typically color-code the coded sections – to aid in readability.
Better programming readability is what developers and programmers need – so they can provide modern-day solutions to modern-day technological and digital problems.
Summary
Developing programs is already mentally and visually overwhelming as is. Fortunately, Integrated Development Environment programs exist to aid users in efficiency and coding organization.
Eryk Stefaniak notes that though there are various IDEs available, use (or limit) only what’s most useful – depending on the programming language, OS, and project deadline.
In the tech world, every IDE solution is useful. It just depends on what it’s used for.
