IDEs (~15 mins)

What are IDES?

You might be used to writing in a word processor, such as Google Docs or Word. People use these applications for writing often because they are the best tool at hand for the job. In the same way, programmers usually write code in a text editor or IDE.

A text editor, quite simply, is software that edits text, which is essentially all a programmer needs to write code. While basic text editors such as Notepad on Windows are technically usable for code, programmers often expect certain features from their text editors:

• syntax highlighting: if you've seen colourful text while looking at code, you know what syntax highlighting is. Colour-coding different types of code statements makes it easier for a programmer to keep track of what's happening.
• autocompletion: having the computer suggest what to write as you're typing code often saves time and prevents errors, such as typos or using the wrong variable.
• version control integration: being able to see what's been changed between different versions of code as they are working allows programmers to keep in mind what's been done before, and whether or not their changes are ideal.
• multi-file support: large software projects often encompass many files, with features spread out across several different sections. The ability to work with multiple files through sidebars, tabs, keybinds, and other features keeps friction low.

Text editors that integrate these features are often referred to as IDEs, or Integrated Development Environments. There are many IDEs out there, some free, and some paid, for different programming languages or combinations of languages.

💡 Features used to differentiate IDEs and text editors have changed over the years as text editors have become more advanced. In this book, we will refer to them mostly interchangeably, although depending on who you ask there are differences.

In the next section, we'll talk more about the IDE we'll use in this book and get you set up for a basic project.