Integrated development environment facts for kids

An integrated development environment (IDE) is a special computer program that helps people create other computer programs. Think of it like a workshop for building software. An IDE usually has a few main tools all in one place:

• A source-code editor where you write the program's instructions.
• Tools to build or turn your code into a working program.
• A debugger to help you find and fix mistakes in your code.

Some IDEs, like IntelliJ IDEA or Eclipse, even include the tools that translate your code into computer language (called a compiler or interpreter). Others, like NetBeans, might need you to install those parts separately.

The line between an IDE and other software tools can be blurry. Sometimes, an IDE might also include tools to manage different versions of your code or help you design the look of a program (like buttons and menus). Many modern IDEs also have features that help you see how different parts of your program connect, especially for programs built using object-oriented ideas.

What is an IDE?

Vim is a text editor that can act like an IDE with extra tools for things like auto-completion.

IDEs are made to help programmers work faster and more easily. They put all the tools you need for coding into one program, and these tools often look and work in similar ways. This means you don't have to switch between many different programs. For example, instead of using a separate text editor, a separate tool to build your code, and another separate tool to find errors, an IDE combines them all.

One big goal of an IDE is to make setting up your coding tools much simpler. Instead of having to connect many different programs yourself, the IDE gives you everything ready to go. This saves time, especially when you're just starting out. Also, because all the tools are connected, an IDE can do smart things. For instance, it can check your code for errors as you type, giving you instant feedback. This helps you find and fix problems much faster than if you had to wait until you tried to run the program.

Some IDEs are made for just one specific programming language. This allows them to have special features that work perfectly with that language. However, many IDEs can work with multiple programming languages.

Even though most modern IDEs have a graphical look with windows and menus, older ones, like Turbo Pascal, were text-based. They used special keys or shortcuts to do common tasks.

History of IDEs

GNU Emacs is a powerful editor often used as an IDE, especially on computers that run on Unix-like systems.

IDEs first appeared when people started coding directly on computer terminals. Before that, programs were often put into computers using things like punched cards!

Dartmouth BASIC was one of the first programming languages created with an IDE. This was back in the 1960s. Its IDE was based on typing commands, so it didn't look like the graphical IDEs we see today. But it brought together editing, managing files, compiling, debugging, and running programs, just like modern IDEs do.

Maestro I, made by Softlab Munich, was the world's first true integrated development environment for software. It was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

By 2023, some of the most popular IDEs that people search for online include Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and Eclipse.

Key Features of IDEs

Syntax Highlighting

When you write code in an IDE, the editor often uses different colors and text styles for different parts of your code. This is called syntax highlighting. It helps you easily see the structure of your code, important keywords, and even find syntax errors (like typos) because they might be highlighted differently.

Code Completion

Code completion is a super helpful feature that speeds up coding. As you type, the IDE tries to guess what you're going to type next and offers suggestions. This means you don't have to type out every single word or remember every function name. Modern IDEs can even offer "intelligent" suggestions based on the context of your code.

Refactoring Tools

Sometimes, programmers need to change the way their code is organized without changing what the code actually does. This is called refactoring. Advanced IDEs can help with this by automatically making these changes for you, which saves a lot of time and prevents new errors.

Version Control

When many people work on the same program, or even when one person makes many changes over time, it's important to keep track of different versions of the code. IDEs often have built-in tools for version control. This allows you to save different versions of your code, see what changes were made, and even go back to an older version if needed.

Debugging Tools

Finding and fixing mistakes (or "bugs") in a program is a big part of coding. IDEs have an integrated debugger that helps you do this. You can set "breakpoints" in your code, which makes the program pause at certain points. Then you can look at what's happening step-by-step to figure out where the problem is.

Code Search

IDEs can help you search through your code in powerful ways. This isn't just like searching for text in a document. You can search for where a specific function is used, where a variable is changed, or even find parts of the code that do a particular job. This helps you understand and navigate large programs.

Visual Programming

Some IDEs allow you to create programs by dragging and dropping visual blocks or connecting diagrams instead of writing lines of text code. This is called visual programming. It's often used in systems like Lego Mindstorms or in specialized software where people want to create programs without learning a complex text-based language. For example, Visual Basic lets you build applications by moving visual building blocks around.

Language Support

Many IDEs can support more than one programming language. For example, Eclipse and NetBeans can be used for C/C++, Python, Ruby, and PHP. Often, support for new languages can be added by installing small extra programs called plugins.

How IDEs are Made

IDEs themselves are computer programs, so they are written in programming languages! For example:

• GNU Emacs is written using Emacs Lisp and C.
• IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, and NetBeans are written using Java.
• MonoDevelop is written using C#.

IDEs on Different Computers

The way people use IDEs can be different depending on the type of computer system they are using.

On Unix-like systems (like Linux), many programmers like to combine simple command-line tools to create their own development environment. They might use powerful text editors like Emacs or Vim and connect them with other tools for compiling and debugging. This is part of the "Unix philosophy" where many small tools work together.

On Microsoft Windows computers, programmers often use full-featured IDEs that combine everything into one package. Microsoft provides its own tools like Visual C++.

On macOS (Apple computers), IDEs have always been popular. Programmers can choose between native IDEs like Xcode or open-source ones like Eclipse and Netbeans.

Online IDEs

An online integrated development environment, also called a web IDE or cloud IDE, is an IDE that you can use directly in your web browser. This means you don't have to install any software on your computer. You can access your coding environment from almost anywhere, making it easy to work on projects from different computers. Online IDEs usually have the basic features of a traditional IDE, like syntax highlighting.

There are also Mobile-Based IDEs, which are apps for smartphones and tablets. These let you write, debug, and run code directly from your mobile device!

See also