OK, Tim can't be the sole provider of quality noise ;-)
Let's face it, the IDE vs. Editor debate is a religious battle. Some sterotypes that I
have observed...
1. Any Java developer that has been around more than 5 years has used a text editor to
write java code.
2. Any Java developer that has been around more than 5 years has used javac to compile
Java code.
3. The *majority* of developers that prefer an editor over an IDE come from the Unix
world.
4. Not all IDE's are created equal. Almost all (notable exception JBuilder) will munge
your code. This is bad.
I *love* my IDE. I use JBuilder, specifically, JBuilder Foundation. It's a free
download from the JBuilder website and, being all-Java, it runs on virtually any
platform. It comes with an OpenTools API that allows you (or me, or them, or us) to
extend the environment any number of ways.
The immediate advantages that I see:
1. A good editor. Support for emacs keymappings. Pretty snappy, but no MultiEdit or
CodeWright.
2. CodeInsight lets me introspect my classes on the fly. Helps eliminate mistakes and
allows you to browse to referenced classes with a single click.
3. Debugging unmatched by any editor solution.
4. If you are a minimalist, you can turn off everything but the editor window. It's
all still there, but it won't get in your way.
5. Great visual designer. Does exactly what it's supposed to do. No embedded comments
and it doesn't affect any code that you have written.
6. Ability to create libraries, or collections of class libraries. These can represent
JDBC packages or the GNU expression package, or whatever. Very easy to create and
reuse.
7. Much, much more.
I think if you can be objective and list the pros and cons of both approaches,
JBuilder will come out ahead. That won't be the same for every IDE, but this product
has finally got it right. I also don't think its a coincidence that developers on the
Windows platform prefer IDEs, while the Unix guys prefer editors. The IDE market has
long favored the Windows platform because that's where the market share is, or
perhaps, was. I think you owe it to yourself to try it...again?
jim
PS: I have no affiliation with Inprise/Borland, only an unabashed love for my IDE.
http://www.borland.com/jbuilder/foundation/
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