On 14 September 2015 at 12:40, J Luis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > segunda-feira, 14 de Setembro de 2015 às 09:26:05 UTC+1, Daniel Carrera > escreveu: >> >> >> On 14 September 2015 at 08:16, Uwe Fechner <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> While I understand your point, the success of a new programming language >>> depends on the availability of a good IDE. >>> >> >> No it doesn't. >> >> C, C++, Perl, Python, Fortran, JavaScript, PHP, and arguably even Java >> became successful long before they acquired an IDE. I think that there are >> more languages that became successful without an IDE than with one, so >> let's not overstate the issue. An IDE is *good* to have because *some* >> people want them. Good documentation is more important. Having the right >> features and being at the right place at the right time is even more >> important. >> > > Yes it does (IMO off course) >
This is not a matter of opinion. This is an empirical claim. With little effort we can define a criterion for language success, and determine whether any language has ever become successful before it acquired an IDE. A single example (e.g. Fortran) falsifies the claim. In fact, I would make a stronger statement: that MOST successful languages achieve success before acquiring an IDE. Off the top of my head, I offer the following successful languages: Without IDE: C, C++, Perl, Python, Fortran, JavaScript, PHP, Java With IDE: C#, VisualBasic, Matlab > I'm have many years of experience with Matlab and find its IDE a > can't-work-without-it tool. When one experiments its debugger the reason > becomes obvious. > > Do you claim that Fortran, C and Perl never achieved success until someone wrote an IDE with a built-in debugger? ... Yeah, I know that's not what you want to say. Please understand that even if you find an IDE indispensable for Matlab, that doesn't make IDEs indispensable for all people for all languages. The fair thing to say about IDEs is that they are a really good idea to have because there are people who really really want them. Daniel.
