An IDE is a programming tool that integrates many (if not all) of the utilities a programmer needs to write a program. Most IDEs contain at least the following utilities:
- Source Code Editor
- Compiler
- Linker
- Help System
- Debugger
Many IDEs have more than that. Some popular IDEs are:
- Microsoft Visual Studio
- Eclipse
- SharpDevelop
An Integrated Development Environment provides a seamless solution for a programmer to write a program, minimizing the amount of time the programmer has to leave that environment to accomplish his programming tasks.
For example, to write a Windows program with say, Microsoft Visual Studio, a programmer simply opens the file menu, choose “New Project”, chooses the language and chooses a Windows Forms application template, and Visual Studio creates source files, displays a tree view with all of the source files, and writes some skeleton code. It also provides a blank window that the developer can then drag and drop Windows controls onto, like buttons, radio buttons, list boxes, menus, etc… Once the developer has visually designed the window for his application, he can then set properties on each component by clicking a component, then changing properties in an IDE provided properties grid for that component. Then the developer can write some code to respond to user initiated events, such as clicking a button, choosing a menu item, etc…
After the developer has written some code, he can the execute the program to test it. The IDE will compile the programmer’s source code into code that the machine can execute. It will then start the new program so the programmer can try it out.
The programmer can also set what are called “break points” on certain lines in his code so that as the programming is running, if it gets to one of those lines of code, the IDE will bring itself up front and display the source code and the values of the program variables that the programmer can examine while the new program is suspended. The programmer can also step through his code, one line at a time using the IDE.
Without an IDE, much of this is impossible or very difficult. An IDE makes programming easier and quicker and helps the programmer write code with fewer bugs and get his finished product out earlier.