Benefits of Not Using an IDE

Post by mst » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 6:36 PM UTC

codewithcheese wrote: post #35

Rd6n6 wrote: post #4

A good ide is all about auto completion and refactoring tools. The autocompletion means you don’t have to spend as much time memorizing apis, so you can focus more on simplifying your design and minimizing coupling. In something like unreal engine, the intellisense really sets ides apart. The refactoring means you can quickly and easily make large changes to make the code easier to work in. You can just work signific…

I'm surprised how many of my colleagues don't use the debugging features of their IDE. Being able to step through code line by line and see all the variables states at any time and evaluate arbitrary expressions given those states seems far superior to print/console based guesstimation. However, somehow my colleagues still do great work!

Post by cwyers » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 6:45 PM UTC

falcolas wrote: post #163

lultimouomo wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The best developers I've found are the ones who know how to work without an IDE, even if their preference is to use one. The best swimmers can stay afloat with pounds and pounds of weight dragging the down; the worst swimmers will drown. Doesn't mean weighing you down makes you a better swimmer.

Ironically, it would make you a better swimmer - it will help you build up strength, stamina, and technique. An excellent choice in analogies.

Post by csomar » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 6:48 PM UTC

city41 wrote: post #204

falcolas wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do doctors memorize medicines and their effects? Because it's faster to retrieve from memory than from documentation, even automatically presented documentation. It removes a context switch. The "brain cycles" are only run while doing the memorization, not while actually doing the work. > I don't recall ever struggling to remember syntax of languages I frequently code in. Because you've memorized it.

Do they have every single medicine memorized, or just the ones they most commonly use? Sure, I tend to remember the parts of libraries and apis I use often, but I'd still argue my editor having a reminder just a keystroke away is very beneficial.

Post by mst » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 6:55 PM UTC

fartcannon wrote: post #169

bitwize wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about refactoring tools? What about integrated debugging, stepping right into the code you're editing on your screen? What about hot reload? If Unixheads would stop pretending their stone-knives-and-bearskins development tools were equivalent to full-fledged IDEs, development would have advanced much more than it has decades ago.

I use both, one method is just less restrictive.

Post by yoz-y » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 6:57 PM UTC

noidesto wrote: post #131

yoz-y wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find that spinning up QtCreator on a new machine is orders of magnitude faster than transporting a vim configuration.

1. Optional: do install of neovim 2. git pull dotfiles 3. cd dotfiles 4. install.sh 5. Profit $$$ Sure, there's some initial setup time but I'm not seeing how its orders of magnitude faster unless your vim config is super bloated and/or has a lot of external dependencies.