IDEs - Do newbie coders really need them?

 Introduction - 

For all those people who have spent some significant amount of time coding and designing scripts, IDEs are something they must be making use of daily. These softwares provide developers with features like code completion, advanced language support, error checking and syntax highlighting which make the coding process a lot more efficient.

But what about those who have just learnt to type their “Hello world!” code and look forward to learning about coding from scratch? Are IDEs equally helpful to them?

Let’s answer this question in the post.

IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment, it is a software that contains inbuilt developer tools and provides various features that help you to code more efficiently. Some popular IDEs include - Visual Studio, Eclipse, Pycharm and Netbeans.

 

Some features provided by most IDEs include -

1. Automated refactoring 
2. Code completion 
3. Error checking 
4. Syntax highlighting 
5. Debugger

All these features make the coding process more efficient and less time consuming.

All these features help a lot when your goal is to complete a project with a giant existing code base, but when your goal is to learn programming an IDE might serve more as a distraction or a limiting prop.

Negatives of using IDE as a beginner-

 1. Autocomplete addiction 

Getting addicted to the autocomplete feature can limit your ability to mentally remember code functions and formats. Heavily relying on such features can also cause you to forget correct spellings and syntax.

       2. Error checking

As a beginner you are expected to type, run and fix your code on your own. This leads to better learning and refinement of your skills. This opportunity is lost when you rely on the error checking feature provided by IDEs.

       3. Distractions

Due to its large number of tools and features an IDE may also confuse the beginner or restrict his attention towards his code. On the other hand text editors provide a very simple interface, ensuring focus on the code.

       4. Difficulty in setting up 

Some IDEs require device or software specifications to run smoothly. On the other hand a text editor and command prompt (or terminal) can be found on almost every personal computer and do not occupy much of the storage too.

Solutions-

1. Make sure not to rely too much on IDE tools.
2. Turn off the autocomplete and automated refactoring if possible.
3. Simply use a text editor to type your script and then run it in the command prompt.

Conclusion-

Beginners should not rely heavily on IDEs as it may limit their learning in some ways. Try to type the complete code on your own and fix it in case of errors all by yourself.

IDEs are nice in some situations but being addicted to them will limit your future.

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References and sources -

• quora.com
• Learn Python the hard way - by Zed A. Shaw 

Hi there! Are you a windows user trying his hand at coding in Python for the first time? Check out this page on - “How to code in Python without using an IDE?” click here.