Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • World
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Code Project
  1. Home
  2. The Lounge
  3. Learning a language using an IDE or text editor.

Learning a language using an IDE or text editor.

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
visual-studioquestioncomooplearning
57 Posts 41 Posters 0 Views 1 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • E Ennis Ray Lynch Jr

    Sure I use an IDE everyday. But when I learned, the ability to look things up, read the instructions, search the web, and think out my problem without typing were invaluable. I suppose the difference is will you be a technician or a master? Ignoring the pro's and con's of an IDE it is fundamentally a tool for facilitating writing code not for learning to write the code. If you learn to program you will never know why the below code is wrong:

    Int32.Parse(Session["someInteger"].ToString());

    Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost "All users always want Excel" --Ennis Lynch

    R Offline
    R Offline
    Ravi Bhavnani
    wrote on last edited by
    #27

    Not only is it wrong (i.e. unsafe), it's not required since the value of the successfully parsed integer isn't used anywhere. ;P /ravi

    My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • O Obi_Hendrix

      Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

      P Offline
      P Offline
      PIEBALDconsult
      wrote on last edited by
      #28

      IDE. Except that then you have to learn two things. :sigh: I learned with a text editor and I still prefer that for writing actual code -- but not when a drag-and-drop designer is required. And IDEs tend to have a debugger as well. Back in college everyone (even me) preferred to use Turbo Pascal's IDE (on a 386 PC clone) rather than use VAX Pascal with a VT100. However you shouldn't get to point where you don't think you could possibly write a simple console app in a text editor and compile it on the command line. Learn it with an IDE by all means, but come play on the fun side once in a while. :cool:

      This space intentionally left blank.

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • O Obi_Hendrix

        Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

        M Offline
        M Offline
        Maximilien
        wrote on last edited by
        #29

        The IDE will mostly help learn the API syntax, but not the language itself.

        I'd rather be phishing!

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

          Or "Heap sort" as it was also known! :laugh:

          Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

          N Offline
          N Offline
          Nagy Vilmos
          wrote on last edited by
          #30

          Hee hee. At college we used punched cards, because the lecturer was a b'tard, for machine code projects. By the time I started working the world had moved on to mag tapes and 'washing machine' removable disk platters. Thems was the days. :nostalgicSigh:

          G 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            IDE - no contest. It helps you at every turn: it prompts you with method names and properties, it helps remind you of function parameters, and it tells you when you misspell something as you go along. It handles indentation, and it works exactly the same when debugging as it does when you are editing. Ignore the purists: I started with text editors and I wouldn't go back!

            Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

            Mike HankeyM Offline
            Mike HankeyM Offline
            Mike Hankey
            wrote on last edited by
            #31

            OriginalGriff wrote:

            It helps you at every turn: it prompts you with method names and properties, it helps remind you of function parameters, and it tells you when you misspell something as you go along. It handles indentation, and it works exactly the same when debugging as it does when you are editing.

            When they're in a cooperative mood otherwise it's; crash, design editor problems, gets hung in a, what I like to call PMS mode, etc. otherwise it's great. :)

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • O Obi_Hendrix

              Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

              M Offline
              M Offline
              Madhava Verma Dantuluri
              wrote on last edited by
              #32

              IDE helps to save the time and brings you all at your perusal. However for a beginner, i wont recommend IDE.

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • O Obi_Hendrix

                Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

                T Offline
                T Offline
                thatraja
                wrote on last edited by
                #33

                For HTML, still I prefer Notepad. Hand coding!

                thatraja

                Code converters | Education Needed No thanks, I am all stocked up. - Luc Pattyn When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is - Henry Minute

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • O Obi_Hendrix

                  Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

                  R Offline
                  R Offline
                  R Erasmus
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #34

                  IDE will maybe help you along the way but will also make your life difficult along the way. It does a lot of things for you, and it is good to know those things it does. With a text editor, you have to do those things yourself, thus you learn more. IDEs is not supported by all platforms so if the day arrives that you have to develop on a platform which doesn't support an IDE you'll be struggling coz you've been using a IDE. Personally if I was you, I'd start off using text editor and later move to IDE. You get some kick ass text editors these days which can do exactly what IDEs can do.

                  "Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence." << please vote!! >>

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                    IDE - no contest. It helps you at every turn: it prompts you with method names and properties, it helps remind you of function parameters, and it tells you when you misspell something as you go along. It handles indentation, and it works exactly the same when debugging as it does when you are editing. Ignore the purists: I started with text editors and I wouldn't go back!

                    Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

                    pkfoxP Offline
                    pkfoxP Offline
                    pkfox
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #35

                    Same here press ! To execute shell script , vi ? Vi ? Vi ?

                    We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP

                    OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • pkfoxP pkfox

                      Same here press ! To execute shell script , vi ? Vi ? Vi ?

                      We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP

                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                      OriginalGriff
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #36

                      If was always fun to realize you had typed your C code into vi and it was executing it as a command string...No! Stop! Noooooooo......

                      Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

                      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                      "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                      pkfoxP 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • K Keith Barrow

                        IDE hands down - especially when you are just starting. I mean you should, just for the experience, code apps up in using a notepad type text editor and command line compiler, be sure to use mutiliple files and include and if your chosen environment allows it build scripts. Doing this as the main way of working just strikes me as bizarre and contrarian. I worked in one place where vi was the only editor hard-core enough, funnily enough I used emacs (the only viable alternative for our environnment) as was far more productive.

                        PB 369,783 wrote:

                        I just find him very unlikeable, and I think the way he looks like a prettier version of his Mum is very disturbing.[^]

                        pkfoxP Offline
                        pkfoxP Offline
                        pkfox
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #37

                        I actually got pretty fast using vi for coding but it was vanilla c in those days ( shudder ) I also used WordStar for coding COBOL ( double shudder ) when intellisense first came out I didn't like it as it got in the way but would find it very difficult to live without now given the sheer size of frameworks these days. IDE 1 : Text Editor 0

                        We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • O Obi_Hendrix

                          Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

                          S Offline
                          S Offline
                          Simon ORiordan from UK
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #38

                          IDE definitely.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                            If was always fun to realize you had typed your C code into vi and it was executing it as a command string...No! Stop! Noooooooo......

                            Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

                            pkfoxP Offline
                            pkfoxP Offline
                            pkfox
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #39

                            Yes reminds me of "you have backed up everything haven't you ?" STOP STOP OH NOOOOOOO....

                            We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • O Obi_Hendrix

                              Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

                              S Offline
                              S Offline
                              simion314
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #40

                              If the IDE has an integrated debugger then I suggest using it, is so educational to watch how the code runs, how stuf works and ofcourse is easy to find your bugs. simion314

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • O Obi_Hendrix

                                Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

                                C Offline
                                C Offline
                                cjb110
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #41

                                IDE for sure, but once you have the basics of the language, allocate some time to learn what the IDE has been doing for you. If its been creating stubs/boilerplate stuff, then check those find out what they're doing, and why. Also be familiar with the structure of any project files or solution files, they aren't the language but you'll likely need to change them at some point. Taking an app that builds in the IDE and then build it yourself via the command-line tools is a good idea. Finally learn what else the IDE can do, can it help build unit tests?, help during the design? etc

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • J jeron1

                                  OriginalGriff wrote:

                                  I started with text editors and I wouldn't go back!

                                  Same here!

                                  G Offline
                                  G Offline
                                  glennPattonWork3
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #42

                                  Much as I would like the newbies to feel pain, IDE it helps in leaning syntax...

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • O Obi_Hendrix

                                    Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

                                    R Offline
                                    R Offline
                                    Rajesh R Subramanian
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #43

                                    IDE.

                                    "Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                      IDE - no contest. It helps you at every turn: it prompts you with method names and properties, it helps remind you of function parameters, and it tells you when you misspell something as you go along. It handles indentation, and it works exactly the same when debugging as it does when you are editing. Ignore the purists: I started with text editors and I wouldn't go back!

                                      Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

                                      J Offline
                                      J Offline
                                      Joan M
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #44

                                      IDEm :rolleyes:

                                      [www.tamautomation.com] | Robots, CNC and PLC machines for grinding and polishing. [YouTube channel]

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • O Obi_Hendrix

                                        Hi, I'm very new to object oriented programming. Having just read Text editor Vs IDE[^] do folks think from the start it would be better to learn using a text editor rather than an IDE (Honest question...don't want to start any arguments :) )?

                                        S Offline
                                        S Offline
                                        Septimus Hedgehog
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #45

                                        The IDE solves many problems but IDE-bloat makes it tricky to master. When I search for text, I use my standalone editor, UltraEdit. Its search facilities are better then VS and I can see contexts which are much nicer to navigate than with the IDE. In short, don't be shy to use things that complement the IDE. You sometimes need more than a hammer and chisel in your toolbox. :) :thumbsup:

                                        If there is one thing more dangerous than getting between a bear and her cubs it's getting between my wife and her chocolate.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                          Well, technically I didn't start with text editors: it was punched cards, which were like text editors with bad attitude and no "backspace" key... :laugh:

                                          Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952) Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)

                                          G Offline
                                          G Offline
                                          greldak
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #46

                                          I seem to recall that there was a backspace key - it punched all holes in the column which was read as ASCII 127 or whatever the EBCDIC equivalent was. What you didn't have was the cursor control keys. Generally it was as easy to copy the card up to the error and continue from there. I'd agree about using the IDE being much beter though although the ext editor approach does have a few benifits primarily it encourages you to get the syntax correct in the first place. The even greater benifit of punched cards or more accurately the day's wait for the printout in the bucket run was to ensure that you understood the code you were writing.

                                          1 Reply Last reply
                                          0
                                          Reply
                                          • Reply as topic
                                          Log in to reply
                                          • Oldest to Newest
                                          • Newest to Oldest
                                          • Most Votes


                                          • Login

                                          • Don't have an account? Register

                                          • Login or register to search.
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          0
                                          • Categories
                                          • Recent
                                          • Tags
                                          • Popular
                                          • World
                                          • Users
                                          • Groups