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.
  • 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
                                        • 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 – ∞)

                                          G Offline
                                          G Offline
                                          gervacleto
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #47

                                          I started with something "less" than a text editor. Basic on Commodore 64, and believe me, it was a pain in the .... neck ;) After that I went to AmigaBasic a real text editor, I traveled through many different programming languages and editors until I landed on Visual Basic V. 1.0. It was like arrive to haven (Programmer's haven, of course). Water ran under bridges and now I am using Visual Studio (C#), and there is no way to return to my text editor's time. It is like get down from a limo to travel on a wheelbarrow. Of course this is my personal opinion, no offense :laugh:

                                          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