What IDE to use?

[ultimate99]

For html, css, php, python, databases, what IDE do you guys use, preferably open source? 

[Max Norris]

Open source, probably Eclipse.. but for Python, PHP, CSS and HTML I'm a huge fan of the JetBrains IDE's.. PyCharm/WebStorm/PHPStorm are very good, you can use one for the others too, each one has a "primary focus" but can work with other project types too.. for example you can add PHP support to PyCharm and so on. Runs on all major OS's.  Leaves Eclipse in the dust in my opinion.  

[+theblazingangel MVC]

What platform? Windows? Linux??

 

For html/css/php I just used notepad for a long time. I wanted to switch to something with syntax highlighting and auto-indentation but I didn't really like anything out there, then brackets came along.

 

I don't do much at all in python currently, but I'd probably use brackets or notepad. Notepad++ is also popular, it's a free, open-source and much more powerful alternative to notepad.

 

For databases, there's PhpMyAdmin for MySQL and PhpPgAdmin for postgresql.

 

For C/C++ I use Visual Studio. Other options here include Netbeans and Eclipse, which are both open-source and I'd say are fairly popular (are they not, people?).

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

For basic syntax highlighting and stuff, Notepad++ is really good. I use it for all my general hacking needs. On Linux, the nearest equivalent is probably Geany or Gedit.

Going a bit more advanced, I've found Netbeans quite good for more heavyweight editing. To me it always feels snappier than Eclipse, albeit more restrictive. The downside is that the project (dispite being open source), is run by Oracle. Alternatively Eclipse or Aptana (which is based on Eclipse) work well for HTML/JS/CSS/PHP editing.

For SQL, I can't say I've used much outside of SQL Server Management Studio with MSSQL, and PhpMyAdmin + Notepad++ for MySql/MariaDB.

[vhane]

Open source, probably Eclipse.. but for Python, PHP, CSS and HTML I'm a huge fan of the JetBrains IDE's.. PyCharm/WebStorm/PHPStorm are very good, you can use one for the others too, each one has a "primary focus" but can work with other project types too.. for example you can add PHP support to PyCharm and so on. Runs on all major OS's.  Leaves Eclipse in the dust in my opinion.  

 

Yep, JetBrains' products are awesome. Target multiple platforms and run the IDE on multiple platforms too. I've standardised on IntelliJ & friends for anything that doesn't require Xcode or Visual Studio.

 

Vim is my fallback for anything that IntelliJ doesn't support.

[Max Norris]

Target multiple platforms and run the IDE on multiple platforms too.

I personally got spoiled by the remote interpreter/debugger/Vagrant support.   :wub:  Most of the languages I work with run just fine on my Windows boxes (Python, Scala for giggles, etc) and it's my desktop of choice so no biggie there but when I'm dealing with a Windows-phobic language like Ruby, no thanks, not enough aspirin in the world for that, I just let it use an interpreter on another machine that's already running.  Once you set it up you'll barely notice that program you just wrote is really running elsewhere.

 

Not a fan of VIM though, never could get into that one.  I have Sublime Text as my fallback for quick and dirty.

[Shiranui]

Eclipse (Luna) with DLTK.

[vhane]

Not a fan of VIM though, never could get into that one.  I have Sublime Text as my fallback for quick and dirty.

 

I first got into Vim when I started getting RSI in my right wrist. These days I mouse with my left hand at work, and with my right hand at home to try and reduce the strain. I also sometimes use a trackpad and a trackball and I've spent too much money on keyboards. My work depends on my ability to type and I can't afford to screw up my wrists.

 

Vim has a very rich movement language and allows me to spend more time on the keyboard. I don't need to touch the mouse while editing text and this helps with RSI. The good news is that all the IDEs and editors that I care about have a Vim plugin.

 

As for the actual editor itself, it's showing its age these days. I've toyed with Sublime Text (it has a Vim plugin) but haven't really felt compelled to switch. It's a big time investment to switch to a new editor ecosystem.

[simplezz]

Vim for me too. I can do everything from inside it, such as running make, scripts, shell commands, debugging, file system management (:Explore) etc so I guess you can label it an IDE. Although I tend to use it with Screen anyway, so it's not really necessary.

I'm not that keen on traditional IDE's myself, but if I have to recommend any, I'd probably say Geany, Eclipse, or Anjuta. I prefer Geany because it's more barebones doesn't get in your way too much.

[Aergan]

Notepad++ on Windows & gedit / vim on Linux.

[roosevelt]

For web development if you are mostly going to be working on the backend then I highly recommend that you go with SublimeText (free to use) and/or the IDEs by Jetbrains. Jetbrains is da'facto IDEs for the web. And if you want to be a full stack and want to tackle the front-end design or the UIs then Dreamweaver would be a good choice. But a good opensource alternative to Dreamweaver would Brackets!

[Kalint]

Visual Studio with Web Essentials is without a question: beast mode.

[LaP]

Free : Aptana Studio

Not free : JetBrains products

[guitmz]

Use Sublime for the win! There's also Atom, Komodo Edit, Gedit, Scratch (linux), etc all of them are good

[Boz]

Honestly I tried all suggested here.. Eclipse, Netbeans, Dreamweaver, Aptana and I still use Sublime for quick edits but they are all meh compared to IntelliJ.

 

Try PhpStorm or IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate (maybe an overkill) and you will never use anything else. 

 

PHP PhpStorm is amazing for exclusively web development. It has plugins for anything you might need SASS, LESS, Mongo, Node etc etc.. But the best part is it also has superior:

 

1. Syncing / Deployment

2. Integrated Wordpress support (Automattic guys use it for development)

3. Database viewer/designer and SQL editor

4. Direct terminal access (so you can use it directly in the IDE)

5. Super fast

 

The downside is that it's not free.. but it's absolutely the best (They do have the community edition though which is free)

 

If you want to do Java and other stuff IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate is the powerhouse. It has EVERYTHING. You will never leave the IDE. 

 

 

As far as IDE, I found after using it for a long time (still fire it from time to time) is the best rounded web centric development IDE. Eclipse/Aptana (based on Eclipse) and Netbeans though adding some additional things for coding particularly are pretty cumbersome. 

 

Sublime is really an editor with some plugins to emulate the IDE environment but it's a pain in the *** . It's a good editor, don't get me wrong, but setting things up and making it an environment to work with as effectively is the pain that I mentioned.

[Jombi]

CSS, Javascript, php, python, html? Maybe I'm the only one here like this, but I've always used Notepad++, and find it the easiest to use for these languages. For others like Java I turn to JGrasp, and for C# I use Visual Studio 2013+.

If I'm in a Unix environment, Vim is the way to go.

I understand that most of these aren't "IDE"'s, but who says you need an IDE for every language? I found it much easier to learn and program correctly without those helpers. Of course down the road, it's just convenient to use one.

[simplezz]

If I'm in a Unix environment, Vim is the way to go.

I understand that most of these aren't "IDE"'s, but who says you need an IDE for every language? I found it much easier to learn and program correctly without those helpers. Of course down the road, it's just convenient to use one.

Vim is a development environment unto itself. It really has no peer. Emacs is probably closest comparison. The agility, flexibility, and power it provides is unmatched.

If someone really wants to learn programming, the first thing they should do away with is all the eyecandy. All one needs is a compiler (GCC), debugger (GDB), editor (VIM), reference (man pages), and a decent terminal (bash/csh). Anything else just gets in the way.

[Max Norris]

If someone really wants to learn programming, the first thing they should do away with is all the eyecandy. All one needs is a compiler (GCC), debugger (GDB), editor (VIM), reference (man pages), and a decent terminal (bash/csh). Anything else just gets in the way.

A majority of a proper IDE isn't "eye candy" however. It's a set of tools designed to you a lot more productive. (Especially if you're programming professionally, not as a hobby.) Debuggers, profilers, VCS tools, team collaboration/defect tracking/etc, database management, more code cleanup/optimizing tools you can shake a stick at, etc. Sure, I could sit down and write a program using nothing but Notepad or whatever simple text editor.. but why intentionally cripple productivity in the process? Some of us have to deliver to clients and such, and the last thing I want to do is waste time mucking about in a terminal.

[tiagosilva29]

Text user interface: nano

Graphical user interface: gedit, scratch, eclipse

[simplezz]

A majority of a proper IDE isn't "eye candy" however.

All GUI tools are eyecandy :)

It's a set of tools designed to you a lot more productive.

That's debatable. Personally, I find those kinds of programs a distraction. You'll never really get to know a compiler or the tools that the IDE is using behind the scenes. It's all abstracted away from you. If I know the tools like the back of my hand, I can make better use of them. That makes me productive. That and the fact that my hands don't need to leave the keyboard while I'm doing all of it. Every time you reach for the mouse, you're losing productivity.

(Especially if you're programming professionally, not as a hobby.)

It's funny you mention that

Debuggers, profilers, VCS tools, team collaboration/defect tracking/etc, database management, more code cleanup/optimizing tools you can shake a stick at, etc.

All of which are available outside of an IDE. You don't really think they are all one program do you? Of course not. They're all separate programs.

Sure, I could sit down and write a program using nothing but Notepad or whatever simple text editor..

There are editors far better than notepad :laugh: As others have noted, on Windows, Notepad++ is pretty decent. There isn't a decent terminal emulator though on Windows :(

but why intentionally cripple productivity in the process? Some of us have to deliver to clients and such, and the last thing I want to do is waste time mucking about in a terminal.

That's because (no offense intended), you don't use a real terminal day in day out. If you took the time to master the tools, you'd realise that it's much faster doing development without an IDE. Your programming skills would be better for it too.

[Max Norris]

All GUI tools are eyecandy :)

No, they're not. They provide the same sort of tools I get from a console... plus much more. And I'm not wasting time jumping around various console windows and/or typing in stuff, click click done will outperform even the fastest of typist.

 

That and the fact that my hands don't need to leave the keyboard while I'm doing all of it. Every time you reach for the mouse, you're losing productivity.

A good IDE will have everything hotkeyed so you don't have to.

 

It's funny you mention that

That's their opinion, and that of a small fraction of the developers world wide on top of it.

 

All of which are available outside of an IDE. You don't really think they are all one program do you? Of course not. They're all separate programs.

Depends on the IDE and compiler suite in question.. some are completely built into the IDE itself, and compiler aside, yea, a lot of it is one program, especially when it's been extended beyond what it comes with out of the box.

 

There are editors far better than notepad :laugh: As others have noted, on Windows, Notepad++ is pretty decent. There isn't a decent terminal emulator though on Windows :(

Just an example, I prefer Sublime myself but *shrug* there's a gazillion options, yea Notepad++ isn't bad either. I still wouldn't use it as my primary code editor though, especially in the case of something Python like the OP mentioned... the thing is interactive, losing out on a lot of features just for intentionally limiting yourself. And um, yes, there is. I got a good number of shells to pick from, and I have a good number of terminals to wrap them in. The one I'm personally using is more or less on par with Konsole, but *shrug* choices and all that. I even occasionally access it via SSH from time to time, oddly can do that too. (Sometimes even use Nano or VIM, just to shake things up.)

 

That's because (no offense intended), you don't use a real terminal day in day out.

Um yea, actually I do. I've been using the Unix console for years, long before Linux even became a thing, thanks for the assumption. Even did old school C via a console based text editor back in the 70's and 80's.. this isn't some new fad here.. back then really didn't have much of a choice. I've been doing it for decades with a fair number of languages and platforms, and see absolutely zero benefit to intentionally clobbering productivity just to look cool on a forum.

[simplezz]

No, they're not. They provide the same sort of tools I get from a console... plus much more. And I'm not wasting time jumping around various console windows and/or typing in stuff, click click done will outperform even the fastest of typist.

Jumping around console windows? Never heard of that :D I use screen myself, as well as Vim's built in commands which allow the execution of external tools/scripts.

A good IDE will have everything hotkeyed so you don't have to.

We all know that doesn't happen.

That's their opinion, and that of a small fraction of the developers world wide on top of it.

The point is, if Microsoft's own elite programmers don't use IDE's like Visual Studio, what does that say about their efficacy?

Just an example, I prefer Sublime myself but *shrug* there's a gazillion options

Sublime's not bad. Tried it out a while ago. There are a number of adequate GUI editors. Gedit's okay if you get a few plugins. The point being, using an IDE is neither required nor essential for development. An editor, compiler, debugger, and reference are all you need (in most cases).

especially in the case of something Python like the OP mentioned... the thing is interactive

Python's interactive shell is great. I use it in the terminal all the time to try things out.

Um yea, actually I do. I've been using the Unix console for years, long before Linux even became a thing, thanks for the assumption. Even did old school C via a console based text editor back in the 70's and 80's.. this isn't some new fad here.. back then really didn't have much of a choice.

What I mean is, unless I'm mistaken, you're not doing heavy programming on the cli using utilities like screen, vim, gcc, gdb, and man pages on a daily basis. You seem to be mainly a Windows user on a day to day basis. I could be wrong though, and pardon my impertinence if I am.

I've been doing it for decades with a fair number of languages and platforms, and see absolutely zero benefit to intentionally clobbering productivity.

That's how I know you don't use the same tools as I do on a daily basis ;)

[Max Norris]

Jumping around console windows? Never heard of that :D I use screen myself, as well as Vim's built in commands which allow the execution of external tools/scripts.

Again, it's just an example. And again, there's more to it than just a basic editor and compiler, especially when you're in a team environment.

 

We all know that doesn't happen.

Who's "we?" I have several IDE's that do exactly that just fine.

 

The point is, if Microsoft's own elite programmers don't use IDE's like Visual Studio, what does that say about their efficacy?

And again you're citing personal preference to prove a fact. That's all it is, their opinion. There's plenty of "elite" programmers out there who do use an IDE. So what?

 

The point being, using an IDE is neither required nor essential for development. An editor, compiler, debugger, and reference are all you need (in most cases).

Not saying it's required, as obviously that's not true. It's just a lot more efficient for most people. It's just like I could do everything from a console and ditch a GUI completely... but why?

Python's interactive shell is great. I use it in the terminal all the time to try things out.

Agree with that.. not my #1 language of choice but the interactive compiler is stupidly handy at times for figuring out bugs and such.

 

What I mean is, unless I'm mistaken, you're not doing heavy programming on the cli using utilities like screen, vim, gcc, gdb, and man pages on a daily basis. You seem to be mainly a Windows user on a day to day basis. I could be wrong though, and pardon my impertinence if I am.

Actually I do, have been for decades ;) I am a Windows user by choice as I find their desktops far superior to the alternatives, just preference. I even have Vim, MicroEmacs and Nano installed on that Windows desktop. I also use it to maintain a good number of Unix and Linux systems daily as a front-end, both via SSH and remote X. Conversely.. I use IntelliJ and Eclipse on Linux too for the same reasons.

[kjordan2001]

There isn't a decent terminal emulator though on Windows :(

 

Cygwin + Mintty.  I have to use Windows for work a lot and just never really dug putty all that great compared to Linux options and finally ended up installing Cygwin which comes with Mintty now which is as close as you'd probably find (aside from installing X in Cygwin and doing it that way).

[simplezz]

Cygwin + Mintty.  I have to use Windows for work a lot and just never really dug putty all that great compared to Linux options and finally ended up installing Cygwin which comes with Mintty now which is as close as you'd probably find (aside from installing X in Cygwin and doing it that way).

Last time I used Cygwin, the terminal was pretty awful - basically a standard windows console. I'll give it another whirl and see if it has improved.

As far as installing X goes, it's very tempting to do so in order to circumvent the windows console. It's a lot of effort though when I can just as easily run a real X window session on Arch.

[Andre S. Veteran]

 Personally, I find those kinds of programs a distraction. You'll never really get to know a compiler or the tools that the IDE is using behind the scenes. It's all abstracted away from you. If I know the tools like the back of my hand, I can make better use of them. That makes me productive. That and the fact that my hands don't need to leave the keyboard while I'm doing all of it. Every time you reach for the mouse, you're losing productivity.

Don't you use makefiles or some build system, or do you actually invoke the compiler manually everytime you compile your project? If you do use a build system, how is that not "abstracting away" the tools that you use, and what difference is there from using the IDE as a build system? Can you give a concrete example of something you can do or are more likely or more apt to do by using a collection of different tools rather than using an integrated development environment?

 

Also, I would argue that having to switch between applications is loss of productivity in itself, and a good IDE allows you to hotkey everything you need all the time.