What do I need to know about IDEs and code editors?

Code

IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and code editor are types of software designed to work on, develop and test applications. The capabilities of these tools are different.

A code editor is a program that works like a text editor, only more suitable for writing code.

An IDE is software that combines tools for developing applications and testing them in a single interface. It can do everything a text editor can do and even more. This is basically what makes an IDE different from it, it provides more advanced features. Development environments give you the ability to create large projects, as well as connect Git. As a rule, an IDE consists of:

a text editor itself for writing and editing code;

a compiler – a tool that allows you to translate text written in a programming language into a set of machine codes;

a debugger, which checks the code and eliminates errors in it;

tools to automate code building, speeding up the development process.

Many IDEs allow you to customize additional frameworks and libraries to enhance your development capabilities.

What IDEs and code editors exist today?

When choosing a suitable environment, developers are guided by various factors, such as whether the IDE supports the necessary programming languages, whether there is a possibility of collaborative development for teamwork, what additional features are available, whether additional extensions can be installed, whether a subscription is required or whether a free version can be used.