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Why use an IDE, specially for C++? What's to gain from Emacs/Vim + Makefiles (or CMake)? I used Eclipse for a while several years ago when I didn't understand l

Why use an IDE, specially for C++? What's to gain from Emacs/Vim + Makefiles (or CMake)? I used Eclipse for a while several years ago when I didn't understand linking and it compiled and linked everything for me (same for VS under Windows). I did not understand how Qt worked when I started using it, but I could build semi working stuff with the Dreamweaver-like tools of Qt Creator. Eventually I learned how to use it and dropped Qt Creator. CodeBlocks is closer to Notepad++ than to an IDE for me. So... Why? But then again I don't understand why people use C++ in the first place, my only use for it was when working on projects built with it.

jackmott 10y ago
To the first question: A rather well known C++ developer used to wonder that too, until he got older, and couldn't remember everything about the language and his projects in his head any more. At which point intellisense type features began to make sense to him. So if you can't see the use, you are either still extremely clever, or haven't worked on complex enough projects to see how it could be useful. Why use C++ in the first place - because not a single language/ecosystem has come to exist yet that can replace it when performance is really important. If you are trying to make Doom5, you can't waste a single instruction. You can't miss the cache unnecessarily ever. You can't waste a byte of memory. You wouldn't believe the kinds of things AAA game developers (or the developers of the engines they use) have to do, to get done what they do. Rust can't quite do it yet. D can't quite do it yet Java/C# et DEFINITELY can't do it yet. And yes I know Unity uses C# for it's scripting language, but someone has to make Unity.
- douche 10y ago
  I assume you're talking about Carmack... Do you have the quote about intellisense?
  - jackmott 10y ago
    not Carmack, I think he has always liked IDEs, even when he was young. Won Chun is the guy I'm talking about.
    - mlvljr 10y ago
      Isn't that a martial art?! OK, kidding :)
- necessity 10y ago
  I haven't worked in very complex projects, true, but I don't see how an IDE would be any better than standard *nix utils (find, grep, sed, etc). Well, maybe time will tell me :) C++ is not what I'd go for if I could not waste a byte of memory, though.
sssilver 10y ago
People use C++ because for some projects (like 3D games) it's pretty much the only (mainstream) language that is capable of outputting a fast enough binary, yet still keeping the code somewhat maintainable.
solipsism 10y ago
Off topic but in case you might consider it helpful, I think you used "What's to gain from..." incorrectly. "What's to gain from X?" always means "What benefits will X bring me?" I think you meant, "What's to gain compared to..." or, alternatively, "What's to gain over..."
- necessity 10y ago
  Thanks, I appreciate the correction!
mto 10y ago
For me it's mostly about all the contextual information VS shows. I've been away from C++ for some time and now again working with VS2015 and was impressed how intuitive the presentation of contextual information was, especially when running/debugging the program. For example, pointing the cursor at a complex container type object with smart pointers etc. resolves everything nicely with that (+) popup menu. Tried the same thing with XCode and had to click through thousands of smart pointers etc. Also tried to set up vim to have all the features that I typically use in VS... took me days and, lot of headache and then forgot about that again.

jackmott 10y ago

To the first question: A rather well known C++ developer used to wonder that too, until he got older, and couldn't remember everything about the language and his projects in his head any more. At which point intellisense type features began to make sense to him. So if you can't see the use, you are either still extremely clever, or haven't worked on complex enough projects to see how it could be useful. Why use C++ in the first place - because not a single language/ecosystem has come to exist yet that can replace it when performance is really important. If you are trying to make Doom5, you can't waste a single instruction. You can't miss the cache unnecessarily ever. You can't waste a byte of memory. You wouldn't believe the kinds of things AAA game developers (or the developers of the engines they use) have to do, to get done what they do. Rust can't quite do it yet. D can't quite do it yet Java/C# et DEFINITELY can't do it yet. And yes I know Unity uses C# for it's scripting language, but someone has to make Unity.

douche 10y ago
I assume you're talking about Carmack... Do you have the quote about intellisense?
- jackmott 10y ago
  not Carmack, I think he has always liked IDEs, even when he was young. Won Chun is the guy I'm talking about.
  - mlvljr 10y ago
    Isn't that a martial art?! OK, kidding :)
necessity 10y ago
I haven't worked in very complex projects, true, but I don't see how an IDE would be any better than standard *nix utils (find, grep, sed, etc). Well, maybe time will tell me :) C++ is not what I'd go for if I could not waste a byte of memory, though.

sssilver 10y ago

People use C++ because for some projects (like 3D games) it's pretty much the only (mainstream) language that is capable of outputting a fast enough binary, yet still keeping the code somewhat maintainable.

solipsism 10y ago

Off topic but in case you might consider it helpful, I think you used "What's to gain from..." incorrectly. "What's to gain from X?" always means "What benefits will X bring me?" I think you meant, "What's to gain compared to..." or, alternatively, "What's to gain over..."

necessity 10y ago
Thanks, I appreciate the correction!

mto 10y ago

For me it's mostly about all the contextual information VS shows. I've been away from C++ for some time and now again working with VS2015 and was impressed how intuitive the presentation of contextual information was, especially when running/debugging the program. For example, pointing the cursor at a complex container type object with smart pointers etc. resolves everything nicely with that (+) popup menu. Tried the same thing with XCode and had to click through thousands of smart pointers etc. Also tried to set up vim to have all the features that I typically use in VS... took me days and, lot of headache and then forgot about that again.