Introduction to Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment. This is combinations of three words.

• Integrated (Combined)
• Development (Produce/Generate)
• Environment (Facilities/Tools)

1. Integrated

Integrated means that this is a platform where we can write/edit, compile/debug and run/execute our written source code at one place. This provide an editor for writing source code with all basic features of text editor such as indentation, grammer checker, line numbering. This also provides all basic to advance features of file handling such as opening directory/project, creating projects, creating files, handling recent files, saving and changing locations of saved files.

Some of the IDE also provides features of executing server side code within the IDE. These all features are combined into single unit of application so that this is called integrated.

2. Development

Devleopment has also broader meaning in context of IDE. Development refers to the writing of source code in any High Level Programming Language such as Java, C++, Php, Javascript. This feature is core part of IDE. This entire logic of solution/program is written refers to development.

3. Environment

Environment refers to the tools and features from that helps to write programs. The collection of all tools create a domain for entire work. This environment contains Toolsbars, Menus and interfaces. Interfaces are used to interact with IDE and Toolbars/Menus are used to perform particular types of operations for the development process.

Popular IDE for C++

There are many IDE's that are particularly designed for compilation and execution of C and C++ programs. Some popular IDE that are now a days used are as:

• Microsoft Visual Studio

• Eclipse

• NetBeans

• Dev C++

• Xcode