From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID
	autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 109fba,4873305131bf4d94
X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public
X-Google-Thread: 103376,4873305131bf4d94
X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public
X-Google-Thread: 1014db,4873305131bf4d94
X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public
From: Derek A Benner <dbenner@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: Current Ada strengths - was Re: ADA SUCKS, C/C++/JAVA RULES!!!!
Date: 1997/10/30
Message-ID: <34592B60.F9F63862@pacbell.net>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 286951577
References: <34557f2b.1934172@news.mindspring.com>
 <635csg$2eu$1@news2.alpha.net>
 <Pine.SUN.3.96.971028125423.20605D-100000@flatland.dimensional.com>
 <635u6q$4tk$1@flood.weeg.uiowa.edu>
 <Pine.SUN.3.96.971029083838.11582E-100000@flatland.dimensional.com>
 <345881C4.640998A4@horvath.com>
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
Organization: Pacific Bell Internet Services
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++
Date: 1997-10-30T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


Bob Horvath wrote:
> 
> 
> I have often wondered the same thing.  I head people talk about IDEs
> and
> coming from a vi/make environment, I wonder what I am missing, if
> anything.
> Perhaps these are two different things.
> 

In some ways, yes.

> It seems to me that if you know language, you don't need an IDE.  And
> if you
> need an IDE, then you don't know the language.

Not true.  Some IDEs are more of the wizards approach, but produce very
little in the way of real code.  These do indeed form a crutch for the
programmer as they are usually present in a development environment
where the underlying toolset is still too complex (Just like MFC! <G>) 

In other environments, the IDE enhances the productivity of the
programmer by merely creating the shell code for oft-repeated visual
components while allowing the programmer to concentrate on writing the
actual business rules code.  (This is the approach taken by Delphi and
C++ Builder and Power++)  In such languages, the initial toolset is rich
enough to provide a clean and relatively high-level interface to the
underlying OS API so that the programmer doesn't have to fight the
forest-for-the-trees syndrome that comes with, say, MFC programming. 
Thus the programmer finds the IDE actually enhances productivity without
dumbing down the potential of the development language.

Derek