Difference between IDE and Code Editor


A code editor is one of the most essential tools for programmers, and it was developed with the express purpose of making the process of editing code more streamlined and straightforward. A text editor is comparable to a code editor; however, a code editor offers significantly more functionality.

Text editors with sophisticated built-in capabilities and specific functionalities designed to ease and speed up the process of editing code are referred to as code editors.

On the other hand, an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a collection of software development tools that are intended to simplify the process of coding. It simplifies the entire process of developing a software by combining the various components of a computer program into a single Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Read through this article to find out more about IDEs and Code Editors and how they are different from each other.

What is a Code Editor?

A code editor is basically a text editor that is focused on the process of writing computer programs. A source code editor can be thought of as a component of an IDE.

Code editors differentiate the elements and routines so that programmers can more readily look at their code, which makes it easier for them to write and read the source code.

Large applications would be more difficult to review at a later time if you used a standard text editor. This would be an inconvenience. Hence, programmers prefer to use code editors.

Features of a Standard Code Editor

Syntax highlighting, indentation, autocomplete, and brace matching functionality are some of the features that can be found in code editors. These features were developed with the express purpose of making it easier and faster to type source code.

Syntax Highlighting

Syntax highlighting is a feature that allows you to better comprehend what you are writing on the site by highlighting or colouring specific syntax in a variety of ways. This feature is included in code editors. This enables you to simply see, easily and quickly determine, whether you are creating any syntax issues, so that when you do, you can immediately fix them.

Auto-indentation

Auto-indentation is another feature that code editors frequently offer to assist developers in writing code. This makes it possible for your code to flow in a format that is clear and helpful, preventing you from being confused in a large block of text or wasting critical time attempting to format raw code.

Auto-completion and Brace Matching

Other features include "auto-completion", which reduces the need to write lines of code that are obvious and repetitive; and "brace matching" which enables you to speed up coding by identifying or locating your browser between the closest and most relevant braces and then jumping directly to that section of your code.

Example of Code Editors

Simple text editors like Notepad and WordPad can be used as code editors, but they are unable to improve the editing process in any way.

Atom, Sublime Text, Brackets, Visual Studio Code, Vim, UltraEdit, Bluefish, TextWrangler and TextMate are some of the popular and sophisticated code editors available today.

What is an IDE?

IDEs are software tools that simplify the process of creating new software applications. One of the primary advantages of using an IDE is that it provides a centralised interface with all of the tools that a developer requires. This is because an IDE was designed to incorporate all aspects of programming into a single application.

Components of a Standard IDE

Although IDEs come packaged with a wide range of functionalities, in their most fundamental forms, they invariably incorporate at least some of the following components −

Code Editor

These editors are differentiated from text editors by the fact that they strive to either simplify or enhance the process of writing and editing code for developers. They were designed specifically for writing and editing source code.

Compiler or Interpreter

Compilers are responsible for converting source code that is written in a language that is readable and writable by humans into a format that computers can run.

Debugger

A debugger is a computer programme that is used by programmers to test and debug the programme that they are working on. Instead of running a programme directly on the CPU, debuggers may use instruction-set simulators in order to get a better level of control over the execution of the programme. This enables debuggers to stop or halt the programme based on the precise circumstances that have been met. However, the inclusion of simulators slows down the overall execution speed.

Syntax Highlighter

This feature makes it easier to write in a structured language such as a programming language or a markup language because errors in structures and syntax may be easily distinguished from one another visually.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A GUI is an interface seen within the IDE that, similar to the desktop on your computer or the app menu on your phone, organises all of the functionality in a way that is user-friendly and easy to browse.

Build Automation Tools

These can help developers save time by automating tasks that are more commonly used in their work.

Example of IDEs

There are different types of IDEs, there are IDEs that are cloud-based, IDEs that are customised for the production of mobile applications or for HTML, and there are also IDEs that are meant specifically for Apple or Microsoft development.

Some IDEs are designed to work with a single language, while others are designed to work with multiple languages. Some popular IDEs are Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, Visual Studio, NetBeans, Phpstorm, WebStorm etc.

Difference between Code Editors and IDEs

The following table highlights the major differences between Code Editors and IDEs −

Basis of comparison
Code Editor
IDE
Definition
Text editors with sophisticated built-in capabilities and specific functionalities designed to ease and speed up the process of editing code are referred to as code editors.
An IDE is a collection of software development tools that are intended to simplify the process of coding.  It simplifies the entire process of developing software by combining the various components of a computer programme into a single GUI.
Tools
Code Editors, Debuggers, Compiler and Interpreter
Simply code editor
Autocomplete
Supported
Supported
Languages
Support specific set of languages.
Write code in different languages
Features
Text editing, compiling, debugging, syntax highlighting, unit testing, code completion etc.
Syntax highlighting, brace matching, auto completion
Examples
Some popular IDEs are Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, Visual Studio, NetBeans, Phpstorm, WebStorm, etc.
Some popular code editors are Atom, Sublime Text, Brackets, Visual Studio Code, Vim, UltraEdit, Bluefish, TextWrangler and TextMate, etc

Conclusion

IDEs are a robust set of tools that are intended to make programming as easy as it can possibly get. A code editor is essentially a text editor that has robust built-in features and specialised functionalities that are designed to ease and speed up the process of editing code. A text editor and a code editor are both included in an IDE.

Updated on: 28-Jul-2022

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