From JetBrains to Vim: A Snapshot of Developer-Favorite Coding Tools
The perennial question of which coding tools are best reveals that developer preferences are often a reflection of their core working philosophy. The landscape is broadly divided into two camps: those who favor powerful, all-in-one Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and those who prefer lightweight, composable toolkits centered around a classic text editor.
The World of IDEs
For developers who value an out-of-the-box, feature-rich experience, modern IDEs are the top choice. The discussion highlights several popular options:
- JetBrains Suite: Products like IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm are frequently mentioned for their powerful code intelligence, refactoring capabilities, and integrated tooling. Interestingly, some developers use the more comprehensive IDEA for tasks typically handled by specialized tools like WebStorm when they encounter issues.
- Visual Studio 2022: A heavyweight in the IDE space, especially for .NET and C++ development, it remains a favorite for its robust debugging and enterprise-level features.
The Philosophy of Lightweight Editors & Composable Tools
Contrasting with the IDE approach is a philosophy built on simplicity, speed, and customization. This camp favors powerful text editors that can be extended and combined with other specialized command-line tools.
Key editors mentioned include: - Neovim / Vim: These modal editors are praised for their efficiency and keyboard-driven workflow. - Emacs: Another classic, known for its extreme extensibility—often described as an entire operating system in an editor. - VSCodium: A fully open-source and telemetry-free build of VS Code, appealing to those who want a modern editor experience without proprietary tracking.
This editor-centric approach is often part of a larger ecosystem of command-line utilities. One developer's favorite "tool" is actually a suite of utilities that work in concert:
vimfor editinggccfor compilingqemufor virtualizationtmuxfor managing terminal sessionssshfor remote access
This highlights a workflow where small, sharp tools are combined to create a powerful and personalized development environment.
A Pushback Against AI Integration
A strong undercurrent in the conversation is a growing skepticism towards the recent trend of integrating AI features into every tool. Some developers explicitly state their preference for tools that have remained focused on their core purpose without what they see as "forced" AI. This sentiment points to a desire for tools that are fast, predictable, and free from unnecessary complexity or potential distractions, prioritizing user control and performance above all else.