An IDE allows developers to start programming new applications quickly because multiple utilities don’t need to be manually configured and integrated as part of the setup process. Developers also don’t need to spend hours individually learning how to use different tools when every utility is represented in the same workbench. This can be especially useful for onboarding new developers who can rely on an IDE to get up to speed on a team’s standard tools and workflows. In fact, most features of IDEs are meant to save time, like intelligent code completion and automated code generation, which removes the need to type out full character sequences.
Other common IDE features are meant to help developers organize their workflow and solve problems. IDEs parse code as it is written, so bugs caused by human error are identified in real-time. Because utilities are represented by a single GUI, developers can execute actions without switching between applications. Syntax highlighting is also common in most IDEs, which uses visual cues to distinguish grammar in the text editor. Some IDEs additionally include class and object browsers, as well as class hierarchy diagrams for certain languages.
It is possible to develop applications without an IDE, or for each developer to essentially build their own IDE by manually integrating various utilities with a lightweight text editor like Vim or Emacs. For some developers the benefit of this approach is the ultra-customization and control it offers. In an enterprise context, though, the time saved, environment standardization, and automation features of modern IDEs usually outweigh other considerations.
Today, most enterprise development teams opt for a pre-configured IDE that is best suited to their specific use case, so the question is not whether to adopt an IDE, but rather which IDE to select
