The Verdict
Integrated Development Environments
As we were putting this Roundup together we realised that all five IDES have their own style, which makes little difference to real-world efficiency. Eclipse and Netbeans are written in Java and function better as Java development tools. However, they have extensions that make them suitable for working in other languages, too – Python, C++ and the webbased technologies, for example.
A key component for any development project is the version control system. Without it, you’ll soon get lost. Even if you’re the only contributor to your project, version control is essential. When looking at the five IDES, you can quickly see that CVS and SVN is the default choice for this. However, Git has since become the dominant standard for version control because it handles branches with ease. In this regard, Qt Creator is the most comprehensive IDE. You can use it to check differences and solve problems right there in the tool.
Code::blocks sticks out in this test because it has no corporate versions or direct business support. Whether that’s a good or bad point will depend on your view of commercial products, but usually development speeds up if there’s a corporate push behind the product. Let’s hope Code::blocks beats the naysayers and picks up support. The IDE already has a strong foundation and its developers are aiming to build functions with extensions rather than bloating the main code.
When we finally decided to put Eclipse in the top spot, the reasoning included the huge choice in its Marketplace. You also have several versions as web services, which makes for a very strong proposition should your project expand. Netbeans also has a marketplace, but most non-java or Javascript elements are for version-four extensions.
Working with compilers and ironing out bugs are similar in all packages. The differences are so small that taste is more important then performance. All five IDES use the system compiler or one that you choose for yourself. Although Qt Creator is directly connected to the qmake suite, they are developed by the same team. One thing that makes Netbeans stand out is that it has a built-in remote build setting.