Victoria LacroixIs there any evidence that programmers are more productive when using IDEs? Fewer bugs, faster coding, minimal technical debt?
fog@vtrlx it depends on what you mean by IDE. If you mean "jump to references" + "inline docs" + "auto complete" then, yes, I am much more productive in an IDE than in a simpler editor.
@fog I know you're disagreeing, but I think you've gotten to the core of the point I'm trying to make.
Many IDE features make it easier to write more code in less time. Programmers often want this, but I strongly believe that more code makes programs worse. Faster coding means less time spent designing elegant solutions.
The point of raising this question is less to assert my own opinion (though I've made myself clear) and more to note that evidence in favour of either opinion is lacking.
@vtrlx you are absolutely right. I love to write less code (so that I have more time just to think about it or even to play with alternatives or other projects). But having the IDE show me the docs of a function I am using instead of having to look it up in the docs removes some friction and let me concentrate on the code even more. That's all and I think we're aligned on the basic principles here.
BTW, trying out your "shell" is on my roadmap, just after FOSDEM.