RE: [avr-gcc-list] Next version of winavr!!!

[Dave Hansen]

From: "Brian Cuthie" <address@hidden>

> Well, clearly you haven't used a good IDE, or you didn't know how to use

I've used *lots* of IDEs, mostly for 8-, 16-, and 32-bit embedded 
development.  But you're right.  I've never used a *good* one.  ;-)  Mostly 
they consist of a mediocre editor, an infexible (but easy to use) automated 
builder, a lousy simulator, and a buggy symbolic debugger.  Occasionally, 
there's a less-than-friendly chip programmer interface.

> it. Lots of production code is developed using IDEs. Nearly every
> application for every desktop platform (we're talking the 99% of the
> market held by MS/Apple, not the Linux/Unix world) is developed in an
> IDE. Most commercial desktop applications are orders of magnitude more
> complex than any of the embedded stuff that gets done.

I could make a snide comment about how much those IDEs have contributed to 
the quality of the software produced.  But if I did, it would be mostly 
untrue.  I well aware of the complexities of desktop application 
development.  And that's not really my complaint about them anyway.

Neither is application complexity a problem that is solved by IDEs.

> An IDE does offer an additional level of abstraction, and many people

I don't see any additional abstraction.  Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you.

> are understandably reluctant to begin using a new one (me included,
> sometimes). But more often than not, learning the new tool pays off in
> spades.

But how does learning a different editor help me build better software?

Which is really my point.  I have a "DE", just one that's not "I" (an NDE, 
or perhaps a DETNI? ;-).   CodeWright is a very powerful editor, and I know 
it well enough that I don't have to think about it.  I can concentrate on my 
code.  PC-lint takes care of static analysis.  Make lets me build anything I 
want any way I want.  And they all work the same for every chip and every 
compiler I use.

Learning to use powerful tools well is what pays off in spades.

Regards,
  -=Dave

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