IDE Defined

So just what is an integrated development environment?

May 8th, 2013

Wikipedia actually offers a good straightforward explanation: An integrated development environment (IDE) is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development. An IDE normally consists of a source code editor, build automation tools and a debugger.

According to sources talked to for this article, useful tools and technologies found in IDEs can include:

• Code libraries

• Simulation

• A tag-based operating system

• Integrated runtime

• 64-bit software

• Compiled languages

• Tools synchronized across platforms and environments

>> Read Automation World's complete coverage, "How Development Environments Simplify PLC Programming".

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