BlitzMax IDEs Overview
BlitzMax Forums/BlitzMax Programming/BlitzMax IDEs Overview
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| BM IDE Community Version OS :    required : MaxGui to compile, else nothing License : OpenSource Support : English Link : http://sourceforge.net/projects/blitzmax-ide/ CollIDE OS : required : Java Runtime 6 or above License : GPL Version 2 Support : ? (beta, still in development) Info: (Worklog/german) http://www.blitzforum.de/worklogs/6/ Link : http://code.google.com/p/blitzcoderide/ TextMate OS : required : nothing License : Shareware (ca. 39€) Support : English Info : TextMate Konfiguration Tutorial from d-bug (german) Info : Alternativ TextMate-Bundle Link : http://macromates.com/ E-TextEditor OS : required : nothing License : Shareware (ca. 35€) Support : English Info : TextMate for Windows Info : Alternativ TextMate-Bundle Link : http://www.e-texteditor.com/ jEdit OS : required : (?) Jave Runtime? License : Freeware Support : English Info : jEdit for OS-X und Linux-Ubuntu Tutorial from d-bug und Wild-Storm (german) Link : http://www.jedit.org/ BLIde OS : required : Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 License : Freeware/Shareware Support : English Info : The shareware version has more features Link : http://www.blide.org/ Projekt Studio 2007 Express OS : required : Microsoft .net Framework 2.0 License : Freeware Support : English Info : The "Professional Version" (Shareware) has more features Link : http://www.projectstudioide.com/ IndeED OS : required : nothing License : Freeware Support : no support Link : http://www.abrexxes.huntingsoftware.de/blitz/indeed_full_203.zip HydraMax OS : required : nothing License : Freeware Support : no support Link : http://www.eiksoft.com/hydra/ BlitzEdit2 OS : required : nothing License : Freeware Support : no support Link : http://www.abrexxes.huntingsoftware.de/blitz/BlitzEdit2_0.2.zip __________________________________________________________________________ |
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| Good information. Although I haven't tested them all BLIde is really great for what it does. It really makes it easier and faster to develop with. I remember being completely lost with the earlier Blitzmax original IDE because it had no autocomplete feature and the help was a little "all-over-the-place" if you know what I mean. |
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| Wow, good post. I didn't even know half of these existed! |
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| BlitzEdit blows up when I try to launch it on Vista 64.... |
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| hmmm...works fine on XP, any one else with vista64 ? If yes i will make a notice. bye |
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| The TextMate BMax bundle I wrote should work with E as well, so you might want to link it for that one as well. |
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| hmmm...works fine on XP, any one else with vista64 ? If yes i will make a notice. Just out of curiosity: is it making any assumptions about for example the folder Blitzmax is installed in? Mine is under c:\code\blitzmax instead of the default c:\program files\blitzmax. (I'm not using UAC) |
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| @Nilium Thanks @xlsior BlitzEdit2 is very old and not longer supported. But if it works, it is very stable. |
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| @xlsior BlitzEdit2 is very old and not longer supported. But if it works, it is very stable. Ah, OK -- I was just curious because I hadn't heard of it before. Personally I really like the default IDE, with one exception: I wish it supported code/function folding... But that' something that isn't easily hacked into it, unfortunately. :-? |
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| To be honest, i havent found a use for any of the advanced features all these editors support. All i need is a highlighting text editor with a button or keyboard shortcut labeled "Compile & Run" and i have all i need ;) MaxIDE-CE fits my requirements pretty nicely indeed. |
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| I was wondering about IDE's for Max on the Mac, recently, so this is an interesting list, and pretty much confirms my impression that there isn't much at all in the way of an IDE for Mac. *add it to to-do list* |
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| I think COLLide has a great future, but it is still in beta. Here a screen running on Windows 7. [Big Pic]http://blitz-coder.de/data/CollIDE_windows_debug.png [/Big Pic] cu |
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| I suppose it's worth updating for this. The E text editor is now open source. This shouldn't be confused with it being free- it's not (the licensing code is still closed-source from what I can see). However, depending on whether or not it matters to you that you can modify your editors to do what you want, you could consider this a pro or con in looking at it. Also, it runs on Linux now, it seems. |
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| Any IDE which supports BlitzMax should have some sort of auto-complete/intellisense since Max is an OO language... I've used BLide and Project Studio and both have decent intellisense, it just makes coding so much easier. Shame there is no BlitzMax plugin for Eclipse.... Here is a list of features, I think should be in an IDE: * Highlighting * Auto-Complete/Intellisense * Code-Folding * Compile & Run * Debug Information Does COLLide support intellisense? [Edit: Just had a quick play with COLLide, it is nice - but no intellisense :-( ] |
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| I find the word 'intellisense' offensive, especially in your chosen context. Please don't troll. |
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| I find the word 'intellisense' offensive, especially in your chosen context. Please don't troll. What?!? I'm not trolling... this thread is about IDEs and I expressed my opinion about IDEs and intellisense with Max... Please explain your comment... |
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| While we're being confusing... I don't like your justification for auto-completion. It's a bad one. Doesn't work. You should be arguing the pros and cons of auto-completion, not going "this is OOP, so LOGICALLY we must have auto-completion." Believe me, people have been coding for way longer than you've had auto-completion, it's not that big of a deal, you just need to learn to read documentation. Granted, most folks these days suck at reading documentation. Just for the hell of it, I'll also tick off a few points on your list: # Folding: who actually uses it? I've only ever used it to hide a gigantic block comment. What have you used it for? Think of situations where you really actually used it, not just thought about using it and then ignored it because you couldn't be bothered hiding some code you might want to look at later. # Debugging information? That's not something an IDE does. # Compile & Run - this is a non-issue for most people. When did it start being an issue for you? |
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| ...ok then. Anyways, great list Abrexxes. We need a sticky! |
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| Auto-completion isn't all about documentation... its about about speed and ease: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IntelliSense convenient way to access descriptions of functions, particularly their parameter lists. It speeds up software development by reducing the amount of name memorization needed and keyboard input required. Folding: who actually uses it Me for one and lots of other people by reading threads about this... you can use it to hide completed sections of code. Debugging information? That's not something an IDE does. So what does an IDE do? Gentle reminder what IDE stands for: Integrated Development Environment, we are not talking about notepad here... ;-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_development_environment An IDE normally consists of a: Source code editor Compiler and/or interpreter Build automation tools Debugger Compile & Run - this is a non-issue for most people. When did it start being an issue for you? It hasn't I was just saying its good to have in an IDE... Thank you for actually discussing this point with me and getting me to back up my reasons, this is why forums exist. |
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| convenient way to access descriptions of functions, particularly their parameter lists. It speeds up software development by reducing the amount of name memorization needed and keyboard input required. In other words, it's documentation plus reducing typing. That's a better argument than "it's OOP, we must have this." However, I wouldn't argue that this is a necessity, and is instead a sort of bonus. It can be left out of any IDE pretty safely, except for perhaps Java and C# IDEs where the majority of people writing code in either language are morons (I would also bash Java and C#, but I blame the users for any problems I have with the two languages).Also, a minor quibble: by reducing the amount of name memorization needed This is incorrect. You still have to know what you're looking for with auto-completion, so the amount of memorization needed isn't reduced. You might say it better facilitates memorization in some respects.I'm not entirely against auto-completion, mind. I just have issues with the way most people do it now. It tends to get in the way far more than I'd like, and as a result that pisses me off far more than I'd like. I pretty much have to stop using an editor the moment it pisses me off, because at that point I know it's going to piss me off again and again. Oddly enough, all the editors that haven't pissed me off have/had very, very minimal if not nonexistent auto-completion features. Me for one and lots of other people by reading threads about this... you can use it to hide completed sections of code. Cite an instance where you used it. I think that [an example] would be a better way to show just why you need this. That said, I don't think folding is a crucial feature, and considering most people here probably use the default IDE, I doubt they're in any hurry to get it. Yes, they're ignorant fools and what-not, but if they're the majority, it's probably better to aim at improving what they've already got and then working on the neat extras. So what does an IDE do? Gentle reminder what IDE stands for: Integrated Development Environment, we are not talking about notepad here... ;-) I would disagree that a compiler is part of an IDE. An IDE may work with a compiler, but if your compiler is integrated into the IDE, you've got a ton of issues already, nevermind a bunch of fancy features most people don't use. BlitzMax's IDE isn't its compiler, for example, and that's hopefully not going to change.Build automation tools are nice for complex projects, but let's face it, there aren't a lot of options you have when building a BMax program. You simply don't need the automation unless you want to replace bmk entirely (which has been a pet project of mine for a long time, unfortunately I've also lost the code many times and started from the ground up many more times, plus bcc is undocumented, but that's neither here nor there). So that's one feature of sorts you can scratch off the list of things needed for a BMax IDE. I got started writing this post and then I forgot what I was writing, so I'll leave it at this until I remember what else I was going to say... |
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| except for perhaps Java and C# IDEs where the majority of people writing code in either language are morons Thanks Noel... |
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| I said the majority, not everyone. |
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| Code folding is invaluable on large sources unless you like to wear your scroll wheel out. You program your Type, finish it, fold it away, and then start the next type. Not having code folding is like not having folders in windows. Try organizing 10000+ lines of code without it. Doh. I guess if you're not using it then you're most likely not using Types, or if you are using Types then they are heavily dependent on each other. i.e. tight coupling(bad) If you're using even basic OOP methodology then you should be able to fold away huge wads of code and forget about it. Once finished, it should just work, with no further modification required. |
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| I use multiple files. I don't know why your types are so huge or why you need to fold them all away in the same file, but I think your method has issues. |
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| You think multiple includes/imports are going to be quicker to compile? Types are typically < 300 lines. What's so huge about that? |
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| Yes, I do. You think you're going to have an easier time recompiling the same gigantic source file versus one file out of many every time you rebuild? |
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| Ah, but I didn't say I'm not including/importing other stuff. There are some types that MUST be recompiled, and some that don't. The value of folding is just as important in both cases. Try organizing all your files in one folder, lets say C:\, and tell me it's a good idea again. |
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| I'd say you're trying to build a strawman, and while it's certainly easier to knock down a strawman, that's not going to knock over my argument. Come back when you're less willing to resort to fallacies. Edit: Also, I suspect you're probably taking this personally, so you should also stop yourself there. Just because I think the features you consider important are stupid doesn't mean they don't benefit you. I'm just saying they probably don't benefit most people. |
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| Fair enough. Not sure how many people find it a useless feature though. |
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| I like intellisense and folding. The ProjectIDE Professional version has been "Coming Soon" for about a year, so the info in the first post is a bit misleading. The standard version is pretty basic without project handling. |
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| fwiw, love folding, hate intellisense |
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| Folding: who actually uses it? I've only ever used it to hide a gigantic block comment. What have you used it for? Personally I find it very useful in breaking up decent length sourcecode without having to resort to breaking up the source across multiple files -- It's a lot easier to keep track of where something is when it's all in the same window (not spread across multiple tabs), but be able to condense parts of the code that are not important at that time. (e.g. stick 'finished' functions at the bottom in a collapsed form, so you can focus on the portions that you are currently actively working on... But should you want to revisit another function it's still right there... Scoff at it if you want, but after all these years it's still the single feature I miss most in a default IDE since I've moved away from AMOS Professional on the Amiga. :-? (I know that Blide and such have code folding features, but for everyday work I still prefer the general simplicity of the default IDE -- if only it could do the folder it would be ideal. |
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| I wanted folding in the early days of Blitz, specifically because AMOSPro had it and I was used to using it. I've never actually used folding in Blitz - I got used to NOT using it before an IDE appeared that had it. I just use includes to keep everything tidy and structured. Intellisense rocks. I'd find it very difficult to write OO code (quickly) without it. I managed in the past because I had to. I could manage without legs, but life's much easier with. Anyway, I think its been proven that some people like code folding, some don't. Same for intellisense. There's no point arguing about it as everybody has their own preference and nobody is right or wrong. |
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| I'm not trolling... this thread is about IDEs and I expressed my opinion about IDEs and intellisense with Max... Please explain your comment... Sorry, sometimes that word 'intellisense' just gets to me, especially if you preach it as essential. I get by fine with none of this although maybe I am 'less productive' but I don't care, I like old-skool coding. I take back the 'troll' comment if it makes you happy. |
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| You think multiple Absolutely. 10000 hand-coded lines in 1 file? Seriously? Generated files... fair enough, as you will never be editing those... |
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| I like Blide, and i'm a huge fan of intellisense and the other features that Blide makes available. I'm a forgetful man, and this sort of thing makes large projects much easier to get my head around. Cheers Charlie |
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| I was going to mention AmosPro, too, as I enjoyed the procedure folding on that. I also liked that you could write programs which edit sourcecode within the IDE - not something I've seen much of in other IDE's since. I haven't used intellisense type stuff much except maybe in a bit of Visual Basic where it's at least handy to know what the required parameters are, but it's *really* annoying when it interrupts your typing in any way, or pops up a window to tell you you forgot to type Then on the end of an IF statement, forcing you to click a stupid button just to be able to continue typing what you knew was an error already. Sometimes stuff like this is just implemented too generically. One more point, I think an IDE must have better/faster search and replace - the default Max IDE is crap for replacing text, WAAAAAAY slow having to wait for the window to keep refreshing in order to replace every single instance of some text. |
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| I also use folding and intellisense. I use 3 or 4 different languages in my everyday job. It is a pain in the butt to remember all of the methods/functions of a string for instance. But, when you can just type the string name, then put a dot, then look down the list for "Endswith", it makes things simpler than having to look into the help file. I use folding because I like to fold all of the methods and functions in the type I am working on. Then, when I need to work in a function, I unfold it and do my work. When I am finished with it, I fold it again. Also, if the type I am working on has a couple of small children types, I can fold them and get them out of the way. Everybody has their own style. Saying a feature is unnecessary or dumb, because you do not use it, is silly. |
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| You think multiple includes/imports are going to be quicker to compile? 10000 hand-coded lines in 1 file? Seriously? You're right. I was in a hurry to get to work and don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that. I didn't mean 10,000 lines in one file. I meant that the total program is, say 10,000 lines split into multiple imports. At least some of those imports are still going to be big enough to warrant some kind of folding. I have one type I'm working on now. It is in an import and it's around 300 lines long with 6 different methods in it. I find it convenient to be able to fold the 5 methods I'm not working on so I can concentrate solely on the one that I'm interested in. That the point I was originally trying to make, that folding is just as handy in an import as it is in the main source. In the end I think it just comes down to personal preference. |
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| In the end I think it just comes down to personal preference. Absolutely. |
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| I'm changing IDEs soon from the basic (made 4 games with it) to one with Intellisense/Auto-complete etc because I KNOW it will make me more productive. I used to use it all the time with Borland Delpha and have missed it for a few years now. Bring it on! |
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| I ***REALLY*** love the Textmate bundle... PLS |
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| Glad to hear it. |
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| Yeah, the Textmate Bundle is definitely the bet option on Macs. Cheers Charlie |
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| someone should make this sticky ! |
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| Wasn't there an Eclipse based version a while back, I'm sure I recall someone mentioning it but that was ages ago now? |
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| The Eclipse plugin was abandoned. Brucey has not spoken of it since. |
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