IDE/Text Editor for coding C/C++ & Python?

[Tarun10]

I've been using TurboC++ for 2 years at school for C++ and now I'm learning C at college. I'm also trying to pick up python on my own. I'm mostly going to be doing basic programming and probably not developing big projects just yet so a really big IDE like Visual Studio probably won't make sense right? The numerous options out there are pretty confusing to choose from. Basically I can pick a complete IDE with everything integrated with easier testing, debugging and so on or a text editor or terminal plus compiler for speed? Also what are linkers? I want to give Visual Studio Code a try because it offers support for multiple languages and seems light on my laptop. Any tutorials I should look at to get used to the environment? I don't mind using separate programs for python and C/C++.

[WereCatf]

7 minutes ago, Tarun10 said:

I want to give Visual Studio Code a try because it offers support for multiple languages and seems light on my laptop.

Personally, I recommend VSCode. It's really excellent and I use it for all of my projects nowadays, whether it's HTML/Javascript, Bash-scripts, Python etc. There is a learning-curve, but it definitely is worth it.

[Tarun10]

1 minute ago, WereCatf said:

Personally, I recommend VSCode. It's really excellent and I use it for all of my projects nowadays, whether it's HTML/Javascript, Bash-scripts, Python etc. There is a learning-curve, but it definitely is worth it.

Are there any tutorials you'd recommend to get started or should I just do a quick google search? Any extension recommendations?

[WereCatf]

Just now, Tarun10 said:

Are there any tutorials you'd recommend to get started or should I just do a quick google search? Any extension recommendations?

Uh, not really. I learned mostly by poking around, then reading Microsoft's own documentation or random Youtube-videos when I couldn't figure something out, but I never followed any specific tutorial that went through it all.

 

Codestackr on Youtube has videos on how to set a webdev-environment up with VSCode, but for Python, you mostly have to just search. Oh, and a quick tip: I very, very much recommend you to teach yourself the habit of always using Python virtual environments, which VSCode has built-in support for as well, since all that stuff you install in a venv stays in there instead of cluttering your global environment.

[Tarun10]

3 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Codestackr on Youtube has videos on how to set a webdev-environment up with VSCode, but for Python, you mostly have to just search. Oh, and a quick tip: I very, very much recommend you to teach yourself the habit of always using Python virtual environments, which VSCode has built-in support for as well, since all that stuff you install in a venv stays in there instead of cluttering your global environment.

Okay I don't understand what you said but I'll look into it. Final question, is VScode much easier, once you learn, to use over a simpler text editor plus compiler?

[WereCatf]

Just now, Tarun10 said:

Final question, is VScode much easier, once you learn, to use over a simpler text editor plus compiler?

In many ways, yes, like e.g. in Python it can highlight errors for you, it can recommend imports, you can just highlight a variable and hit F2 to rename that variable throughout the entire file and so on. I use a couple of extra extensions as well, like e.g. one that shows with colourized vertical bars the indentation-level of your code, so it's easy to always make sure your code is intended like you intend to and so on.

[Tarun10]

4 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

In many ways, yes, like e.g. in Python it can highlight errors for you, it can recommend imports, you can just highlight a variable and hit F2 to rename that variable throughout the entire file and so on. I use a couple of extra extensions as well, like e.g. one that shows with colourized vertical bars the indentation-level of your code, so it's easy to always make sure your code is intended like you intend to and so on.

Thanks a lot for the advice and help!!

[johnroper100]

5 hours ago, Tarun10 said:

Are there any tutorials you'd recommend to get started or should I just do a quick google search? Any extension recommendations?

The nice thing about VSCode is it automatically prompts you to install the official extensions for the file type you have open. It does just about all of the set up for you!