When I do any programming, I always do them on default text editors (TextEdit on macOS, or Notepad on Windows). I use these default text editors because they are simple. There are no additional settings to configure, and they were already pre-installed. I am the kind of person that likes to keep my computer desktop clean, so I tend to uninstall programs that I find redundant. For example, I’ve been using the Safari browser for all internet browsing, so I didn’t have the Chrome browser installed until I took ICS314, which requires us to install Chrome. The same goes for text editors, I already had TextEdit/Notepad installed, so I felt that there was no need for installing new programming software.
In this ICS314 class however, we were required to install tools like Chrome, IntelliJ, and ESLint. After a week of using these tools, my opinion on redundant software has changed. These aren’t so redundant after all. Programs like IntelliJ and ESLint especially are helpful tools for programming.
One mistake that I tend to do a lot in JavaScript is the use of let and const. I am a somewhat lazy person and just use let for all variables, then change them to const (when needed) later. With ESLint and IntelliJ, I get notified whenever I make this error. That’s less work for me, so that’s great!
When you look at it from a different point of view. I guess some people would say that you learn less when the program is pointing out all your mistakes. I’d say that’s probably true. I feel like I learn more when I find my mistakes myself.
Although I may learn more from finding mistakes myself, that takes time. And for a course that is formatted like ICS314 where WODs are timed, you can’t be spending hours trying to find where the error is in the code. With ESLint and IntelliJ, we see our errors immediately, which is also great because it improves our efficiency.