IDE Test in German Linux Intern magazine

Andrew Stevens Andrew.Stevens at comlab.ox.ac.uk
Fri Feb 11 11:56:08 GMT 2000


> for those who're interested: I bought a german computer magazine "Linux
> Intern", which is a "PC-Intern" special, a few days ago. They have two
> articles worth to mention covering something about KDevelop:

Hmmm.... I tend to view "reviews" from light-weight magazines with serious
suspicion.
I can only assume they based their reviews on reading the doc rather than
usage.
I'm working on a real "live" C++ project under Linux, one where time wasted
costs me serious money.  I've tried quite a few IDE's and almost-IDE's on
this project and come to the following conclusions based on attempts to
actually *use* them:

(1) Source Navigator (do they meant code fusion? Source navigator *isn't*
an IDE).

SUMMARY: early beta code in disguise.  Save your money till they get a real
version out.

Version control interface - doesn't work. Period.  Immediate crash.
Debugger - display of variables fails if a null "this" is ever encountered.
Prone to shooting down
the entire X server when debugging OpenGL stuff.
Project management - so limited as to be useless.  Doesn't even support
dependencies on headers.
Anything other than toy projects will require manual Makefiles or auto*
anyway.
C compiler - updated EGCS.  Nice Improved error messages. Shame it
c"ompiler internal error"'s all the time and also barfs incorrectly on
legal C++.

N.b. This cost me $250.  I am *not* a happy customer.  4 serious defects, 6
months later, no fixes.
The online no-addtional cost support resources are a joke.  If I have to
pay big money for support I'll simply use MSVC - it has more features and
doesn't crash all the time.

Finally, I think the whole enterprise is badly flawed from the start: it is
tcl/tk based, with the hallmark flakiness of this "seemed like a good idea
at the time" technology.  I have little confidence that real
industrial-strength robustness can ever be achieved.


(2) CodeCrusader.

Rather lightweight.   Class browser too limited.  Debugger limited and
didn't work well with OpenGL etc.  Black mark for relyiong on the rather
limiting "makemake" as the core of project management.  O.k. for teaching
or lightweight projects.

(3) Moonshine.

SUMMARY: They're at least honest that its early release stuff.

Crashed too much, hated the user interface / bugs.  Gave up quickly: no
time for broken pay-money-for-it software after the Code Fusion fiasco.
Perhaps they've improved it since I looked last?

(4) KDevelop.

My IDE of choice for the moment.  It is limited in "frills" but what it
does it does dependably and the basics are done right.  The debugger is
dependable, the class browser useful, and it links to auto* and the
document tools.  More to the point the code is actively maintained and
heading in the right direction.

(5) C-Forge

Summary: in the end I never even bothered to download it.  It seemed a good
deal of the functionality was missing in the Linux version.

(6) GIDE - never tried it.

OVERALL: cynically, I have serious doubts about the viability of the
smaller commercial offerings in the face of already good and still rapidly
improving open source efforts (KDevelop to the fore) and the imminent
arrival of the "Big boys" in the form of Inprise.   Furthermore, for
development *tools* open-source / free-software is a real plus.  You have
the confidence that the guys developing and maintaing the have the same
interests as you. No obfuscated file formats and "lock in" features.
Emphasis on maximal robustness, interoperability with standard tools, and
day-to-day useability (not the same thing as spec-sheet and Newbie-oriented
GUI features) and compatibility with the tools of the day.

This lurker says "Let's hear it for the KDevelop guys they're numero uno
for me" and  "keep up the good work you're on the right track"

;-) :-)


    Andrew


>
> a) Development Environments:
>
> In a test (including Java IDE's as well) against CodeWarrior,
> CodeCrusader, Moonshine, GIDE, CForge, BX Pro/CIK and Source Navigator,
> C-Forge got the prize ;-( so we have still a good way to go to hit even
> commercial packages (or the testers...)
>
> KDevelop ended up under the first 5 in the following order:
>
> 1.C-Forge
> 2.CodeCrusader
> 3.Moonshine
> 4.KDevelop together with Source Navigator
>
> The results:
>
> Documentation (25%):  1.3
> Programmig languages (25%): 3.0
> Functionality (25%): 3.0
> Stability (25%): 2.0
>
> Result: 2.3
>
> Price: 1.0  ( ;-) )
>
> Price/Power: 1.6





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