What is an IDE?

IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment. The ultimate application for a programmer that includes multiple tools commonly used in software development. Some of these tools are source code editing, debugger, and creating executables.

Is there one ultimate IDE?

Everyone has there preferences and would probably say their favorite is the ultimate one. They would be correct. Whichever IDE you are most comfortable with is the ultimate IDE. They all generally function the same and you have to use them and decide for yourself which one is the best.

Which IDE should you choose?

If you are a beginner and new to IDEs we recommend two widely used IDEs in both professional and non-professional work environments. They are both developed by Microsoft and have a good reputation. They are Visual Studio Community 2022 and Visual Studio Code.

They both have similar names and are developed by the same company. I know your next question. What is the difference? Well, ultimately there is nothing different about them in terms of they can both do the same things that you would want them to. They both have pros and cons that you have to decide for yourself which experience you prefer.

A quick run down is Community is an IDE and Code is a source code editor. Community is more suited for .NET and C/C++ development while Code is more suited for web development with Javascript, Typescript, and Node.js. Code has many extensions that can give you a similar experience to Community and possibly some better features. Also, Code is open source which means, if you wanted to you could contribute towards the development of Code just like you would here.

With that being said they both can be extended to support basically every language and setup. In this case we are focusing on C# and Unity which are supported and work well with both options.

Installing the IDE

Since both Community and Code are developed by Microsoft they are both downloadable on the same page HERE.

There are a few steps to get to the ideal environment for [P1]'s usage. It would be easier to follow a short video regarding either one you want to work with.

This one is for Visual Studio Community 2022

This one is for Visual Studio Code (with Intellisense working, very helpful)