I've always been a command-line type of guy. I still open up a DOS box and erase, copy, rename files manually rather than opening up the File Manager.

I also started out with the 8052 using a DOS-based assembler and C compiler. I must say it was frustrating at first because not only did I *HAVE* to write batch files (the command sequences were generally too long to want to retype each time), but even with the batch files the compiler/assembler didn't have enough information--it also had to have an additional linker control file. There was no way to cram it all into a single batch file; it wouldn't fit on a single DOS command line. So I ended up having my source files plus a linker control file plus a batch file. Certain changes would have to be made in some or all of the files involved. There was no central place to change "everything." This drove me crazy.

In my opinion, if you can find an IDE that you are comfortable with, works for you, AND truly gives you the control you have at the command-line, go with it. There are so many parameters and options available in modern-day cross-compilers/assemblers that you can either do it by hand in DOS using linker control files and batch files, or you can let the IDE do the dirty work. With a typical IDE you can find your compiler/linker options in a single place rather than scattered throughout multiple configuration/batch files. As long as you understand what the IDE is doing behind the scenes you can be just as effective a programmer. If you let the IDE do the work without understanding what it's doing, your programming efficiency will suffer--just as with command-line assemblers if you just include certain options without understanding the details behind those options.

I also think there is a certain convenience of having an integrated environment. Otherwise, you can easily end up having an editor open, a DOS-box to compile/assemble programs open, a simulator program to simulate your code, and perhaps a GUI-based program driving your ICE--all with different interfaces requiring different amounts of memory and, since it's under Windows, generally slowing things down with each additional program you open. I agree that no IDE has the perfect GUI, but I'm willing to sacrifice a little on the editor to get a consistent, easy-to-use development experience that doesn't require opening up four Windows programs.

To each their own. I come from command-line and still use it on a daily basis. But when it comes to development I prefer to let an IDE handle the grunt work of doing what my old batch and linker files used to do--that way I can focus on the real programming task at hand.

Craig Steiner

PS2--Like computer languages, microprocessor types, and religions, your mileage and opinion will probably vary.