An IDE, or Integrated Development Environment, is a software application that helps programmers develop software code efficiently. It combines common developer tools into a single graphical user interface (GUI) . An IDE typically consists of a code editor, compiler, debugger, and other tools that help developers write, test, and debug code. Some of the key features of an IDE include:

• Code editing automation: An IDE contains many intelligent features for automatically writing or editing the source code, such as syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, and refactoring support.

• Compilation: An IDE compiles or converts the code into a simplified language that the operating system can understand. Some programming languages implement just-in-time compiling, in which the IDE converts human-readable code into machine code from within the application.

• Debugging: IDEs provide debugging tools that allow programmers to examine different variables and inspect their code in a deliberate way. IDEs also provide hints while coding to prevent errors before compilation.

• Object browser: Used to inspect objects instantiated in a running application program.

• Class hierarchy diagram: Allows developers to visualize the structure of object-oriented programming code.

IDEs increase programmer productivity by combining common activities of writing software into a single application: editing source code, building executables, and debugging. They also allow developers to start programming new applications quickly because multiple utilities don’t need to be manually configured and integrated as part of the setup process. IDEs are designed to maximize programmer productivity by providing tight-knit components with similar user interfaces.