Question

For someone just starting to program, would you recommend using vim/emacs, or should you use some IDE? Like are vim/emacs better suited for more advanced users than for beginners? I’m just wondering because I’m trying to get some of my friends to program.

Answer 1

If they’re just starting programming, I’d not recommend VIM to begin with.

1. they’ll have enough on their plate to begin with learning the ins and outs of programming
2. depending on the language/platform, I think they’d appreciate an IDE with code completion , general language support etc. (I know you can do this in VIM, but it’s a lot more seamless in an IDE).

Note. I’m a VIM fan, and I run my IDEs with VIM plugins, so I have nothing against VIM as such.

I note in your comments you’re looking at teaching them Java. BlueJ is a Java IDE geared towards learning Java, and may be a useful introductory tool.