scott wrote:

> TBH syntax highlighting is one of the least useful features of an IDE 
> for me.
> 
> Things I find most useful:
> 
> 1) Auto-complete with popup help.

I found this to be possibly the most irritating feature of IDEs. It 
*sounds* like it should be useful, but it isn't.

The whole UI slows down while it opens and populates the list of 
options. Sometimes it doesn't show up when you want it to. If you're 
trying to invoke a method of the current class, no matter what you do it 
won't populate the list. (Even once the source is compiled. Even though 
you can *see* the damned property pane right next to the code window, 
showing all the class properties. It still won't offer to autocomplete 
them.) And even when it *does* work, there is apparently no way to say 
"please use the currently selected alternative to complete what I'm 
typing", other than by using the mouse. If you press enter, it inserts 
the selection AND A NEWLINE. This is extremely annoying.

(And then there's the fact that every IDE I've seen refuses to let you 
indent your code correctly... but that's nothing to do with 
auto-complete as such.)

> 2) The debugger.

That's useful.

> 3) The GUI Form designer.

After the horror of building a GUI the hard way, I always use a GUI 
designer if I have a choice. (Like I've said, you don't need an IDE for 
that necessarily.)

> 4) The red underlining of compiler errors as you're typing (in MS C# IDE)

That's useful IF IT WORKS CORRECTLY, which it doesn't always do IME.

> 5) Auto compile/link/run with one keypress

I usually leave a CLI window open. To compile, just press the up arrow 
and enter. But sure, I'm certainly not *against* such a feature! ;-)

> 6) "Template" projects for a Windows app

What does that do?

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