So your critique of IDEs is as much about the language as it is the IDE?
As far as your Java programmer, how long did it take him to get emacs in a state with a similar amount of power as an IDE? I'm thinking about compiling, debugging, source control integration, code completion and API hints, and so on? I do a fair amount of C# coding at my day job, and I've tried to work exclusively in vim, and the productivity hit I take trying to get the conveniences of an IDE in vim pushes me to just Visual Studio and install vim emulation.
As far as other text editors go (Sublime, TextMate, Notepad++), aren't the existence of these just proof that programmers like to build things?
I would say there are two components to it. Language and project size. Java and C# where designed with IDE use in mind. I am not sure I would want to work in either without an IDE. For smaller languages like C and Python an IDE wouldn't be my first choice of tooling, the cost of using the tool just isn't worth the benefit provided. I could see switching to an IDE if the project got a little too large.
C# probably was but I suspect it wasn't a factor in the initial design of Java - I don't even remember there being any IDEs for the first couple of years of Java being widely available.
I would say that Java was designed to be used with committees. Basically a language to use if you're in a design by committee situation. IDEs were then introduced to give individuals their own "virtual design committees".
Agreed regarding C#. I've tried using vim as my C# editor, then switching to VS for builds and debugging, but I miss Intellisense too much (and with vim emulator in VS, I don't lose any of my keyboard efficiencies).
As a counterpoint, the way VS does autocomplete drives me insane. In the middle of a frenzy of flow typing, I have to move my hands away from the keyboard to the mouse to select which autocomplete entry I want. Aargh. It breaks the flow. (Although, I am using the Express edition so have not tried a vim emulator; perhaps their autocomplete is better.)
As far as your Java programmer, how long did it take him to get emacs in a state with a similar amount of power as an IDE? I'm thinking about compiling, debugging, source control integration, code completion and API hints, and so on? I do a fair amount of C# coding at my day job, and I've tried to work exclusively in vim, and the productivity hit I take trying to get the conveniences of an IDE in vim pushes me to just Visual Studio and install vim emulation.
As far as other text editors go (Sublime, TextMate, Notepad++), aren't the existence of these just proof that programmers like to build things?