Local Tools

To work with your code you need several tools on your workstation (unless you are using something like GitHub codespaces). This section has a starter list.

Key Concepts

Editor / Integrated Development Environment (IDE): You need a way to browse and edit the codebase. VS Code is a popular free editor (note: this is different from the also popular Visual Studio IDE). Some use terminal-based tools such as Vim. There are many IDEs that are language or tech stack specific like Visual Studio for the Microsoft ecosystem or IntelliJ IDEA for Java development. These tend to include the ability to compile (if necessary), run and debug the code directly within the IDE.

Terminal: You need to be able to run commands to build or run the app locally. This is done from the command line. Most operating systems have built-in terminals, but you can also install others (iTerm2 for Mac, Git bash for Windows, etc.). Many editors or IDEs have a built in terminal client.

Pluribus Expectations

Local developer tools are generally a matter of preference. In some cases we are restricted to a set of approved tools if working in a customer environment. There is no standard, but VS Code is a strong default.

• Many editors or IDEs have configuration or data files that are created within the local folders of your cloned repository (e.g. .idea) and these should be added to the .gitignore file to avoid cluttering the repository with those files.