Re: What IDEs support autoconf-based projects ?

[Steffen Dettmer]

> more than one text-editor (you've listed two) does
> syntax-highlighting for autoconf scripts, is scriptable, and
> can run subprocesses (emacs and vim aren't IDEs, however -
> though there are _probably_ scripts for each which do specific
> subtasks).

yes, one question is what exactly is an IDE. For me it is
something that integrates things I need to develop, such as
editing text (still 90% of the Developers work, IMHO, when
including mail, specs...), building software (make), get to the
location of a compiler warning or error, support navigating to
software by something like "tags", language specific syntax
highlighting, completion (keyword, file, include file, text word
based), folding, running the unit test and display the overall
status - the list could be extended of course and depends on
favors...

I think most that say Emacs/vim are no IDEs simply have the only
requirement to integrate a source level debugger. For me, this is
wrong, because source level debugging for me is just a last
resort option (when the developer failed, the programmer uses a
debugger). In other words, debugging is not an integrated part of
a developing process (but unit tests are).

When I worked with Eclipse, it lacked a lot of features. IIRC not
even automake syntax highlightening worked etc pp.

>From my point of view, vim and emacs are IDEs, when someone whats
to use this term. There are VCS/DVCS extentions to many
editors/IDEs, some count them as important for an IDE. I do not
do so, because for me mail, phone, whiteboards and change
tracking features would be more important in an IDE, but I think
there are no such tools yet - and for me such an integration
would be too much. A progammable IDE optionally supporting
everything could be called an Operating System.

oki,

Steffen