Which Arduino IDE should I use?
Did you know that the Arduino company provides for free three different tools for programming your Arduino board? They’re called Integrated Development Environments or IDEs.
They include:
- The Arduino Web Editor
- The original Arduino IDE (IDE 1.x)
- The new Arduino (IDE 2.x)
SOFTWARE
When you’re just getting into Arduino, there’s a lot to learn.
There’s hardware and there’s also software. The software that you need to program in Arduino is all free provided by Arduino. It’s all open-source software. And to get that software, go to the Arduino website and click on the software tab.The software page has the 3 different IDE options.
Again, there’s a Web Editor, there is the original Arduino IDE, and then there is a newer version of the Arduino IDE.
Programming Electronics Academy members, learn about the Arduino IDE toolchain in the Familiarization section of the Arduino Course for Absolute Beginners.
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ORIGNAL ARDUINO IDE (IDE 1.x)
Let’s start with the original Arduino IDE version. To download, select your operating system from the options provides and click to initiate the download.
There are also previous versions available for download below.Now they’re still maintaining the original IDE and it looks like this.Basically, the original IDE looks kind of like a text editor. Now, if you’ve been into software development for a while, this might look a little rinky-dink to you.
There’s really not a lot going on. There’s no auto-complete. There’s not a lot of anything. So it’s just a really simple editor. And it hasn’t changed much, like the appearance of it hasn’t changed much in a long time. Therefore it’s super simple, which is one of it’s best features. Especially for those new to programming, sometimes trying to figure out what an IDE can do and how it works, can get really confusing.
There are plenty of options and some of those options get in the way of simply learning. The original IDE is a great option for someone looking for a simple IDE to begin with.
ARDUINO WEB EDITOR
Next is the Web Editor. Here you can code online. Select “Getting Started” and it’ll initiate the setup process. Once you’ve created and signed into your account you can open up the editor.
The Web Editor is similar to the original IDE. You can create folders, manage libraries, set preferences. It has a feature where you can share sketches by creating a link or embedding them on a webpage. You can select which boards you want, program your board from the IDE.
So, it’s similar to the Arduino IDE, except it’s in your browser. One benefit to the Web Editor is it’s a way to run an IDE without requiring any sort of download to a computer. Because it runs on the cloud, you can program your projects while using something like a Chromebook. This also allows you to use oscillate between multiple computers.
Programming Electronics Academy members, check out the Arduino Course for Absolute Beginners to jump start your Arduino programming skills.
Not a member yet? Sign up here.
Arduino IDE 2.x
Finally, we have the new Arduino IDE, or Arduino IDE 2.
Installation is the same as the original IDE. Both the original and new Arduino IDEs can be installed on your computer at the same time. Here is what the new IDE 2.0 looks like.
Arduino IDE 2.0 Features
First is ‘Dark Theme” which can be selected in preferences under “Theme”.
Next is “auto-complete”. It can be super useful when you forget or don’t want to write out function names.
Another great features is seeing the “definition” of different functions. Here you can look behind the scenes at some of the functions being written.
Last, but not least, it has a debugger that can be really useful with the correct hardware setup.
Over all Arduino IDE 2.x is a more “modern” feeling IDE. It has way more bess and whistles then IDE 1.x.
It’s worth keeping in mind though that more is not always better. The stream lined Arduino IDE 1.x can be the Spartan feel you are looking for – just you and the code 😉.
The choice is up to you!
In the end, it doesn’t really matter which IDE you use.
Whether you use the original, the web editor or the new IDE 2.0, Arduino code will run the same. The underlying language remains the exact same.
Whichever IDE you chose is completely up to your preference and however you prefer to interface with programming your Arduino!
Thank you for all of your hard work in putting this training series together. It is more information than I thought possibly available for arduino and the hard work shows as it is very concise and organized. This is a great series of training/learning modules.
So glad to hear you are finding it helpful! Best of luck in your Arduino endeavors Bill!