IDEs we had 30 years ago and lost (2023) (blogsystem5.substack.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the loss of simple and efficient IDEs from 30 years ago, with commenters reminiscing about the elegance of Turbo C++ and Pascal. Commenters share alternatives and similar tools that exist today, such as FreePascal and Tvision. The discussion also touches on the trade-offs between simplicity and features in modern development tools. The conversation expands to include topics like binary size and portability across different systems and languages.

Main themes

• IDEs and development tools
• Retro computing and nostalgia
• Binary size and portability
• Language design and trade-offs
• Text-based user interfaces

What commenters say

• Some commenters believe that modern development tools have become too bloated and complex, and that simpler alternatives are needed.
• Others argue that the decision to skip libc and directly call syscalls in languages like Go is genius, but has its own set of problems and limitations.
• There is a trade-off between binary size and portability, with some languages and tools prioritizing one over the other.
• The use of static linking in languages like Rust can result in larger binary sizes, but also provides advantages like whole program optimization.
• Some commenters disagree about the causes of binary non-portability between Linux distributions, with some blaming glibc and others citing symbol versioning and library compatibility.
• The design of languages like Rust and Go involves compromises between features, performance, and binary size, with no clear consensus on the best approach.
• Text-based user interfaces from the past, like those found in Turbo C++ and Pascal, are still valued for their simplicity and efficiency.
• The complexity of modern development tools can be overwhelming, and some commenters prefer simpler, more specialized tools for specific tasks.