Working with Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

Gain the skills to excel in software development

Join us on a journey through the history of IDEs – from the earliest text editors to the powerful modern tools used by developers today.

On this two-week course, you’ll learn how IDEs can help you write, test, and debug your code more efficiently to help you have a successful career in tech.

You’ll cover IDE fundamentals, including environment setup, interface navigation, and valuable features like debugging. By the end of the course, you’ll have the essential skills and knowledge to excel in software development using IDEs.

Take your coding skills to the next level

You’ll explore the various features that make each IDE unique to ensure you understand the purpose and benefits of using IDEs and how they can improve productivity and streamline your coding processes.

You’ll compare and contrast different IDEs to develop a solid understanding of the differences between language-ambiguous IDEs and language-specific IDEs. This knowledge will help take your coding skills to the next level and become a pro with IDEs.

Gain practical skills in using Visual Studio Code and code completion

Next, you’ll get hands-on with some of the practical features of IDEs, including the powerful debugger and breakpoints in Visual Studio Code.

You’ll learn how to use these tools to find and fix bugs in your code, and gain experience with other practical features like syntax highlighting and code completion.

Learn from the specialists at the University of Leeds

Throughout the course, you’ll be guided by the School of Computing at the University of Leeds.

With their expertise, and through interactive course materials, you’ll finish the course with a solid understanding of how to work with Integrated Development Environments.

This course is one of a collection designed to help young people improve their digital skills and explore a career in tech. It is ideal for those aged 16-30 looking for an introduction to working with IDEs to plan their career route or for those who are looking to switch careers.

This course is one of a collection designed to help young people improve their digital skills and explore a career in tech. It is ideal for those aged 16-30 looking for an introduction to working with IDEs to plan their career route or for those who are looking to switch careers.

• Describe examples of modern IDEs.
• Explain why programmers use IDEs.
• Summarise what an IDE can do.
• Compare and contrast different IDEs for different tasks.
• Explain why programmers develop tests for their code.
• Explain how to use VSCode to open and edit files.
• Explain how to use VSCode's debugging tools to fix a piece of Python code.