Is WebStorm the Smartest JavaScript IDE around?
JavaScript, along with HTML5 and CSS3, enables developers to build websites that look good and deliver optimal browsing experience across computers, smartphones, tablets and phablets. As a client-side programming language, JavaScript is used widely by developers nowadays for building a variety of web front-ends and mobile apps. Many developers even prefer writing server-side code in JavaScript by using libraries like Node.js.
But often JavaScript programmers look for the right integrated development environment (IDE) to build large applications without putting extra time and effort. Based on his needs, each developer has option to choose from several JavaScript IDEs including WebStorm, NetBeans, Sublime Text, Visual Studio, Komodo IDE, and Eclipse with JSDT (JavaScript Development Tools). Some of these JavaScript IDEs are open source and free, while others are proprietary.
JetBeans has developed WebStorm as a high-end IDE for web development projects. In addition to supporting HTML, CSS and JavaScript, WebStorm also supports several widely used JavaScript frameworks including AngularJS, NodeJS, React and Meteor. JetBeans further promotes WebStorm to be the JavaScript IDE. But a smart web developer cannot pick WebStorm without assessing its features, and understating its pros and cons.
Features that Make WebStorm Smarter than Other JavaScript IDEs
Avail Coding Assistance
WebStorm provides advanced coding assistance for several web frameworks and mobile app development tools. The developers can write high quality code by taking advantage of the coding assistance for popular JavaScript frameworks like Meteor, React, AngularJS and NodeJS. Likewise, they also have option to avail code assistance for popular cross-platform mobile app development tools like Cordova, PhoneGap and Ionic.
Make Code Error-Free
WebStorm enables programmers to analyze the code written in various supported languages. In addition to taking advantage of a variety of built-in inspections included in the JavaScript IDE, the developers also have option to use robust tools like JSLint, JSHint, ESLint and JSCS. Also, they can see the errors and warnings directly on the editor as they keep typing the code. Hence, the developers can identify and fix all errors in the code almost instantaneously.
Reduce Coding Time
WebStorm is designed with features to provide code completions results for classes, methods, functions, variables and modules defined in the application. It can analyze the entire project, and provide required code completion results for various web technologies and development tools. Also, the code completion provided by the WebStorm can be both framework-specific and contextual. The developers can avail the code assistance results to write high quality code within a shorter amount of time.
Assess Changes Made to Page Content
The Live Edit feature of WebStorm enables developers to check the impact of changes made to the web page content instantaneously on Google Chrome. The programmers can simply make changes to HTML and CSS, and see the updated content directly on Chrome without reloading the page or rebuilding the project. They also have option to take advantage of Live Edit feature as part of JavaScript debug session.
Debug Code written in Any Supported Language
The advanced debugging features included in WebStorm make it easier for programmers to debug client-side code written in ECMAScipt 6, TypeScript or CoffeeScript. Likewise, they can debug the server-side code easily by using the full-featured built-in debugger provided by the IDE for NodeJS. The WebStorm debugger does not require users to switch from the web browser to the IDE frequently. Also, it comes with a number of views including frames, watchers and global and local variables.
Trace Performance Bottlenecks
WebStorm comes with a built in tool called spy-js that enables developers to trace the code and identify all possible bottlenecks. They can further use spy-js to trace the client-side JavaScript code and server-side NodeJS code. The tool displays the complete list of events which trigger code execution, and then analyses the list to identify the stack trace.
Perform Unit Testing
The built-in testing tools included in WebStorm enables programmers to perform unit testing without putting extra time and effort. The programmers can test the client-side JavaScript code with Karma, and test NodeJS with Mocha. Also, WebStorm enables them to run unit tests directly inside the IDE, and view the test results in a visual format.
Take Advantage of Many Popular Tools
WebStorm allows web developers to work with several commonly used development tools. It provides a unified UI for running npm scripts, and Grunt and Gulp tasks. The developers can further use npm to manage various Node.js modules without any hassle. They can further avail the built-in compiler included in the IDE to compile TypeScript code to JavaScript code without using any third-party tool.
Robust Plug-in Ecosystem
The web developers have several options to customize WebStorm according to their specific needs. In addition to configuring the color scheme, they also have option to decide coding style, visual themes, shortcuts, tools windows and editor layout. At the same time, the developers can also download several plug-ins from the IDE Plug-in Repository. These plug-ins enable users to add new features to WebStorm and work with a variety of third-party tools.
New Features in WebStorm 2016.1
The most recent version of WebStorm supports AngularJS 2. Hence, the developers can avail additional AngularJS components, along with features like code completion and smooth navigation. Likewise, they also have option to run and debug Node.js applications on a remote server directly from the IDE. WebStorm 2016.1 further supports features included in TypeScript 1.8, and enables programmers to take advantage of features like safe refactoring and intentions. Also, WebStorm 2016.1 comes with several new features to reduce the amount of time required for developing modern applications.
Like other JavaScript editors and IDEs, WebStorm also has its own strengths and weaknesses. Unlike other popular JavaScript IDEs, WebStorm is proprietary. The developers must obtain a paid license to use WebStorm commercially. Likewise, they lack option to modify the JavaScript IDE according to their specific needs.
Also, they need to explore ways to reduce resource consumption as WebStorm sometimes consumes the CPU fully. But the web developers can still avail the robust features provided by WebStorm to write both front-end and back-end of an application in JavaScript without putting extra time and effort.
