C# is a general-purpose, object-oriented, and multi-paradigm programming language used for building applications for different technologies including .Net, Unity, Xamarin, and more. C# is built by Microsoft and is widely used for web app development, Windows applications, driver software, and video games.
As developers will be aware, IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment, which is a set of tools – like code editor, debugger, and build automation features – that are used for software development and enhancement.
Top C# IDEs
This developer tool review will highlight some of the trending IDEs and code editors for programming in 2022. They are not listed in any particular order.
1. Visual Studio Code
For C# software development, Visual Studio Code is one of the most popular IDEs used by programmers. This is an open-source text editor and IDE developed by Microsoft. It has built-in support for languages like C#, Typescript, JavaScript, and Node.JS. Moreover, it also provides IntelliSense and auto-completion features based on module names, variables types, and function definitions.
Key features of Visual Studio Code IDE:
- Support for multi-platforms like macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- The IDE is highly customizable and extensible by importing extensions (themes, debuggers, languages, additional services, etc.) from the the Visual Studio Marketplace.
- Features for working with Node.js.
- Built-in code-refactoring and debugging tools.
- Easy configuration with Git and other version control systems.
- Supports almost every programming language, including Go, JSON, HTML, C++, Java,
- Python, and more. Extensions are available for most major languages that do not have built-in support.
Read: Visual Studio Code Extensions for Higher Productivity
2. Rider IDE
Rider is a cross-platform C# IDE from JetBrains that works with the IntelliJ platform and ReSharper.
Key features of Rider Code Editor:
- Supports all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Designed to work well with .NET and .NET Core.
- Built-in support for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Typescript, and Bootstrap.
- You can also work on SQL databases without leaving the Rider application.
- Unit testing is made easy with unit testing tools like NUnits, xUnit.net, and so on.
- Supports most .NET programming languages, including C#, VB.NET, F#, and Razor, as well as, XML, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, JSON, and CSS.
- Automatically detects and highlights compile errors, runtime errors, and other coding issues.
Read: Debugging Tools for C#
3. Visual Studio
Visual Studio is the most popular IDE and software development tool for building .NET applications using C#. It is a product from Microsoft that is also very popular among developers who build applications using the .NET ecosystem.
Key features of Visual Studio:
- Visual Studio is used for building web applications, websites, mobile applications, Windows applications, and video games.
- Supports more than 30 programming languages.
- You can extend the functionality of Visual Studio by installing third-party extensions and tools via the Visual Studio Marketplace.
- Comes with built-in Agile project planning tools and charts.
- Increased productivity via the CodeLens feature, which displays code references, code changes, and last modified methods all from the text editor.
- Collaboration tools that support a DevOps approach, thanks to Azure DevOps (for Professional subscribers). These include source control management, artifact repositories, and CI/CD platforms.
Read: Top Project Management Tools for .NET and C# Developers
4. SlickEdit
SlickEdit is a cross-platform code editor with support for more than 50 programming languages. With SlickEdit, you can bring increased productivity to your code, thanks in part to the ability to easily integrate and sync your work with different version control tools, including Git, Subversion, Mercurial, Perforce, and CVS.
Key features of SlickEdit IDE:
- Support for multiple platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi.
- Quickly spot the errors in programs by using the built-in compiler and debugger.
- Support for various version control system tools, including Shelving and DiffZilla.
- Comes with Standard and Pro editions. Upgrading to the pro edition offers a lot of useful features at an affordable price.
- Integration with Unit testing tools such as JUnit.
5. Monodevelop
Monodevelop is a code editor developed by Xamarin. The code editor was created to provide a similar set of features as that of Visual Studio Code.
Key features of Monodevelop:
- Support for multi-operating systems.
- Code auto-completion features for C#, plus code templates and code folding.
- Easy debugging features thanks to a built-in debugger.
- Other built-in tools include those that help with source control, makefile integration, unit testing, and packaging.
- Simple interface, making coding more efficient and giving developers an easier learning curve than Visual Studio.
- Works well with many programming languages, including C#, F#, Visual Basic, and Vala.
- Built-in GTK# visual designer.
- Integrates well with third-party tools and databases including MS SQL Server, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle.
Read: How to Install and Configure Microsoft Visual Code for C#
6. Scriptcs
Scriptcs is a lightweight text editor that allows programmers to code in C# with ease, avoiding the sometimes clunkiness of more robust IDEs. You can also execute scripts in Scriptcs simply by switching to ‘Javascript’ in the scripts environment settings.
Key Features:
- Allows C# programmers to hop right in and start coding without having to create a new environment or project.
- Helps to bootstrap the environment for script execution and reduces the amount of code required to integrate C# frameworks.
- The text editor lets developers easily manage dependencies in C# applications using NuGet.
- Syntax highlighting.
7. DevExpress
DevExpress is an IDE for C# programmers that grants access to a bevy of developer tools and frameworks, all targeted at helping coders create robust and interactive .NET applications. With DevExpress, you can build applications that feature high-impact user experiences using sets of controls for Windows Desktop, Web, Xamarin, and Maui. The toolset also helps programmers create applications – and further support those apps – with analytics dashboards and decision support systems.
Key features of DevExpress:
- Reporting and analytics tools.
- Support for Office API and PDF API.
- Supports fully integrated suite of UI components like Analytics dashboard and decision support systems,
- Desktop UI components, web components, business intelligence dashboards, and testing/QA features.
- Cross-platform application development for .NET, Xamarin, and .NET Maui.
- Support for multiple frameworks, including XAF, XPO, .NET Security API, and CodeRush for VS.
Conclusion to Top C# IDEs in 2022
Odds are, you are happy with your current IDE and do not want to switch, but a good developer should always keep an eye out for tools that will let them code with higher efficiency and increase coding productivity. At the end of the day, the best IDE is the one that matches your coding habits and those of your software development team.
Read more developer tool reviews, comparisons, and tutorials.
