[gizmo686]

I think my problem with debuggers and IDEs is the same. You should write your code to be maintainable without using those tools. If you do that, I have no problem with using them to increase productivity. (Except when the IDE decides stop working; that does give me problems).

[zmmmmm]

Yes, I agree. I think a lot of people who dislike IDEs feel that if the code is well designed then having a tool to handle complex code adds little value. On the other hand, if the code is poorly designed, no kind of tool can make up for that and indeed, an IDE just adds to the complexity of the system. So by that logic an IDE is never useful.

But as you say, I think the first premise is false. IDEs can improve productivity a lot independently of whether the code is poorly designed / maintainable etc. In fact, an IDE can help to achieve the very maintainability that is being sought.