[ataylor284_]

When I started doing Java, everyone else was using JBuilder. Then Eclipse came along, and JBuilder died. Next, IDEA showed up, and Eclipse started to whither. Don't get me wrong, IDEA is great but IDEs do come and go, and are subject to the fortunes of the company that pushes development.

Though all of that, I have used GNU Emacs, definitely an unconventional choice for Java development. I've occasionally tried the leading IDE, and while it's sometimes been helpful to ramp up on new projects with tools shared with other teammates, the productivity of a comfortable and customized Emacs environment has always drawn me back.

In 10 years, IDEA and VS may or may not be still widespread, but Emacs will definitely still have its niche.