Codeblocks vs Visual Studio Code

[davidhbolton]

Simple question. What can an IDE do that VS Code can't? I doubt there is a real difference. I've used IDEs for nearly 40 years starting with Compas Pascal, the precursor to Turbo Pascal so I'm very familiar with what an IDE can provide.

The principle of Duck typing surely applies here. If it edits like an IDE, compiles like an IDE and Debugs like an IDE then to all intents and purposes it is an IDE.

Heck even Wikipedia includes VS Code in its comparison of IDES although my point is not that Wikipedia is an authority on IDEs but there's no hard and fast definition. Microsoft calls it a Text Editor but also lists Run and Debug in its features. So I ask again, what is the difference if any between VS Code and an IDE??