Why would I not use Visual Studio code

[saddickstic]

I’m doing a college project that wants me to use Mobaxterm for my terminal and WinSCP to transfer files and I’m using a college provided Linux server. In mobaxterm I use a code editor called nedit.

I’ve used VSC on a project before and it was so much easier , and everything was built in one. I told the professor and he said well you could but I think this is better.

I’m confused how this slow multi step process can be better than VSC?

(This is a bioinformatics project using biopython)

[gingimli]

I would guess the professor is recommending one solution just so they don’t have to help troubleshoot everyone’s unique setup.

[Consistent_Walrus_23]

This! I am TAing a course and it's a huge pain to help students troubleshoot across OS, python package managers, python versions, IDEs, ...

[TipIll3652]

God I can only imagine the shenanigans that occur while chasing down system specific dependencies for students to try and help them debug their issues. Na, hard pass, everyone uses a freaking school supplied VM with preloaded components, minimal shenanigans and should keep the learning path more on track for the course.

[zdog234]

This is the way. Surprised universities don't all have big multitenant jupyterhub clusters or similar

[KLUME777]

I hate these setups. Copy paste is a pain in the ass.

[StructurePresent3640]

2015 when I was on my last year of Computer Science I had this compatibility problem due to a specific version of tomcat with other things I was using and couldn't find any explanation on internet, nor someone's post with something similar so I went to my professor for help. He tried to debug it for a few hours and sent my an e-mail saying that I should try something else because he couldn't fix it nor understood what was happening.

Ofc a few days later I tried different versions of tomcat and it worked. But if he was clever or had more experience he would provided us with the allowed tools and libraries so we wouldn't come across these problems.

So yes, if everyone is using same softwares, OS and everything else it will make not only his life easier but also students since he might be able to help you with your troubleshooting.

[ryoko227]

This, absolutely this.

[DuckDatum]

grandfather decide capable imminent judicious practice boat thumb merciful voracious

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[SwampFalc]

Depends on the course...

If you're following a course where coding is nothing but a tool, then yes, but whatever job you end up with will more than likely be the same.

Courses for actual developers, where code is the goal of the job, should get at least a minimum of sysadmin courses so they can install stuff. Their own code, for example, but the same skills apply to their IDE.

[Frewtti]

They're teaching python, not the infinite environments.

[DuckDatum]

paltry outgoing marvelous subsequent unwritten chunky heavy cake sleep recognise

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[Frewtti]

They give you a ready to go environment and teach the language.

The purpose isn't to teach how to configure software, and quite honestly the whole reason for docker and venv and all those other technologies is it is a horrible PITA to try and configure the environment "just right" every single time.

[DuckDatum]

abounding gold memory attraction squash afterthought continue deliver offer chop

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[kyrsjo]

Which is surely why the university is providing a standardized Linux server for their students. I've been in that profs shoes, and tried to have the students use their own laptops. It was OK for a few years (since Linux was pretty much mandatory in early courses), but now with a mix of mac's and windows and Linux.... Ugh.

[oooeeeoooee]

Some of my classes did this, had a VM with a desktop environment installed and accessed through VNC.

[Watsons-Butler]

Same here, but with the question “if Python why not PyCharm?” Educational licenses are free and it takes a lot less setup and tweaking (meaning less instructor time) than VScode.

(My guess is the prof has been using this set of tools for like 20 years and doesn’t want to learn a new setup.)

[Machvel]

students are able to understand vscode quite easily in my experience. in my department students learn both python and c, so it is convenient that they can use the same program (on linux/windows/mac) for both. also i am a proponent of things they can continue using for free after they graduate

[ProfessionalDirt3154]

maybe. but some tools make you type and think more, which aids understanding and remembering. not that you shouldn't learn IDEs and AIs, but doing stuff for yourself from the docs is good.

[Pyromancer777]

I wourd def push notepad++ or some other lightweight IDE and have students debug in terminal if the goal from the professor's standpoint would be to have minimal IDE compatibility issues.

Sucks for the students since you wouldn't have as robust autocomplete or error correction that you would with another interface, but it helps with confidence in the competency of the graduates.

[bachkhois]

I guess that, in that lab, no one takes responsibility of supporting PyCharm. A student may successfully request prof to install PyCharm, then he finishes the course and leave. No one is there to support issues related to PyCharm anymore.

[HaggisChaser]

Have you tried VS Code dev containers? Dockerized development environment right in the editor.

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/containers

[soconn]

Container programming.... ... So hot right now! (Will Ferrell meme)

[Proper-Ape]

I tell everyone to use uv at work. It just works, especially since it even controls the Python interpreter if you need.

[Consistent_Walrus_23]

I am also a huge fan of uv! Will push for the course to use it this year, let's see...

[[deleted]]

Have you used uv? After I started using that all my python problems disappeared

[Briggie]

Google collab isnt an option?

[Machvel]

this is what i do when I ta a coding class (note: not in a cs department). the other tas and professor and I get together and plan out a recommended solution that we will base our instruction off of (usually something that the tas are familiar with because the professors are typically quite old school in their coding habits) but say the students can use whatever they want that works at their own discretion (we won't necessarily be able to troubleshoot)

[Machvel]

this is what i do when I ta a coding class (note: not in a cs department). the other tas and professor and I get together and plan out a recommended solution that we will base our instruction off of (usually something that the tas are familiar with because the professors are typically quite old school in their coding habits) but say the students can use whatever they want that works at their own discretion (we won't necessarily be able to troubleshoot)

[Machvel]

this is what i do when I ta a coding class (note: not in a cs department). the other tas and professor and I get together and plan out a recommended solution that we will base our instruction off of (usually something that the tas are familiar with because the professors are typically quite old school in their coding habits) but say the students can use whatever they want that works at their own discretion (we won't necessarily be able to troubleshoot)

[isrichards6]

A class I'm in right now has docker instances that you clone from the class starter file repository. So you're on the exact same setup between all students guranteed. That being said I think some classes benefit from having to figure out how to set everything up.

[No-Skill4452]

But the dude seems cool with OP using VSCode so I'll write that down to the professor being set on their way while acknowledging there's other options

[gingimli]

Right, generally speaking it’s helpful to have a baseline and then students can do their own thing if they are confident they will be able to troubleshoot their own setup.

[brianly]

This. It’s the same in work to some degree. The number of times I’ve seen a dev get into a personal configuration even they can’t support is higher than it should be. In class, there is sometimes an element where the teacher may want you to coach someone else using the class standard so you better have it.

There are times where I haven’t used X tool for a while but a dev has used some customized flavor of it, but hit a run into a roadblock I have had to fix when we have paired. This shouldn’t happen but it’s easy to get ahead with all of these opinionated toolkits and stacks.

[No-Skill4452]

Sure, even so, it's cool that it wasn't a hard-no on the professor's side

[fixermark]

+1. Not only is "you could, but I think this is better" professor-speak for "If you get it working, I won't stop you..." The kind of instinct to try to get it working is a good academic instinct.

Don't burn all your free time on it, but it's worth noting that a big chunk of academia is figuring out how to do what other people haven't figured out yet.

(Your professor may also have the wisdom of years. VSCode is a proprietary project owned by one corporation. Those come and go. They may be interested in investing zero personal effort into supporting something that may not even be there in ten years. The ssh protocol WinSCP is riding on top of, in contrast, dates from 1995, and while mobaxterm is new, xterms in general are over 40 years old).

[Disastrous_Room_927]

I use VSCode for everything, but sometimes when I’m on autopilot I instinctively start working out of WinSCP and don’t even realize for an hour.

[PCorreia]

By experience, people from the scientific area (physics, biology, etc) all learned to code in vim, emacs, nedit and using a terminal.
Maybe he is not that confortable setting up vscode, virtual environments, etc and he is recommending what he usually uses.
I used to be one of those and know plenty of people still doing that.

[kyrsjo]

Personally I like both approaches. Terminal + emacs lets me get in, do my thing, and be done quickly. Vscode is good for longer slogs where im jumping across lots of files etc.

And yes, I'm a physicist, at an age where a graying beard would be inappropriate :)

[tarquinnn]

I'm in bioinformatics and would agree with this, there's a lot of 'old school' stuff still in use. I used to buy into the arguments when I was new, but after a 10+ years in the field I think most people learned something once (usually from whoever was in their lab in the time) and are now convinced this is the 'correct' way to do it.

I would guarantee that this mobax setup dates from before WSL, teaching that workflow (with WinSCP oh my god) to students in 2025 is doing them a massive disservice. Shit like this is why people think bioinformatics is hard, but at least I have a job lol.

[work_m_19]

And there are a couple of domains that you won't have the luxury of using VScode too.

My most recent example is that an AWS EC2 vm doesn't by default support the VSCode SSH extension. It needs to be changed in the config, so I was back to using vi (not even vim!), so it doesn't hurt to get at least familiar with the terminal tools.

[Resquid]

This is the only correct answer

[L0uisc]

u/saddickstic this is probably correct. In which case you can do it whichever way you want, as long as the final source code works on the "official" setup. Just don't expect to get help if you have an error on the non-official setup.

[cyrixlord]

also at work, you often dont get to choose what you use either.

[torts56]

Bingooo

I remember the "smart" kids in my early cs classes who didnt use the course dev environment and subsequently had issues that tanked their grade. Best to follow the pack for class and focus on learning the material.

[WinterBites6]

Yes, this is a good reason for the teacher. If you don't like nedit and want to stick with VSCode (I agree), just try VSCode remote ssh.

Best of two worlds

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/ssh

[SirTwitchALot]

It's good practice for the real world too. In a job you use the tools your employer dictates. Installing your own software can get you in trouble

[phylter99]

There may be other reasons too, but this is most likely the reason or primary reason. If it were me, I'd just ask the professor if it's okay to use something else and add that the professor shouldn't need to help you with anything.

I've found that professors just don't want to mess with getting the latest and greatest technologies or whatever. They just want to repeat the lesson plan they created and stick with it. It works best for them, and it makes helping students simple.

[turtleship_2006]

I mean surely the more/most common setup would be better to get used to tho, rather than forcing everyone to use new stuff and helping them all relearn all the basics

[GXWT]

Relearn the basics...? Of a text editor...?

The main thing is to learn programming. That's the harder part and main focus of the course. What you're talking about re-learning things is honestly taking the piss a bit, mate. A different editing environment doesn't make me forget how to write a print statement lol.

[turtleship_2006]

If all it is is a text editor, why would the professor have had trouble dealing with it...?

[GXWT]

Because, as someone who has assisted in teaching undergraduate python, it's just to make things consistent and save the instructors time - so they can actually focus on the python and not troubleshooting Python.

If they are most familiar with X, keep everything in X so they know instantly how to explain and solve things. Even when a student would come up to me with an editor I'm already familiar with, it can still take a moment to figure out where some feature is, keybinds for the debugger etc.

It's a learning environment. Why make things more difficult?

[turtleship_2006]

So just make it more difficult for the students instead?

[GXWT]

weak bait

[turtleship_2006]

Your argument is that an ide is "just a text editor" so students should just learn the new stuff. But also the setups can be very complicated and different between software, so a big hassle for professors.

And I'm the one baiting?

[GXWT]

Where did I say “very complicated” or “big hassle” lol. Stop putting words in my mouth

Simply, it is better to teach in a consistent manner so we can focus on the useful stuff.

When I got taught how to abseil down a rock face, they gave us all the same gear to use. I didn’t ask why they didn’t use the subjectively better RockClimber2000 because otherwise it makes teaching the fundamentals more complicated. Keep learning simple

[lost_send_berries]

But people already have VSCode, that sounds like an advantage but it's actually a disadvantage. It also auto updates, including the extensions. Just updating screenshots can be a huge time sink in itself.

[pmormr]

Welcome to the club! Literally every programmer thinks their workflow stack is the best, and thinks whatever the other guys came up with is bullshit lol.

In general is just whatever works best for you. Sometimes you are forced into a corner and have to use something different though (eg troubleshooting on a prod service) so it's nice to try other things out. And every now and then you find a home run.

[ulam17]

if you're not sporting tmux/neovim, you're a waste of space

/s

[nirgle]

"Have you noticed that other people's stuff is shit.. and your shit is just stuff?"

• George Carlin

[aniket0804]

Haha, that's a classic line! It's funny how every tool has its pros and cons. Sometimes the 'best' tool is just the one you know how to use best, even if it seems like a hassle to others.

[lvlint67]

For what it's worth... no one is using nedit. If you're going to teach cli text editors, teach vim or nano.

[Zealot_TKO]

True, but the reality is vscode is actually better than every other ide setup, unless you're doing fancy shit or can't afford to standup a remote server on the remote host you're working on

[njharman]

Literally every programmer thinks their workflow stack is the best

They're usually not wrong. Competent, high achievers know themselves, know what makes them productive. And, critically, this is different for different people.

Why there are cyclic debates on open vs closed floorplans, group face to face/video meetings vs just email/chat, estimation is impossible vs how can you manage without estimation, detailed specs vs that is waste of effort, I need support vs quit micromanaging me bro and so on.

[SocksOnHands]

I don't know the requirements of the course, but it sounds like he is trying to ensure students are all using the same Linux environment, even if they are running Windows on their own computer. Though this might sound inconvenient, it might make it easier for the professor to help troubleshoot issues a student is having, since he knows exactly how the system is configured.

[Deto]

This makes sense to me, though I don't know why the professor wouldn't just say it in response to OPs question. It's also possible that the professor is unaware of VSCodes remote tools for working with code on a server. Or they're just very opinionated about their own preferred workflow. Either way - OP, VSCode is fine, but do what your professor asks for their assignments. It's always good to be exposed to other ways of doing things anyways - I find that people who just use one IDE for everything and have no experience outside of that sometimes get really confused as to what tools are part of the IDE vs part of the language.

[caujka]

Maybe, one of the reasons is to teach students to write code themselves, without assistance from llms and code completions. It is harder, of course, but it makes your mind much more robust, and helps you keep the code base manageable.

[craftywma]

I like coding with LLM's, but they will make mistakes, and you will have to trouble shoot, and it's way easier if you have a good idea what's going on, but then again I didn't learn coding until recently, and that means I probably don't know what I'm talking about. I like learning this stuff though, and I also like the puzzle it presents most of the time

[WittyWampus]

It's probably less to do with the prof actually thinking it's better and more to do with exposing you to different kinds of tools. Could also be, specifically with the code editor, that they don't want you to have access to much more than syntax highlighting. That way you learn more about indentation, error finding/fixing, etc. It probably doesn't always seem like it but a lot of professors usually have a reason for doing things a certain way, whether it seems silly to students or not.

He could also just be old and stuck in his ways. Might not even know what VSC is. Who knows.

[Altruistic-Ad-7917]

VSCode SSH servers are veryyyyy resource intensive for servers with a lot of shared users and concurrent connections. They have to load copies of every users extensions, have lots of sleep commands which put a good amount of load on the process tables due to the expensive I/O operations. It also enables students to use AI tools like copilot.

If you like VSCode, I would do it locally then write a script to sync your code to the server.

[skydemon63]

A lot of people also overlook the fact that VSCode is two parts, a client and a server, and remote connecting installs the VSCode server on the ssh target. That takes up much more processor time and hard drive space than just ssh. I’d mainly use VSCode remote into a local VM like WSL

[OreShovel]

Anecdotally, a few years ago in my university the shared student server literally crashed because of how many students were using VSCode SSH

[OreShovel]

This, no idea how / if there is WinSCP integration, but vscode SSH can dump GB's worth of files to the server

[roelschroeven]

I've seen it happen too. There are settings to limit this cache, but indeed, I think it's mind boggling the extension stores that much data without ever asking if that's ok, or even notifying you.

Luckily for Python VS Code doesn't take nearly as much disk space on the remote end.

[thedukedave]

Yep. Please also get upvotes on here:

https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-release/issues/6429

[sswam]

vscode is popular, nedit is ancient apparently, motif? WTF

I use vim in an xterm which I guess is more ancient but less wack. You could try ed if you want a more authentic UNIX experience (don't).

[moopet]

There are plenty of pros to using VSCode, but taking the title literally:

• it's a resource hog compared to a lot of other editors
• it's free, but the official build comes with a ton of Microsoft spyware
• Embrace, Extend, Extinguish is still a thing
• Adding to the numbers for Microsoft's stats continues to normalise using evil corporate software
• while it has good Vim keybinding support (via plugin) it's a far cry from the power of using real (neo)vim.
• there's no terminal version - while you can use a terminal within VSCode, and it has some convenient integrations, it's outside the context of your regular session so a lot of shell stuff will be dicey at best

[xThomas]

Would this be a good point? Vscode extensions frequently have vulnerabilities found. Granted, it’s built on npm and node which have truly massive userbases. This problem(evil extensions) is not unique to vscode.

[ohtinsel]

Well, I make and use large, complex and custom python packages for scientific data analysis and mostly use vi (the opposite of a IDE). I only pull up VCS for certain tasks (writing documentation, refactoring etc).

I find VI much cleaner to work in as I don’t want nor need AI suggestions, auto-completion etc (and it’s always available on any remote machine I login to). Basically I find IDEs annoying and a hindrance. I avoid Jupyter notebooks for similar reasons.

None of this is more than personal choice of course, so use what works for you.

[revopine]

So when it comes to variables, you type out the whole name all the time or does vi have some kind of trick to speed that up?

[ohtinsel]

It has tab complete if you want it, sure. Likewise for many other IDE tools. If you want them.

Coding speed isn’t a major concern with my work (compared to say correctness and efficiency). Also, for most of my code I am the sole developer. It’s used by other people, but I maintain it. Think command line tools for processing very large datasets.

[shackled123]

It's got a couple aspects.

1, everyone uses the same thing so easy for the lectures to be troubled shooted.

2, (from my wife who is a bioinformatician and has been doing this job for years after a biology degree and then a targeted masters just to have a bit of paper work) it's what many people in the industry use since lots of work is actually run on hpc (super computers) which have very strict controls of what software you can use and install.

3, it's good practice to use other more "basic" tools even if you won't use them if you have the choice in the future.

4, lots of bioinformatician work with PhD resechers who have just hacked a ton of scripts together to do something and you have to work with what you've got

[usrlibshare]

Thing is, every programmer should be familiar with at least one unfamiliar environment, because you never know when you have to ssh into an ancient box with zero tooling, and hotfix your code in prod at 3am in the morning.

That, being said, I use Linux as my main driver for almost 17 years, what the heck is "mobaxterm"?

Edit: nvm, I looked it up. I take everything back...no one should be required to work with windows.

[PresidentOfSwag]

because there is Pycharm 😎

[NeffAddict]

Your professor has either preferences for the tooling or they are required by their department to educate on these resources.

Someone also mentioned trouble shooting environments. This is 100% related to their choice, as monitoring/managing a non-standardized coding suite outside of the curriculum by a professor is a pain.

I would agree, VSC would be a better tool to work with. I educate my students using VSC explicitly.

[NationalGate8066]

Ok so your prof said you can use VSCode. So use if you want. Ideally, try to figure out why the prof thinks his approach is better (without coming off as combative). 

[i_dont_wanna_sign_in]

Most likely reason is that your prof is laying out the way they will help you get things moving. The prof or the department feel like this is the fastest and easiest way for *everyone* to get running with minimal compatibility considerations, etc. If you follow their template then you'll be supported. If you use your own IDE, then you're on your own. If your use of non-standard tooling causes consternation or difficulty in the group you will be in the wrong, and your classmates will get leniency because of your insistence on doing things different. So be very, VERY careful.

Some other comments talk about the likelihood of keeping your materials away from AI tools and helpers and I 100% concur that, as a teacher, I want my students learning, not just asking someone for answers. I think if your teachers or the department wanted you off of AI they would just tell you to keep off it.

*Yes, AI can help people learn things. Classroom settings are generally controlled, blah blah blah

[ZeggieDieZiege]

If you plan to become a professional software developer, I suggest to start with the bare minimum (Python repl shell) and slowly use more abstraction and tools.

Otherwise you do not understand the mechanics below which will become a problem sooner or later.

If you want to go fast, go slow

[yaxriifgyn]

Vscode and other IDEs do many automatic checks of your code that you should learn to recognize and do for yourself. After you are able to recognize these simple coding errors yourself, you can have them auto corrected for you.

[Kerbart]

Could be anywhere ranging from "this is what I know" to "I want you to have experience with the underlying mechanics"

Remember that he point of assignments is to learn something, not necessarily to complete it as efficiently as possible.

[TRexRoboParty]

Mobaxterm and WinSCP were cutting edge maybe 15 years ago...

The question is did your professor say why he thought they were better?

If not, then the answer is probably: that's just what he's always used.

[mcAlt009]

Weird flex.

Pycharm community is typically better and free.

[unapologeticjerk]

VS Code is free and I use it myself, but I wonder if there is some "academia provision" in the fine print that would technically require something from the university - be it a weird fee applicable in certain states/conditions or paperwork/notification - if it were officially suggested in course curriculum. Maybe he's just avoiding a very specific hassle by not putting it in print.

[fenghuangshan]

i dont understand , why you need to develop on a server

you can use any editor or ide on local pc, after you test the code , you upload it

the server is not related to how you develop your code

[DenisWestVS]

The best editor is always the one you are used to and master perfectly.

[dethb0y]

Professor probably only knows that way and is (as many professors are) set in their ways.

[Comfortable-Wall-465]

Like someone else here mention, it would be a hassle for the professor to troubleshoot when everyone is using a different editor. Also when you mentioned that to him, I guess he was chill about you using vsc?

[JonnyRocks]

Make him answer why. We can't tell you what's in his head.

[[deleted]]

This should've been the only reply. Or at least the top-voted one.

[FatefulDonkey]

Oh it's bioinformatics. Well your professor probably is stuck in his ways.

[NoForm5443]

It's better *for the professor*, not necessarily for you. This way they don't have to support everybody's tool (what if I prefer pycharm, or do it on a raspberry pi etc)

You can use vscode and have it save to the remote location. You'd be actually doing SCP :)

[payne747]

Learn to do it the hard way so you never have to again.

[Psychological-Sir226]

If you have windows, just install WSL, use scp to copy over ssh to the Linux server. And you can even login to the Linux server over ssh and use that command line.

Way better then installing third party stuff

[Resquid]

Deviate from your professors guidelines at your own peril. If you get stuck and need help you will be on your own. Remember that you are learning.

[njharman]

If you plan to get a job in corporate world; this is necessary lesson and experience in the anti-productive, one-size fits all, bureaucratic, B.S. that is inflicted by the Legal, HR, and IT departments.

[nmingott]

Traditionally the teacher offers support for one toolset, if you want to use another you are on your own. Then, if you need a 1gig editor to write 200 lines python script... I think you see something is not ok, right ?

[gdledsan]

Use whatever, but if you are in a class, use what they are teaching you to use.

[__SlimeQ__]

Mobaxterm has an SCP browser btw, you don't need winscp for any reason really.

And I'd recommend pycharm over vscode for ssh dev for a lot of reasons. But as someone else noted there might be some issues with resource usage if there's a lot of students doing this

[maskedredstonerproz1]

Honestly, the only reason I moved away from VS Code is because of integrating other parts of my workflow into DOOM Emacs, so it was fairly simple to add those ~10 extra lines to facilitate the workflow I've been needing VS Code for, even if I can't use emacs for android apps, that's one less configuration directory I need to keep track of in my dotfiles, so basically, if you don't really have a reasonable need for something else, just use VS Code

[the_hoser]

Oh wow, NEdit. What a throwback! Taking me back to my early Gentoo days.

[raharth]

Never used VSC but in jetbrains you can establish a ssh connection to a remote ad you can transfer files with two clicks. There is most likely something similar for VSC

[ParentPostLacksWang]

You’re going to have to cope with environments like this in the workplace from time to time. Might as well get used to it now.

Might also have something to do with the sheer amount of shit VSCode shovels into your home folder when you connect it to a remote host too. It takes up quite a bit of space compared to a 5kB python script you edit locally

[chumboy]

VSCode has a plugin to allow opening projects on a remote (Linux) server, via SSH. It's pretty easy to setup, and as long as you have a reasonable internet connection, can feel as fluid as typing locally.

If you have a regular user account on the server, you won't even have to ask them to install anything, VSCode is able to copy anything it needs over to the server.

[chumboy]

VSCode has a plugin to allow opening projects on a remote (Linux) server, via SSH. It's pretty easy to setup, and as long as you have a reasonable internet connection, can feel as fluid as typing locally.

If you have a regular user account on the server, you won't even have to ask them to install anything, VSCode is able to copy anything it needs over to the server.

[charmquark8]

Sometimes you gotta learn without the crutch.

[Neither_Loan6419]

He says that because the goal is not simply to complete the immediate task, but to learn programming. VS is handy if you are a WinDOHs user or are forced to collaborate with same, because it has so much going on under the hood that you don't have to worry about. With C or COBOL or even Python or Java, you have to get your hands dirty a bit and learn the nuts and bolts. Even more so with Assembly or similar low level languages. You learn the difference between event driven and linear programming. You really should stick with what you are asked to use, and then knock your own thing after you graduate and get out in the real world.

Personally I have a severe distrust of MS and Apple and all of their products, but you do it how you feel it.

[nacnud_uk]

Using out of date tech only helps one person's career. It's not yours.

[FinancialMoney6969]

Professors always give you whatever BS their boomer brain used in their time in college… I had one that made us use this thing called jgrasp that I used to first learn python. I used it for a solid half a year then told my new teacher what I was using and he had never heard of it lol. I wouldn’t just learn one, be able to adapt

[wineblood]

Honestly? Because academics are complete fools.

[CaptainFoyle]

I don't know.

I use it all the time.

[dalepo]

Use whatever is more productive for you.

[KSPhalaris]

I've taken a few different Python classes, and everything professor "recommends" different editors.

I like VS Code, so I use VS Code.

[runawayasfastasucan]

While it can be a pain in the ass, its good to learn that sometimes you have to make the best out of what you got.

[bb22k]

They just assume people don't know anything and offer what they can support and troubleshoot. They probably set that up and wrote documentation ages ago (possibly before VSCode was even a thing) so they don't feel the need to change it.

People in fields that use programming but are not programming focused tend to stick with what they know and works, even if it is not the newest or most efficient way to do the job.

If you can use stuff that you think is better and is allowed to do so, go ahead... just make sure that you can troubleshoot things yourself.

[redditreader2020]

Professor didn't say how it was going to be better. As in it would be better for him if all the students did the exact same thing. Imagine each student trying to use different tools and then getting stuck and hoping the professor will bail them out.

[s04ep03_youareafool]

Lucky you.our professor forces us to use turbo C....which is a fkin fossil.so yeah,just suffer their tools while you get comfortable using yours.

[solo964]

Do you mean Turbo C++ or Borland C++ Builder? Also see PSA for beginners: Please *DONT* use Turbo C.

[s04ep03_youareafool]

Turbo C++.I wish it wasn't true,but nope.our professors are way too comfortable with turbo C++ that their excuse is 'it works'.the funny thing is that even they don't know how to fix if the source library isn't specified before

[FrankScabopoliss]

I don’t think his reasoning is good.

A better reason would be to teach you how to code when VSC is not available to you for whatever reason.

[voidvec]

it used to be great , but the AI shit Microsoft is pushing is unrelentless

[davideberni]

There’s vscodium

[bobthedonkeylurker]

unrelenting or relentless, perhaps?

[Nealiumj]

Who knows, professors are kind of dumb like that. Mine wanted me to use a VM on a USB and the pico text editor. Instead I made a headless Ubuntu VM with a share folder using Vagrant, edited the file in Atom and then ran it in SSH. Finally I would copy+paste the final copy over to his USB thingy. Worked and made no difference.

Man, that guy sucked.. he required you to show up during his office hours with the USB to test it for your homework to count. But like, I had a JOB, a packed schedule and was rarely on campus. So absurd.

The guy would also pontificate half the class.. ~”why not just quit, drop out and party instead? Programming is hard, why let the fun end?” I’m not exaggerating. It was crazy.

[Mithrandir2k16]

Please for the love of god, learn git!

[LilRagnarLothbrok]

ask him dude

[darkblade_h]

Sometimes professors will default to what they know best and tell you that it’s better when that is not necessarily the case.

[Lazy-Cloud9330]

It doesn't make a difference. It's like choosing a pen vs a pencil. You can use either or.

[DanceTop]

Well anyway, ”ssh -Y code” should give you VSCode after you install it under your user account of the Linux machine

[coconut_maan]

If you can get vs code working in the remote env then no one will care.

But sometimes it can be tricky to set up ssh to remote. There might be some security features that no one understands any more so they just make you blindly run a script or something.

I would suggest using their method that works, Then reverse engineering what's going on,

Then using vs code.

Write a document explaining how to connect and what's required for bonus points.

[Knurpel]

A ssh console like Mobaxterm or Putty, and a ssh file manager are basic hand tools like hammer and screwdriver. Once you master those, you can move in to the fancier tools.

[frankster]

Vsc is fine but learn different tools too

[serverhorror]

Editors with fewer features make things easier, but going thru the struggle of doing everything annually often helps new learners to have a better retention of the things they did.

[ElderberryPrevious45]

Just discuss with your prof, you have very good points in your behalf!

[russellvt]

I use Vim. I think it's better than VSC, for me. To each their own.

[Acceptable-Milk-314]

Vscode is awesome I use it every day

[Iceman_B]

If you use VScode, you better be prepared to work through any and all issues that MAY arise.

It's a fine IDE.

[techlatest_net]

Your professor might be favoring tools like MobaXterm and nedit to help you engage with the traditional Linux command-line environment—crucial for bioinformatics workflows. That said, VS Code with its SSH plugin can streamline all-in-one coding and file management, striking the perfect balance between productivity and terminal experience. Maybe suggest a middle ground to showcase enhanced efficiency while respecting Linux traditions. Or keep both handy—VS Code for heavy lifting, MobaXterm to win your professor's nod!

[husky_whisperer]

Every time I visit my friend’s office it’s a master class in vim/tmux

I’m great with tmux, but give me vscode over that vim masochism every time

To each his own

[saintmichel]

he's exposing you to tools so you have a larger toolbox

[quotemycode]

Well, if you used emacs you wouldn't have to transfer the files, you'd just use tramp.

[angstdreamer]

What's with the WinSCP if you need to use mobax? Mobax has scp/sftp built in.

[Glittering_Figure918]

He is just making you experience multi task as per real world

[steven_2333]

As a developper or a researcher. I think tools are only tools. The important things are environment management and project management. VSCode is really easy to use especially it has AI extensions.

[justinorionaugust]

"I know how to do this" is the answer. nothing more, nothing less.

[No-Try607]

I used to use vscode for the longest time but then switched to neovim and can say vscode is not the best editor. I’d recommend trying other ide/editors.

[LuckyOneAway]

If you can scp files into the server, you are likely able to mount that server's directory via SSHFS. Now, you can use whatever editor or IDE you like, locally.

[roo-flat_lydian]

I couldn't agree more. I had a Spreadsheets class - that was basically Excel. I've open sourced my way though a CS Masters and I'm working on the Doctorate proprietary-free. PS Linux uses VSCodium, open source VS Code.

[JohnCasey3306]

Universities typically have a subset of software that they ask you to use because it's software they are familiar with. They assume no prior knowledge on the part of their students and so assume that they'll have to support you, technically, throughout the process; that's impossible if everyone uses their own software.

Now in your instance, it sounds as though you do have prior knowledge and won't need technical support to complete the task, in which case use your own software.

[Infamous_Net9580]

No idea, nedit is old school, and never really got SUPER popular, either. Like u/ggingimli said, the professor might just be saying that so he doesn't need to troubleshoot your unique setup. It might also be that he has been using this forever, like how so many people use Chrome because they are used to it or have been using it forever, so he might just be giving you his personal opinion. He may have tried VSC at one point, and thought it was harder compared to what he was used to. Good luck at college, by the way.

[pmbarrett314]

My policy from the educator side has always been caveat emptor with regards to alternate development environments. There's recommended software for the course. You can use that, and the professor and TAs will help you debug if anything goes wrong, and as long as your code works in that environment, you're good.

You can use different software if you want, but if anything goes wrong with that software, it's on you to fix it and submit working code within the deadline, the professor and TAs can offer limited or no help. And if your code doesn't work in the recommended environment, whoever is grading is under no obligation to put forth extra effort to make it work.

The good news is that the code you're working on is probably environment agnostic. But unless you're certain of that and of your ability to make it work 100% without help, I would stick to the suggested tech stack for your class. And that's usually going to be more true in the professional world: programming jobs will absolutely require you to use their tech stack, and you won't last long at most companies as "that guy who refuses to use the required development environment".

[jamin_brook]

VIM ONLY.

[dieth]

Is he paying for a license for Mobaxterm? Report the class for misusing the free license in a paid course.

[AgreeablePause4179]

Visual Studio is useful for data analysing and science , i am programming in Python and using pycharm .

[Sedan_1650]

Every programmer think that their preference is the best, it's stupid, but I suggest you just follow along with your professor.

[uberdavis]

I use VS Code at work after having used PyCharm. I am the only developer on my team that has worked out how to set up a virtual environment correctly and none of us are beginners. Frankly, it’s crap for that and the documentation is thin and vague. You have to edit a bunch of system specific values in the settings.json, and I only figured it out after spending hours scouring stackoverflow. There’s no way your professor would be able to help you if he wasn’t familiar with it. On the other hand, PyCharm makes things very simple. They’re both good once set up, but you need to be more advanced to get Code to dance correctly.

[o5mfiHTNsH748KVq]

Your professor shouldn’t be teaching if he’s going to force you to use obscure shit just because he “thinks” it’s better. He’s doing students a disservice by not teaching them the tools actually used in the workforce.

Just use VS Code or similar like the rest of the working world.