C# Programming > Miscellaneous
Compilr Online IDE
By Nick Budden
You've been working on a project, you're home in bed, and suddenly a spark lights up in your mind with the perfect solution to that problem that you just couldn't tackle earlier in the day: you've just got to implement your spark of genius…but you can't get to the computer where you've stored your code. The worst nightmare of any good programmer is having a moment of inspiration, but not being able to access your code to implement it! This is the problem the start-up Compilr.com has set out to solve, and a problem that our own development team had faced themselves on countless occasions. With an online IDE, you can access and edit your code from anywhere, giving you the freedom to satisfy your own spark of genius no matter where you are – you don't even need a computer.
An online IDE like Compilr.com frees programmers from the constrictive nature of a conventional development environment, allowing you to access and edit your code from virtually anywhere, whether you have access to your coding computer or not. Some of the benefits of an online IDE platform which all programmers can benefit from are:
Mobility
With an online IDE, you can log in and edit your code from any web browser, thus allowing you to make coding changes on the fly from just about any computer worldwide. Don't have access to the computer where you usually code? With an online IDE this is no longer a problem.
Share Your Code Online
Using an online IDE allows you to store all of your files in one central location, keeping
your files backed-up and better organized. When you host your files on an online IDE,
anyone you give permission to view your files can instantly log in and work on the same
files that you have been working on yourself, browsing just as they would were the files
stored on their local machine; no more copying of files, sending packages of files back and
forth, or organizational headaches.
No Installations
An online IDE comes pre-packaged with just about everything you'll ever need, making installation of a development environment or development tools an unnecessary obstacle that gets in the way; instead, you can hit the ground running with your project. Getting a project up and running in mere seconds, you can spend your time on what really matters – the programming itself.
System Agnostic
By storing your files in the cloud and programming with your browser, you are able to program for a number of devices without requiring the extra hardware. For example, with an online IDE, you can code for a Mac, a Windows system, a Linux system, an iPad or an iPhone without having to go out and buy yourself each of these devices.
Code From New Devices
Have you ever considered coding from an iPad? How about writing code from your
smartphone? The practical applications are not as far-fetched as you might assume. If code
breaks or needs to be updated on short notice, an online IDE like Compilr.com can be a
lifesaver for any developer, giving you the freedom to edit code no matter what device
you log in with. Out of reach of a computer but need to tweak a piece of code fast? No
problem, login with your smartphone and edit your code. Done.
Using an online IDE has changed the way we program, and is changing the way our users develop projects and manage their workflow. But online IDE's are not done yet, and still have a bright future of innovative new features. In our own project at Compilr.com, online debugging is at the top of our agenda, with testing desktop applications in the web browser not far behind. Advanced editing features and code completion are also in the works, and look to be not far off.
Compilr works by storing your code remotely in the cloud. We provide you the interface to interact with that code through an online ide simliar to any native desktop ide. Our backend process will take your code and compile it within the cloud, freeing up your local resources, and increasing the range of capable hardware.