Know the differences and usefulness of Visual Studio and Rider for Game Development using Unity.
We all are pretty much familiar with these two IDE and their use in Unity. Visual Studio is still the default IDE of Unity and is included in the inbuilt package of Unity Editor. Being the only IDE at that time with useful functionalities and other powerful tools, Visual Studio was a comprehensive editor for the Game Development and .Net Development. But the scenario has completely changed with the entry of Rider from JetBrains. The intelligence is the only term that could describe Rider well. Here are a few points showing the differences and usefulness of both the IDE on their respective grounds.
Microsoft Visual Studio
Being the official IDE of Microsoft, Visual Studio has a powerful tool for cross-platform integration while covering various language support. The range of Plugins available is vast which also supports the ReSharper and other plugins. The code productivity tool not only improves the code editing experience but also enhances the way a developer approach. The UI design is pretty clean and the community version is Free for the developers. Unity made it the default IDE and included in the package Manager from Unity 2018.1 release, which changed the scenario of scripting to a completely different level. Previously Unity was using MonoDevelop, and the shift towards Visual Studio was a great initiative as the feature-rich IDE helped a lot of developers to code efficiently.
JetBrains Rider
Said by Unity itself, JetBrains Rider is the ultimate solution for faster c# scripting. With the power of the ReSharper and IntelliJ platform, Rider has enough controls on the coding experience and enhances the efficiency of code likewise. The cross-platform support and the multiple runtime support helps the developer to achieve all they want in a single editor. With an excellent Ui which is much similar to that of Visual Studio, developers get all the featured on their fingertips to tweak between and code at the same time. The auto inspection feature and the intelligence of Rider are much advanced to convert and correct the complete document error-free. With seamless integration with Unity, the major advantage that Rider has is, “The power of Debugging”. Developers could debug their code entirely with detailed information while having the power of adding certain breakpoints to the desired position.
Visual Studio vs Rider: The Difference
Although Visual Studio is still an ideal choice for many developers as the community edition is free and is available with the Unity editor as the default IDE, but Rider has eventually become a prime choice for many developers due to its fast performance and usefulness. Here is an in-depth comparison that shows the power of Rider over Visual Studio.
Validation
Visual Studio and Rider both use the StyleCop static code analysis and validate the code on the go. This is extremely useful to correct the code as a developer goes on writing. But beside language check, Rider helps the developer to construct the sentence with certain suggestions to make it error-free.
Code Refactorings
The Refactor option plays a major role when it comes to choosing between these IDEs. Visual Studio has a vast number of refactors but there is a bit more in Rider. The rider has the ability to refactor any line of code and can modify and introduce the required method for your desired code structure. It suggests improvement and enhances the code structure to make it error-free and lightweight. With proper fit for the Unity environment, Rider tends to convert the entire code into a logical aspect and later helps the developer to code efficiently.
Navigation and Investigation
The Code navigation and Suggestion play well in Rider with the intelligent auto inspection and autosuggestion feature. These feature helps the developer to save time and script faster while taking into consideration the possible aspects of the Unity environment. The auto-completion feature is so powerful that it could suggest and complete the best way possible while returning the optimized code.
Debugging
As mentioned earlier, Rider is well known for the Power of Debugging. It gives the complete ability to the developer to set the breakpoints and debug each line of code with ease. This helps a lot in fixing the runtime errors, compile errors and design time errors. This feature not only saves time but also wins when it comes to testing the quality of the code and life cycle of the game.
Pricing
The only hurdle developer might face in the beginning is the pricing. Visual Studio Community is free to use whereas, JetBrains Rider has a fee structure to pay. However, Rider has a 30 days Trial period in which developers could actually experience the real power of coding with it.
The features of Rider are not at all limited to this list but are wide to find on the Official page for more details. So far, it is evident that Rider is unsurprisingly the better IDE than the Visual Studio in terms of features and fast scripting. However, The preference certainly depends on the choice and comfort of the user. We do strongly recommend all the user to check both the IDE individually and then opt for the one that suits their needs. Also, check 3 Great IDE for Unity in 2020 to know other useful IDE for Unity.
With Love From VOiD1 Gaming
**VOiD1 Gaming is not sponsored by any of the above companies. This list is in no particular order and preference of the software are solely dependent on the user interest. All trademarks appearing in this list are registered trademarks of the respective companies.**