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[Jorgen]

Dear,

I am a newcomer to ESP32. I have used and programmed Microchip PIC18 and PIC32 devices using MPLAB X.
Now, I want to use ESP32 as well, but please advise me on which development system to use. I understand that there are at least:

1. VS Code + PlatformIO + Arduino framework (I have never used Arduino and I understand it has limitation on the use of features of the ESP32, hence I prefer not to use this setup)
2. VS Code + Platform IO + ESP-IDF framework
3. VS Code + ESP-IDF extension

Which should I install and start learning?
Which documentation should I use to become familiar with the development system? Is there a good relevant book?

Regards,
Jorgen

[username]

Since you come from using MPLAB X I would suggest #2 or #3 it will be more familiar coding for you.

[Jorgen]

Dear,

Thank you for your advice. I have followed your advice and chosen #3 and been working with it for some example coding. It works for me.

My wish is that Espressif will make available a self-standing IDE.
Regards,
Jorgen

[mbratch]

My wish is that Espressif will make available a self-standing IDE.

They do! It's based upon Eclipse. The last version they posted was on the forums here, version Espressif IDE 2.6.0.

The Espressif documentation also has a list of IDEs. I'm not sure why their own spin on Eclipse is not listed here. But listed is their own very actively supported ESP-IDF plugin for Eclipse. So, you could use Eclipse (either Espressif IDE 2.6.0, or the independent plugin) rather than VS Code if you feel so inclined. Some folks like Eclipse, some VS Code. I actually have both setup. I like them each for different reasons.

You won't likely see a dedicated, custom IDE. Most microprocessor manufacturers offer IDEs based upon existing popular environments like Eclipse or VS Code.

[Jorgen]

Dear mbratch,
Thank you for the info. I have used MPLAB for years. It is one download of the IDE and one download per compiler. It works and the documentation describes the use of it. The documentation of ESP-IDF describes the command lines and not the buttons and menus in the VS Code after installing ESP-IDF.

Anyhow, I want to develop code for my application. The IDE is a necessity, but not one I want to spend any significant time on. Hence, the easier to set up and use the better for me. Espressif could themselves combine Eclipse or Visual Studio Code with their ESP-IDF and make available a complete dedicated setup just like Microchip does it with MPLAB. I would strongly prefer such an approach.

Regards,
Jorgen

[mbratch]

Hi Jorgen

It's a significant investment for a company to develop and support a dedicated, unique, full-featured IDE. Many years ago this was more common. But more recently, it's more common to leverage an existing, popular IDE such as Eclipse or VS Code. I think it's unlikely that Espressif will invest in a unique IDE since there's no return on investment. That is, it would unlikely boost sales of ESP32 chips to pay for the development and ongoing support.

As far as button help for the ESP-IDF plugin on VS Code, when you hover over a button at the bottom, it tells you what the function is. The functions mostly match the documented `idf.py` command line functions (e.g., `build`, `fullclean`, etc).