Comment by pbowyer
1 year ago
> While I do have a fantastic memory, I don't feel like it makes a huge difference?
I'd say it does. Particulary for names based on English words with synonyms, if I recall the wrong synonym for this particular library, at least autocomplete is faster than searching the docs for all the synonyms. But not as fast as scanning the method/function list should the docs have that (and far too many miss it out).
If you can remember which word for the concept the method you're after uses, then you don't need autocomplete.
BTW only Jetbrains (and other heavy Java IDEs?) get autocomplete right IMO. The basic form in VSCode doesn't cut it in my experience, and gets in the way.
Good insight! I probably take my memory for granted. With your synonym point I can definitely see the friction that could cause.
You're spot on with jetbrains etc.. I have also tried it and a few other highly specific and focused best-possible-experience full IDEs along the way. Early in learning a stack I felt needlessly burdened by the nuances between autocomplete options (which put me at risk of ending up stuck in an documentation hole happily reading about shit I didn't need to for hours) and once more confident I just went back to regular annoyance. In some code bases I'd probably have used it more, as the suggestions were so much more refined and useful. You're totally right in that it's a whole different league from VSCode.