Code Fusion for Linux: Reviewed

With the increasing momentum in the Linux world, more and more productivity applications have been coming out for Linux. Kurt DeMaagd, who's spent quite sometime in other IDEs, has reviwed Cygnus Solutions' "Code Fusion". Click below to read more about it.

• Company: Cygnus Solutions
• Rating: 9/10
• Summary:With the exception of a few minor annoyances, most notably in the installation process, Code Fusion provides a full range of features for an excellent price.

Cygnus is already a familiar face in the Linux world. They are known for products such as GNUPro Toolkit and Source-Navigator, as well as their support for a variety of other open source projects. Their most recent addition to their product line is Code Fusion, a product which merges and enhances the GNUPro Toolkit and Source- Navigator to create a since integrated development environment.

While there have been instances where people have had troubles installing Code Fusion, I was able to set it up and run it without a hitch. Nonetheless, there were several elements of the install process that could be improved. First, you have to enter a different directory and run a separate install script depending on which version of glibc you are running. Once the setup is complete, you then need to setup several environment variables. While this process is well documented, the risk of typographical errors and the general inconvenience warrant automating this process.

After getting past the mild inconveniences of the installation process, I started up the program and began testing. While Code Fusion comes with a couple example projects and the book has some tutorials, I decided to venture out on my own and create a new project from scratch. And what better way to test a program than to write a Hello World app. Of course, to adequately test all of Code Fusions project browsing featuers, I broke it up into 5 classes.

It took me a couple minutes to figure out how to create new files. It seemed logical to me that the Project Editor window, where you can add, move or delete files, would also let you create a file, but that option is lacking. After digging around menus, I found that the Window menu allowed to you open the Source Editor window, where you can create files.

The Source Editor window provides a variety of convenient options. As with any good IDE, it color codes all our your source. The command to build your code is just a click away. Perhaps most conveniently, it is integrated with a variety of version control programs. In general, it provides a very convenient environment for cranking out code.

Having quickly whipped up all of the classes of my Hello World app, I moved to the feature where Code Fusion really shined, the various project browsers. This feature allows you a wide variety of ways to display your program. It includes a cross reference browser, an include browser, a class browser, and a hierarchy browser.

Finally, I tested the debugging features. This includes all of the standard features expected from any debugger, such as breakpoints, watches, stack traces, etc. Unlike a majority of the debuggers on the market, the screen where you edit the code and the screen where you set break points are different. Having been reared on Microsoft Visual Studio, and given that this differs from the industry standard, this is rather inconvenient. In spite of this, I found the debugger to be generally easy to use and it sure beats using a printf every other line.

Overall, Code Fusion is a very useful product. Any software developer, with the exception of the vi-loving death-before-IDE people, will find its wide variety of features helpful. And with a price under $300, it is financially well within the reach of most individuals and companies.

List Price $299 ($207.43 at CDW)