REVIEW FIELD TEST
Programino
he Arduino IDE has some fantastic
things going for it – the range of
boards it can program is
phenomenal, there’s a huge amount
of example code for it, and it’s
simple enough for beginners to use.
However, it also has some limitations – there are
few niceties to help you program, and very limited
tools to help you manage larger projects.
Programino is an editor for Arduino that lets you
write code for the Arduino boards that gives you
more tools than the official IDE, but at the same
time, doesn’t bog the user down with excessive
amounts of configuration or customisation. As IDEs
go, it’s still on the simple side – beginner or
intermediate programmers are unlikely to get lost
and still find the things they need – yet, it still adds
some features that make it easier to write code.
Navigation around your project is easy, thanks to
code folding and explorers both for the current file
(which helps you jump to a particular section current
file), and the project (which helps you keep track of
all the files you’re using in the current project).T
The Tools menu includes helpers for designing
LED matrix images (though we’d prefer a few more
capabilities here, including the ability to design for
RGB matrices), and converting characters. The Web
menu has some rudimentary tools for creating HTML
output for your projects.
There’s nothing revolutionary in Programino, but
there are plenty of little things that make life a little
easier for the developer. The downside is the lack of
hardware support. Out of the box, Programino can
send code to a selection of older, official Arduino
boards. The solution to this is a button to
automatically open your code in the Arduino IDE and
then upload it from there.
There’s a 14-day free trial. After that, you’ll need
to pay 29 euro for a private user licence, or 89 euro
for a single user business licence. This is reasonable
value for money if you’re using the extra features.
Programino offers an approachable IDE with
enough features to make managing a medium/large
project fairly straightforward. Ultimately, IDE choice
is a personal thing, but if you’re struggling with your
current option, Programino is well worth a look.By Ben Everard @ben_everardVERDICT
A useful IDE for
larger Arduino
projects./ 10
A featureful Arduino code editor
PROGRAMINO from €29 programino.comLeft
The hardware viewer
gives details of
the board you’re
programming for8
Programino