Arduino is a platform made up of a combination between hardware and software. The hardware is an Arduino board with a microcontroller to receive instructions from the codes that you write.

The software, which is cross-platform and open source, is called Arduino IDE. It is used to write and compile codes that are loaded to and executed by the microcontroller attached to an Arduino board. For example, you can write codes to tell the microcontroller on how an LED lamp should behave.

Features and Highlights

There are more than 30 languages supported in Arduino IDE. The default language used by the IDE is determined by your operating system.

If your operating system is using one of the supported languages, then Arduino IDE will also use the language. If your operating system is using an unsupported language, the interface of Arduino IDE will be displayed in English. The language can be changed manually, but the IDE software needs to be restarted to apply the change.

The main interface of Arduino IDE is basically made up of three sections; the menu bar, the text editor, and the output pane.

The menu bar that is located on the top provides several menu. The File menu consists of many submenus which allow you to open a new editor window, open an existing sketch, access your recent sketches, save your sketch, open the preferences page, print a sketch, etc.

In case you are wondering what the sketch is all about, it is a term applied to the program written in Arduino IDE.

The Edit menu also contains different options to undo or redo, copy or cut text, copy the codes along with the syntax coloring, copy the codes as HTML so that you can embed it in a web page, increase or decrease indent, add or remove comments, and find specific text.

When you open the Sketch menu, you will find a number of options that lets you verify your codes, compile and load your written code to the board, save a hex file, and use a library. A hex file is the output file produced by the Arduino IDE after it compiles your codes.

The Tools menu gives you an access to a few other features such as auto format to beautify your codes, save a sketch in zip format, and to choose a board.

Arduino IDE Free Download for Windows

While a portable installation is possible, it is suggested that you use the installer so that you don’t have to install the drivers separately on your own. The installer will also add shortcuts to your desktop and start menu, as well as associating Arduino IDE with .ino files.

Arduino IDE supports all Arduino boards and easy to use. The well-written documentation makes it even easier for anyone to start writing codes with the software. Even if you are not familiar with programming, it is still fairly easy to learn writing Arduino codes. At least the learning curve is not as steep as trying to code your very first game. You can click the link below to download Arduino IDE for Windows: