So, one tool performs one task that it is designed to do best, spewing its output to another tool to perform another task. And in the traditional Unix/Linux style, those disparate tools are linked together by the use of pipes. When a project is built, or even cleaned, Carbide actively relies on this tool-chain to perform a set of very crucial tasks. That tool-chain includes interpreters such as Perl, compilers such as gcc, build configuration utilities such as make, powerful debuggers such as gdb, etc. Carbide heavily uses a tool-chain to perform a lot of different yet important tasks.

Under the hood, the Carbide camp has adopted what has become second nature for Unix and Linux developers: the “Keep It Simple, Stupid” (KISS) philosophy.

Having said that, I should also point out that Nokia and Carbide both have a long way to go to provide as great an experience for Symbian development as, for instance, Apple and Xcode have for iPhone development. Working on the shoulders of Eclipse, Nokia has spent considerable time and effort into customizing Carbide to a point where it makes Symbian development convenient for developers. By and large, Carbide is the best IDE for Symbian development available today.