Integrating online community and program development environments

In a computing system that includes an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method comprising:

• an act of providing an integrated development environment that is configured to develop one or more computing programs;
• an act of displaying one or more links to one or more online community resources that can be accessed from within the integrated development environment;
• an act receiving input selecting the one or more links;
• and
• an act of initiating a communication with the one or more selected online community resources which correspond with the selected one or more links.

In a computing system that includes an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method comprising:

• an act of providing an integrated development environment that is configured to develop one or more computing programs;
• an act of displaying one or more links corresponding to one or more contacts that can be communicated with over a network and from within the integrated development environment;
• an act receiving user input selecting a first link corresponding to a first contact;
• and
• an act of initiating a communication with the first contact in response to the user input selecting the first link.

In a computing system that includes an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method comprising:

• an act of providing an integrated development environment that is configured to develop one or more computing programs;
• an act of displaying at least one link to information that can be accessed over a network in response to user input received from within the integrated development environment;
• an act receiving user input selecting the at least one link;
• and
• an act of displaying the information within the integrated development environment in response to the user input selecting the at least one link.

A computer program product for use in a computing system that includes an integrated development environment configured to receive user input for developing computing programs, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing a method for enabling access to one or more online community resources from within the integrated development environment, the method including:
• an act of providing an integrated development environment that is configured to develop one or more computing programs;
• an act of displaying one or more links to one or more community resources that can be accessed from within the integrated development environment;
• an act receiving input selecting the one or more links;
• and
• an act of initiating a communication with the one or more selected community resources which correspond with the selected one or more links.