I have the same experience. I coded C++ in Emacs for many years, then switched to Java in IntelliJ IDEA. I definitely write shorter methods now in Java, than I did in C++ (and it's for the better in my opinion). Navigation in general really is so much better in an IDE. More details in "Programmer Productivity: Emacs versus IntelliJ IDEA" http://henrikwarne.com/2012/06/17/programmer-productivity-em...