A development environment is a set of tools and software that programmers use to create, test, and debug applications. It typically includes an integrated development environment (IDE), which provides features like code editing, debugging, and version control. This environment allows developers to write code efficiently and manage their projects effectively. Development environments can be local, where the software runs on a developer's computer, or cloud-based, where resources are accessed over the internet. Popular examples of development environments include Visual Studio, Eclipse, and GitHub. These environments help streamline the coding process and improve collaboration among developers.