What is the recommended tool to develop applications for Google Kubernetes Engine in a development environment?

Using Cloud Code for application development is the recommended tool for developing applications within Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) in a development environment. Cloud Code enhances the development process by providing integrated tools that allow developers to build, debug, and deploy applications directly to GKE with ease.

Cloud Code supports a range of programming languages and frameworks, offering features such as smart code completion, real-time Kubernetes resource management, and integrated debugging tools that streamline the development workflow. By leveraging Cloud Code, developers can benefit from a meaningful context-aware development experience, making it simpler to manage Kubernetes configurations and work with cloud-native patterns.

In contrast, other tools may not focus specifically on the nuances of Kubernetes application development. The Cloud Shell integrated Code Editor allows basic code editing and command-line operations but lacks the specialized features for GKE applications. A Cloud Notebook instance is better suited for machine learning and analytics tasks rather than typical application development, and while Cloud Shell is useful for infrastructure management commands, it does not combine those functionalities with application-centric development capabilities.