Despite a wealth of tutorials for setting up and writing code for the ESP8266 WiFi module, there has not been much of anything on programming this cheap wireless module with the Arduino IDE.

But the real question you have to ask is: is it better to use an integrated component or just put an Arduino and ESP8266 together? [Andreas Spiess] not only asked the question, but he answered it ...

With that said, the same goes for a Raspberry Pi. For example, many enthusiasts pair the ESP8266 with an Arduino, but you can also use it without one. You can program it directly and run your own ...