Hi,
Maybe some of you have noticed, Arduino Ide can be used for ESP8266 software development.
New Arduino Ide versions have option for third party boards. Here are instructions how to install Arduino Addon:
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/esp8266-thing-hookup-guide/all#installing-the-esp8266-arduino-addon
Olimex ESP8266 boards are also supported.
One more design environment for people with Arduino background and easy start for beginers with lots of useful libraries and tutorials.
BR,
Stinde