Posted by David Haynes on 01/03/06 12:18

windandwaves wrote:
> David Haynes wrote:
>> windandwaves wrote:
>>> Hi Folk
>>>
>>> Right now, I am using notepad2 to edit my PHP files. Do you have any
>>> recommendations for any php editors I should purchase instead? I
>>> dont mind spending some money for a good product.
>>>
>>> I also have visual studio and I hear that there is an extension for
>>> VS for php. Does anyone have any experience with this?
>>>
>>> TIA
>>>
>>> Nicolaas
>>>
>>>
>> There are a range of products/programs based upon what you really want
>> from your editor.
>>
>> At the high end are the IDEs. These include:
>> Zend, enginsite editor for PHP, Macromedia Dreamweaver 8, Rapid PHP,
>> Eclipse (using a third-party plugin) and others.
>>
>> Next we have syntax highlighting editors. These include:
>> vim, jedit, ultra-edit and others.
>>
>> Finally, just the straight editors:
>> vi, emacs, wordpad, notepad, edit
>>
>> Personally, I use Zend in my work because it supports the subversion
>> revision control software and I have a reasonable amount of memory on
>> my system (Zend uses Java which tends to love to eat memory, Eclipse
>> uses Java as well.) There are some usability issues I have (e.g.
>> auto-completion getting in the way, automatic maximizing of windows I
>> have closed) but they are not enough of a bother to make me move to
>> another editor.
>>
>> -david-
>
>
> Hmm, thank you for the answer.
>
> The one thing I do not like is that it takes hours to install and that it
> screws up everything else on my computer. However, I do like syntax checking
> and I do like autocompletion.
>
> WHat I would also really like is the ability to expand/implode functions.
> That is, being able to implode a function and open it if needed. That sort
> of thing.

Zend will do this.

> I will have a look at the Zend business. Right now, I do not have PHP
> installed locally, it that an issue? I like to load my files to the server
> because then I only have one place I work at. Not many.

Not having PHP locally will reduce the set of capabilities of the IDEs
since many use php to syntax check the code in near real time.

In the larger picture, if you use a revision control system such as CVS
or Subversion (with Tortoise on your windows box), then the issue of
'only one place to work at' becomes less important. Revision control
systems allow you to edit anywhere and then synchronize those edits
across all instances, so you can do some edits at work, add those to the
repository, head on home, synchronize with your home image, keep on
editing, synchronize with the repository, go back to work, synchronize
with the repository, and keep on editing until you remember that you
forgot to sleep ;-)

-david-

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