16 replies to this topic

[xhrist14n]

I want to know about php editors, where can i get a good editor for php?

I need to work with php.

regards

christian

[HannahI]

Try Notepad++(Windows) or TextWrangler(Mac).

[k_nitin_r]

Hi!

There are two kinds of software that you can use to work with PHP source code. There is one class of software which consists of plain text editors that may include features such as syntax highlighting. These are essentially advanced versions of Windows Notepad and for the most part, whatever you can do with Notepad is enhanced by these editors by providing you with productivity features such as the ability to run commands without having to manually perform them separately. Another class of software consists of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), which provide you with checking for errors while you are writing the program. They might warn you about invalid function names, they can walk you through the program with the debugging support, and they can provide you with auto-completion and help on function calls that you use in your code while you type them. As a beginner, IDEs would be your choice of software but as you become more familiar with the language and the functions that it has to offer, you would probably want to use a text editor for some quick changes.

[Quatrux]

a cross platform PHP IDE can be ActiveState Komodo Edit, as I know it's free and supports more than PHP

I personally use PHP Designer 7 which is really good

Also you can use Notepad++ or Notepad2 which can highlight PHP code and is very simple to use and install and have good features for editing.

Other alternatives include Netbeans IDE which is able to edit PHP and there is a module for PHP for Eclipse, you can use Eclipse with PHP as an PHP IDE.

[flint0131]

If you have the money NuSphere PHPED is a useful IDE for beginners.

Netbeans IDE too and it's free just download the plug-in for PHP.

If you want it simple, just text-highlighting editor you can use Notepad++.

[jonline]

I used aptana studio, it takes a long time to load but it's got some great features such as preview so you don't have to be connected to the internet but can view your php code on your own local machine, much easier and saves bandwidth and your download limit on your own internet connection.

Edited by jonline, 30 October 2010 - 11:25 AM.

[iBruteforce]

You should start with Notepad++ , is free and very easy to use tool . My self , i use Adobe Dreamweaver , a little more powerful tool and is just perfect for me.

[garish]

you can use notepad++ for php editing. It is easy and best as i used it. For proffesionals dreamwaver is a good option.

[jedaivokters]

I've using geany for linux and windows platform ... geany is a lightweight editor like notepad++ but has more feature

[starscream]

Geany seems to be ugly text editor and i think it is based on GTK version. So not sure if it is any worth installing. I do see some useful features for the text editor but other than there is hardly anything worthy. I found PSPad a much better alternative for most of the needs. I found that it is possible to integrate it with the compiler for C/C++ usage. So i guess it is possible to test it directly in the browser. I have found that it supports PHP as well. XAMPP and Uniserver will have no issues with working with PSPad but still you can ask about it in forums.

Alternatively there is intype text editor. This text editor works on most of the windows version. I have tested it on vista. But not sure if this will work on windows 7. It is released as alpha version so chances are there that they may release paid version soon. It's not actively developed so no idea about the development phase. You can download the alpha release which works for 60 days on some machines and unlimited on old windows versions. So install it on your own risk.

[starscream]

PHP Designer is one good IDE which i'm using right now. It also supports other languages like python, asp etc etc. It is paid software and if you have the money then try to find coupon code and get it in discount. In my opinion it is worth the trouble. Most of the users who are using this IDE are getting some decent results with it. I have done most of the simple stuff with this IDE for now. I'm planning to play with python frameworks too so most likely will able to see some capability of this IDE for the online browser testing support and other db support. I'm sure there are others who are into php and using this IDE in this forum. So they can also comment about that IDE. This is the only lightweight IDE that has enough features like eclipse for working with php for production based sites. You can consider this IDE if you want to get into php programming or want to save yourself from text editor dependence and want to do things quickly.
JEdit seems to have their port of php IDE but i have no experience with that IDE and not much used at all. I used that IDE for java programming and has not touched it for quite some time. SO not sure if they have some good features for php programming. I prefer not to use eclipse for php programming because it is too heavy resource hungry application and compared to jedit and php designer there is a lot of learning curve with it. So better to stick with php designer if you're serious with php development.

[manuleka]

a free editor that i use to Love is Bluefish

i'm not sure if there's a Windows version but it's available for Linux, i think version 2 is out already

[8ennett]

My favourite has to be Dreamweaver, although I'm still using the old MX version since it's grown on me loads since I first bought it many years ago. Many people don't like the dreamweaver IDE however I find it useful, easy to use and lightweight. When working with php code it has the type of syntax highlighting that I have grown acustomed to, and also has function hints that popup while you are typing a function for a quick reminder of the boolean order of that function. It's also good how it integrates the php code in to the gui. Speaking of the gui I haven't found a better visual means of designing a web page. I still use the code side for the more advanced and intricate page layout however using the gui can often speed things along greatly.

The latest dreamweaver suite (CS5 I think) is going to be pretty expensive now I reckon, another reason why I stuck with my licensed MX version, but if you can afford the money I would recommend getting it.

Also, I can't say I have any need for the built-in testing server features or site organisational tools either, but they are there and available if you need them.

[manuleka]

i have fiddled around for a bit with Dreamweaver sometime ago and it's a marvelous tool... as far as i can recall it includes an ftp extension (or built in)...

[Ahsaniqbal111]

I used to use notepad to do all my html, css and php. But then I found that I could be more efficient just by making different things in different colors so I shifted to notepad ++ which doesn't do much more than coloring different things in different colors. After a while, when I started to do complex programming, I realized that I am making a lot of mistakes and that I am spending a huge amount of time trying to find and eliminate errors. I also realized that I was spending a huge amount of time and effort trying to not make mistakes. So I thought I would increase my efficiency significantly if I manage to find some application that can help me with syntax errors. For instance it just underlines statements that have syntax errors or propose the syntax of a function or statement before I actually contruct one. At that point I started a search online for good editors for languages like html, css and PHP. But my emphasis was on php. I already had the adobe dreamweaver but it was a bit too heavy for my taste. I wanted something lighter that would load quickly and perofrm faster.
After doing quite a lot of research online, I decided to go fro aptana studio. It not only has brilliant mechanism to prevent syntax errors but also has a beautiful suggestion criteria. But above all, the thing I like the most about it is that instead of using arrow keys to move forward the automatically created closing tags, I can simply use the "tab" key to jump over. This was a huge time saver for me as I am much more comfortable with pressing tab key than the arrow keys and it does indeed save me a lot of time.
So all those programmers who are still using notepad or notepad++, I would suggest you to shift to some advanced editor like aptana studio. It would definitely save you a lot of time and effort during programming complex codes and structures.

[Quatrux]

I don't see in this topic a suggestion for CodeLobster PHP Edition, I found out about it in some other topic on these forums, so I tried it and it's quite a good alternative for FREE, even though I am using PHP Designer, but CodeLobster PHP Edition has some really neat things I liked about it.

Here is a link to it: http://www.codelobst...ss_editing.html

[starscream]

Those who are using the linux they have more choices compared to windows. Most important point about linux based editors is that they are all free and one doesn't have to pay for it. Kate, Kwrite, Gedit are free and usually come up with gnome and KDE distribution. You don't have to do anything in order to download them, they're most likely found in the system menu of the distro.

In case of paid applications, I think sublime editor which is paid for windows, linux and mac is popping up for quite some time. I think in next few years it will be more popular due to it's features. The interesting feature about the program is that they show a screenshot in parts for the code view in sidebar. Say if you have 2-3 scrolling pages for the code, you can view it in thumbnail screenshot in sidebar and choose to navigate it with mouse.

Sublime text as of now is actively developed for windows and Mac. I am sure there is linux version of it and if not then surely they are going to add similar features in say like geany or gedit. That text editor is worth to look into as there are some nice set of features in it. I am trying to run the php designer under WIne and see if it works. I have 7 version of php designer and it shows a bit lag so maybe i need to get my hands on old version to run it on linux.