PHP IDEs for Working with Joomla CMS

In order to get success in developing PHP sites it is necessary to have a good development environment. While producing web sites it is often necessary to edit HTML, CSS and JavaScript files. That is why usable IDE should supply all those file types and provide full set of tools for effective development.

This article includes reviews of the most popular IDEs: Codelobster PHP Edition, Eclipse PDT, Komodo IDE, NetBeans IDE, PHPStorm, NuSphere PhpED.

Codelobster PHP Edition:

CodeLobster PHP Edition is accessible from CodeLobster Software.

CodeLobster PHP maintains Windows platform. Plug-ins are not free but the registration is absolutely free.

CodeLobster makes possible to install the debugger automatically.

To get help how to configure the debugger, please, visit the official site.

You have an ability to deploy projects on your local web server or remote server by FTP.

By downloading free version of the mentioned software you get PHP, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS code highlighting; JavaScript, HTML, PHP, and CSS code collapsing; HTML and CSS autocomplete; PHP and JavaScript Advanced autocomplete; HTML toolbar; Bookmarks; PHP Debugger; Context and Dynamic Help with search functionality for work with PHP, MySQL, HTML; Portable option; Pair highlighting; Pair selection, tags and attributes selection commands; Tooltip; Navigation by holding CTRL key; HTML/CSS code inspector; Class View; Project manager; Preview in a browser; File Explorer with FTP/SFTP support; Incremental find and other possible functionalities of similar programs.

These plug-ins allow operating with famous CMS and Frameworks: Facebook, CakePHP, Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, Smarty, JQuery, Symfony, CodeIgniter, Yii.

Eclipse PDT:

Eclipse is designed to allow developers to choose language, platform, and vendor environment.

Eclipse Platform includes wide range of plug-ins, tools, and examples.

Eclipse is a program that makes available to construct, integrate, and use software tools. Eclipse PDT can be run on multiple operating systems such as Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.

Installation includes all necessary tools to elaborate on PHP. It also involves Data Tools Platform to control the databank, plug-ins for interaction with JavaScript, C / C + +, XML editor, and other different tools.

You can use Zend debugger or Xdebug.

Komodo IDE:

Komodo ActiveState is a PHP IDE that can be used as an international language development environment and supply Ruby, Perl, and Tcl Python.

It can be installed using of Smarty and Zend PHP frameworks. You can also use integration involving version control systems (CVS, Subversion and Perforce).

Supported operating systems: Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.

Komodo allows you to begin CGI Environment Simulation and construct web server holodeck. It simulates activities in a real web server. One of the advantages of CGI Environment Simulation is very fast installation.

It is possible to download free 21-day version of Komodo from ActiveState site.

NetBeans IDE:

Elaboration of NetBeans IDE is performed by independent NetBeans community and NetBeans Org Company. Oracle Company maintains and invests in NetBeans IDE.

Program allows editing several files at once by dividing screen into several parts. In order to do it, you need to open two files and drag a marker of any file to the bottom of the screen. Then you can see a red framework in text box in the lower part of screen. All the tools necessary for construction of professional desktop, web, and mobile applications with the Java platform, C/C++, PHP, JavaScript and Groovy are accessible. A library of free source codes is integrated for software developers. NetBeans IDE 7.0, produced with language supporting to elaborate on Java SE 7, supports GlassFish 3.1, Oracle Databse, Maven 3, Oracle WebLogic, HTML 5.

PhpStorm:

PhpStorm provides qualitative and rich facilities for PHP code editing including highlighting, conformation of code formatting, fast error checking, intensive code autocomplete.

PhpStorm editor is compatible with PHPDoc in your code and provides appropriate code ending based on proprietary, device and var annotations.

PHP code refactoring also reviews PHPDocs to keep them up-to-date.

PhpStorm is focused on developer’s productive capacity that profoundly co-operates your code, assures smart code ending, quick navigation and very fast error checking. It will help you to form your code, run unit-tests or perform full debugging.

PhpStorm is an IDE for HTML, JavaScript and PHP. PhpStorm code ending functionality (Ctrl + Space) completes classes, functions, variable names, PHP keywords, and besides often used names for fields and variables depending on their types.

NuSphere PhpED:

NuSphere works on Windows environment. If NuSphere is certificated you can use IDE with OS MAC or Linux via Wine emulator. The program is compatible with: Windows 2000, XP, 2003, 2008, Vista, Windows7.

PhpED is provided with Advanced PHP Editor, PHP Debugger and PHP Profiler, Code Insight, Database Client, Integrated Help System, Code Insight. It completely supports JavaScript, HTML, CSS, XML, SMARTY, XHTML and others.

IDE maintenances PHP from 4.2 to 5.3 version and the Editor - from features and variables to spaces and aliases, Dynamic Syntax Highlighting, Multiple Language Syntax Highlighting, Auto Highlight variables etc.

IDE PhpED provides customers with a lot of tools and features useful for elaboration on PHP. There is a database management client, separate window to manage Telnet or SSH connections, NuSOAP window to work with web services. PhpED supports its own embedded web server adjusted in IDE, but the server is available for small applications only. Full web applications should be adjusted on outer web server. Debuggers PhpED, DBG can interact with apache, IIS, web server which maintains standard PHP utilization.

Summary:

Most of IDEs have the opportunity to add and parse any library or framework. After this well-read work autocomplete works for the corresponding classes. However Codelobster PHP Edition, thanks to a special Joomla plug-in, has a possibility to create PHP projects using Joomla CMS automatically, add new modules and components, look-ahead Templates in special Theme Editor and serve Context with help original sites.

The choice is yours!