I am always on the lookout for tools to speed up my development process. One of my favourite places to search for new tools is visualstudio.com which has many great extensions for your development life.
A lot of these extensions I’ve come across are meant for front end or web developers which in the past was my primary role when it came to development. As I continue to read more about back end code I start to see areas in php that need better tooling support, specifically in debugging which is still an untouched area in visual studio for php I feel.
CodeLobster
CodeLobster IDE from Codelobster software firm is the most popular one among the PHP development tools for the developer community. It supports most of the PHP frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, Magento, Joomla, and Drupal. CodeLobster IDE streamlines as well as simplifies the development process. There is no need to remember the names of the arguments, functions, attributes, and tags – it has implemented all these with autocomplete features for HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and CSS. With its internal PHP debugger, you can validate your code locally. In addition, this PHP tool automatically detects the setting of the current servers and configures related files to make you use the free debugger. It also supports major CMS like Drupal, WordPress, Magento, and Joomla.
CodeLobster Feature
- Syntax highlighting
- SQL manager
- Code validator
- Autocompleting of keywords, DOM elements & their properties
- Function Parameters Display
CodeLobster Specialties:
- Languages supported: PHP, JavaScript, HTML and CSS
- Platforms supported: Windows, Fedora, Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, Mac OS, Mint
- Visit: CodeLobster
PHPDesigner
Programmers have been organizing the goodness of the PHP Designer to create web apps. This has been done by integrating CSS3, PHP, HTML5, and JavaScript. This is also used as it supports some of the most commonly used JavaScript frameworks and PHP frameworks. Though it is considered to be one of the fastest IDEs and editor, it also supports debugging, analysis and editing the code. Now, the programmers have a better option to write high-quality PHP code, by integrating with some interesting features that include code completion, code tip, support for PHP classes and syntax highlighting.
Sublime Text
This is another PHP development tool that was built to be a robust text editor for all – including prose, markup, and code. It is amazing that Sublime text holds a customized UI toolkit. Also, another interesting fact about it is that it is cross-platform. Since it has the custom UI toolkit, it provides users with the provision to jump across words, symbols or lines using one of the specific key shortcuts. In fact, another interesting fact is that users can now make changes to any number of lines of code at any given time. Also interestingly, it is one of the most customizable as well as malleable text editors that exist.
NetBeans
You can use Net Beans IDE in integration with a wide range of programming languages including PHP. This is in contrast to the fact that it has been written in PHP. Like many of the other PHP development tools, NetBeans also allows you to use a number of PHP web frameworks and content management system, including Symfony, CakePHP, Zend, and WordPress. The source code editor and debugger support continuous integration. But you cannot find support for PHP 7.x with NetBeans IDE.
Selenium Test
Selenium Remote Control is used as a testing tool. This testing tool will allow you to write automated web application UI tests in a programming language that is expected to comply on an HTTP website. This is possible by integrating with any of the mainstream Javascript-enabled browsers. Now, when this is used in aggregation with a PHP Unit, it will help to run automated tests within the web browser of your choice.
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Scriptcase
This is one of the best PHP development tools if you are planning to develop web-enabled apps. It helps in building connections with databases and generating reports. With this software, you can shift from prototype to production phase in no time. Since the cost is too high, it might not be the best suitable option for small companies. However, it is the best choice for mid-tier companies.
Some of the features of Scriptcase include easy connectivity with major database engines, generating charts, including pivot tables, creating interactive reports while exporting common formats, which include PDF and XLS.
It is available for a 20-day free trial if you would like to try it before adopting it. The starter rate is $279.2 for a year, the professional is available at $319.20 for a year and enterprise is available at $479.20 for a year.
XAMPP
If you are an experienced, professional developer, you would be already familiar to Apache solutions. The Apache Friends organization created this development platform. XAMPP is the best choice for organizations that need a MySQL database solution. However, it might not be the best solution for start-ups and small businesses.
Some of its features include easy installation via wizard. It is part of the Apache family of products. Being one of the oldest development platforms for PHP, it comes with the combined experiences of all contributing developers for more than 10 years. You get to enjoy the perks of MySQL and Perl as part of the installation process. You can now install CMS components on top of XAMPP installation through Bitnami. An easy-to-use control panel has been included for all components. Since it is open source, you can avail it for free.
PHPDebugbar
PHPDebugbar is a PHP debugger that can run with any project and display data from a broad range of web apps. This PHP development tool includes two parts, namely: mainDebugBar object & data collectors and the render. A StandardDebugBar includes a pre-configured built-in set of collectors.
Along with PHP, you can also catch JavaScript and HTML bugs as well. In addition, PHPDebugbar can inspect CSS element, monitor network, and check your JavaScript code. By offering more features that developers expect, it becomes a quite impressive open source solution. It can be the best option for profiling of data from any web applications. It allows you to create your own collect or effortlessly for easy integration.
PHPDebugbar Feature
- Monitor network traffic
- Handles AJAX requests
- Log & debug directly to Debugbar
- Fast & easy to use interface
- Preview config& application config
PHPDebugbar Specialties:
- Languages supported: PHP, Ruby, .Net and Java
- PHP versions supported: PHP 5.5 & above
- Visit: PHPDebugbar
Eclipse
When you digitally search about the best PHP development tools, most of your search results will have the Eclipse in their list. Being a completely development tool, it ranks in the list of top PHP tools. With the liberty to select from a broad range of plugin, it makes it easier to develop as well as simplify the complex PHP code. It also aids you to customize and extend the IDE to address the needs of the project. This PHP IDE can support both GUI and non-GUI applications. This cross-platform PHP editor is ideal for large-scale PHP projects.
Eclipse Feature
- Syntax highlighting
- Content assist
- Code templates
- Formatting of code
- Code navigation
Eclipse Specialties:
- Languages supported: ABAP, Ada, C, C++, Haskell, COBOL, D, JavaScript, Fortran, Java, Julia, Perl,Lua, NATURAL, PHP, Prolog, Ruby, Python, R, Lasso, Rust, Scala, Groovy, Scheme, Clojure, and Erlang
- Platforms supported: Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Solaris
- Visit: Eclipse
Retrace
With Retrace, developers get all the necessary tools that they need within one stop and this comes from beyond the standard application performance monitoring (APM). Initially, it was meant only for Java and .NET, but now, it will be ready to embrace PHP as well. The enhanced log and error tracking feature of Retrace make it stand out in the crowd. This PHP development tool is affordable and helps teams with diagnosing, improving and accelerating application performance.
Some of its features include view-related logging feature to help you find and fix concerns before users find it. Help you identify that part of the app stack which is a bottleneck and the web requests that might be affected. It also helps in tracking and monitoring all key apps and server metrics. With this, you can now capture all the vital information regarding what part of your code is doing what with code profiling.
It offers you a 14-day free trial after which you would have to pay $10 for non-production servers every month and $25-$50 for production servers every month.
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Newrelic
Newrelic an industry-leading APM, which provides support to some of the top programming languages, such as PHP, Ruby, Java, and .NET. Now, you have full-stack visibility into the app performance, including mobile apps and infrastructure monitoring. Some of the key features include app performance trends view, browser, mobile, browser and infrastructure monitoring, performance tracking of individual SQL statements, code-level diagnostics, cross-app tracing, and low-impact production thread profiler. It costs around $75 to 600 every month.
Notice: PHP Tools from DevSense requires a version of Microsoft Visual Studio. It works with either Visual Studio 2010, Visual Studio 2012, VisualStudio 2013, Visual Studio 2015 and Visual Studio 2017.
| Version | Release date | License | Min PHP | Max PHP | Debugger | FTP | |
| Codelobster | 1.4.0 | Feb 27, 2019 | Free | 4 | 7.1 | Xdebug | Yes |
| Eclipse PDT | 5.3 | Mar 21, 2018 | EPL | 5.1 | 7.1 | Xdebug/Zend | No |
| Komodo IDE | 11 | Sep 26, 2017 | Commercial | 4.4 | 7.1 | Xdebug | Yes |
| Netbeans | 8.2 | Oct 3, 2016 | CDDL/GPL | 4 | 7.0 | Xdebug | No |
| Nuclide | 0.366 | Nov 2, 2018 | FPL | Xdebug | Yes | ||
| PHPEd | 18.025 | Jan 30, 2017 | Commercial | 4.3 | 7.1 | DBG | Yes |
| PHPStorm | 2019.1 EAP 5 | Feb20, 2019 | Commercial | 5.3 | 7.1 | Xdebug/Zend | Yes |
| PHP Tools | 1.27 | Apr 11, 2018 | Commercial | 5.4 | 7.1 | Xdebug | Yes |
| Visual Studio Code | 1.22 | Mar 1, 2018 | MIT | Xdebug | No | ||
| Zend Studio | 13.6 | Apr 20, 2017 | Commercial | 5.1 | 7.1 | Zend/Xdebug/Z-ray | Yes |
Licenses:
CDDL = Common Development and Distribution License
EPL = Eclipse Public License
GPL = GNU General Public License
FPL = Facebook Public License
The Best PHP IDE Windows Version
The following IDEs are available under Windows, so you can evaluate and determine which one is the best for you looking at the comparison tables below:
Codelobster, Eclipse PDT, Komodo IDE, Netbeans, PHPEd, PHPStorm, PHP Tools, Visual Studio Code and Zend Studio.
PHP Code Editor Features
| Auto Complete | Highlighting | Folding | Hinting | Refactoring | Mapping | File Compare | |
| Codelobster | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Eclipse PDT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Komodo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Netbeans | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nuclide | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| PHPEd | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PHPStorm | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PHP Tools | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visual Studio Code | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Zend Studio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto Complete = Code suggestions presented and completed, relevant to the current context
Highlighting = Code colorized to simplify locating specific elements
Folding = Code blocks can be expanded and contracted (hidden)
Hinting = Similar to Auto Complete, properties are also displayed for functions and methods
Refactoring = Restructuring code for better readability and complexity
Mapping = Display of declarations used, mapped to their origin
File Compare = Comparing 2 or more files and highlighting the differences in them
PHP Editor Version Control Support
| GIT | GIT Flow | Github | SVN | CVS | TFS | Mercurial | ClearCase | Perforce | Bazaar | |
| Codelobster | Plugin | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Eclipse PDT | Yes | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin |
| Komodo | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Netbeans | Yes | Plugin | No | Yes | Plugin | No | Yes | Plugin | No | No |
| Nuclide | Yes | No | Plugin | Plugin | No | Plugin | Yes | No | Plugin | No |
| PHPEd | Plugin | No | Plugin | Plugin | Yes | No | Plugin | No | No | Plugin |
| PHPStorm | Yes | Plugin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Plugin |
| PHP Tools | Yes | No | Yes | Plugin | Yes | Yes | Plugin | No | Plugin | No |
| Visual Studio Code | Yes | No | No | No | No | Plugin | No | Plugin | No | Plugin |
| Zend Studio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin | Plugin |
Plugin indicates that support is provided by installing external code, either directly from the developer or a third party.
Conclusion
Visual Studio Code is becoming more and more popular these days – in my opinion it is the best code editor out there. If you are looking for some tools to speed up your development, this article is for you. There are many plugins for VSCode but in my opinion most of them are not so good so I’m only showing the best of the bunch in this article.