PHP is the server-side scripting language required to build most dynamic websites and web apps. To make PHP work easier, many experts have come up with some PHP Development Tools for PHP Coding that increase efficiency in programming. Though today’s market is flooded with PHP development tools, choosing the best one among them is a challenging task.
To help you choose the best PHP development tool, we bring you the 7 top PHP development tools for PHP coding that captured our attention.
1. CodeLobster
CodeLobster IDE from Codelobster software firm is one of the most popular PHP development tools for web developers. It is known to support PHP frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, Magento, Joomla, and Drupal. It streamlines as well as simplifies the development process. There is no chance of forgetting the names of the arguments, functions, attributes, and tags – as it has implemented all these with autocomplete features for HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and CSS. With its internal PHP debugger, developers can validate the code locally.
Additionally, this PHP development tool automatically finds the setting of the current servers. It configures files that are related to it, making it easier for you to use the free debugger. It also supports major CMS like Magento, Drupal, WordPress, and Joomla.
Features
- Syntax highlighting
- SQL manager
- Code validator
- Autocompletion of keywords, DOM elements & their properties
- Function Parameters Display
Other Specialties
- The Platforms it supports: Fedora, Windows, Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, Mac OS, Mint
- Languages including PHP, JavaScript, HTML and CSS
2. Sublime Text
Although it isn’t quite an IDE, you can make it a suitable editor by installing certain plugins and packages. This PHP development tool has extraordinary designs and feature-rich functionalities and is highly customizable, with a custom UI toolkit. Its cross-platform source code editor is lightweight and supports several programming languages. It is one of the leading test editors among all the PHP developers.
Features
- Split editing
- Instant Project Switch
- Better command palette
- Distraction-free mode
- Plugin API
Specialties
- Languages supported: All popular languages.
- Platforms supported: Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
3. NetBeans
NetBeans is a PHP IDE. It was initially created for Java development. However, the current version being lightweight and faster is supportive of PHP development services. The open-source integrated development environment of NetBeans supports all popular PHP frameworks, including Zend, Symfony 2, CakePHP, FuelPHP, Smarty, and WordPress.
One can develop large-scale web apps using NetBeans, and it also supports a wide range of languages like English, simplified Chinese, Brazilian-Japanese, Russian, and Portuguese. The top features of NetBeans make it so popular. It is also efficient in project management, smart code completion and editing, quick fixes, hints, code templates, and refactoring.
NetBeans is an efficient debugger. Moreover, it takes into account JavaScript, HTML, and CSS and supports web development. NetBeans is one such PHP IDE that comes with SSG support and has Git support.
Features
- Code folding and formatting
- Smart code completion and editing
- Rectangular selection
- Syntax highlighting
- Code folding and formatting
- Try/catch code completion
- Getter Setter generation
- Helps write bug-free code
- Rapid user interface development
- Code navigation
- Smart code completion and editing
- Rectangular selection
- Getter Setter generation
Additional Specialties
- Platforms supported by it: Windows, Linux, macOS, and Solaris
- Supports languages including :PHP, JavaScript, C, C++, and HTML5 are supported by it
4. Cloud 9
Cloud 9 is a cloud-based PHP IDE that functions as an editor, debugger, and terminal. Using just your browser, you can code, execute, and debug your code using. It has a development environment for programming languages including C, C++, JavaScript, and Python. Hire a PHP developer who can start coding immediately and develop web applications with features like live preview and browser compatibility testing. With collaborative coding, it allows us to pair a program with team members and track real-time inputs. Cloud 9 also provides you to create and execute serverless apps, define resources, and debug remotely.
Features
- The debugging process is integrated
- Iterate your code directly
- Includes an image-editor
- Reformatting code
- Carry out real-time language analysis
Other specialties offered by it
- Languages like PHP, JavaScript, C, C++, and HTML5
- Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris
5. PHPDebugbar
This one can run with any project and display data from a broad range of web apps. Its main parts are: main DebugBar object and data collectors and the render. A Standard DebugBar consists of a pre-configured built-in set of collectors.
Along with PHP, you can also catch JavaScript and HTML. It can inspect CSS elements and monitor networks. By offering more features than developers expect, it becomes a quite impressive open-source solution. It can help in profiling of data from any web application and allows you to create your collection for easy integration.
Features
- Monitor network traffic
- Handles AJAX requests
- Log & debug directly to Debugbar
- Fast & easy to use interface
- Preview config & application config
- Other specialties that PHPDebugbar offers
Other specialties offered by it
- Languages supported: PHP, Ruby, .Net, and Java.
- PHP versions supported: PHP 5.5 and above.
6. Eclipse
The list is incomplete without Eclipse as one of the PHP Development Tools. A complete development tool, it ranks in the list of top PHP tools. The liberty to select from a broad range of plugins makes it easier to develop and simplify PHP code. Eclipse allows 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.
Features
- Syntax highlighting
- Content assist
- Code templates
- Formatting of code
- Code navigation
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.
7. PHPStorm
PHPStorm is a standard tool for PHP web application development.
Lightweight, extremely fast, and smooth, it works well with frameworks like Zend Framework, Symfony, Yii, Laravel, and CakePHP and with popular Content Management Systems (CMS) like Drupal, Magento, and WordPress. This IDE provides live editing support for major front-end technologies like CSS, HTML5, and JavaScript. It also allows code refactoring, unit testing, and debugging. Thus, PHP developers can integrate with databases, version control systems, remote deployment, composer, command-line tools, and clients.
Features
- Code completion
- Code re-arranger
- Zero Configuration Debugging
- Native encoding support
- Supports extension with plenty of useful plugins like VimEditor
Specialties
- Languages supported: PHP, JavaScript, Visual Basic, C, C++, and C#.
- Platforms supported: Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
Takeaway
These PHP Development tools allow easy creation of PHP websites quickly. However, these PHP development tools aren’t the only ones available in the market. You can find other paid and unpaid PHP tools for PHP coding. It makes sense to hire PHP website developments services UK as they can increase efficiency in programming and efficiently build engaging, innovative, and feature-rich PHP projects. If you have any doubts or questions or thinking of how to hire PHP developers. Ask Away!
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