PHP Editor recommendations

[sarahA]

I've had to switch to a windows 7 laptop, so my old Zend studio 5.5 won't work on it. Despite reading online as to how to get it working, it makes no sense to me and I don't have the time to spend half a day breaking windows to try and see if it'll work.

I've been using the trial of Zend studio 9.1 however it's slow, completely different and I can't find a PDF on their site that I'd found a few months back which explained how to 'transfer' your way of work over from 5.5 to 9, and one of the major reasons that I use Zend, the realtime error detection, isn't running and I can't find a way to enable it.

I've also tried Aptana studio, which is free and opensource but it's buggy and now won't even open.

So, I'm after recommendations for a new editor to try. I'm not necessarily after a freebie, I happily paid for Zend Studio. I just want a few simple features to make working quicker/easier/more efficient
1. real time error detection - probably the most important. It saves a lot of time.
2. PHP code hints - not so important as I do spend half the day on PHP.net anyway, but it can help when you're not sure if there's an underscore in a function or not. Again, a nice time saver.
3. Project set up / management
4. If there's project settings, then ideally the project should link files together eg. in ZDE I could control + click a function name and it would open the file and jump to where the function was.
5. syntax colouring - probably standard these days but figured I'd drop it in.

The first feature is the most important and is really a requirement. The others would just be extremely useful, although point 2 I could lose if I had to.

Recommendations welcome, and no I don't want to use Notepad. Not knocking it, but I need software that'll help me work more efficiently

tia

[Jem]

Have you tried Notepad++? *ducks*

[sarahA]

Does it do real time error detection on PHP?

[suedenem]

Eclipse?

[spannaa]

phpDesigner?

[sarahA]

Thanks both. I've downloaded eclipse to give that a try. I'm sure I've tried phpDesigner before and it fits the bill but I didn't like it for some reason. Can't think why now, so maybe a newer version may remove my issues!

Will give them both a whirl and see.

Cheers muchly

[JasonD]

I used Komodo on windows many years ago, which I think did all the things you mention.

I've been using Vim (which may or may not do those things with various add on scripts) for anything worth typing for long enough that I cannot remember what it is like to write anything significant in another editor.

[Jem]

Does it do real time error detection on PHP?

Dunno, I never make errors

Seriously though - I've also heard lots of good things about Komodo

[sarahA]

Thanks Jason, will take a look at those too.

Dunno, I never make errors

Miss Perfect

[Dom]

There's always Dreamweaver... **runs**


(Actually, DW 5.5 does have syntax and error highlighting which is handy. Obviously it costs a packet though.)

[suedenem]

BTW - what version of Win7 do you have? 

If you've got Pro/Enterprise/Ultimate, have you tried running Zend in XP mode?

[sarahA]

I think I have one of those but it doesn't work. The only solution I've found for running 5.5 on win7 talks about installing some JDK files or something, then editing something else, then someone said that didn't work in 32bit and to install v8 and then copy files here there and everywhere...

I got lost however so far am ok with php designer and fixed the minor gripe I had

[spannaa]

BTW - what version of Win7 do you have? 

If you've got Pro/Enterprise/Ultimate, have you tried running Zend in XP mode?

Apparently it should work if you run it in Vista compatibility mode.

[rutty]

I think Netbeans has a PHP plugin. Using it for Java but have never tried if with PHP. Might be worth a try

[Matt]

I think I have one of those but it doesn't work. The only solution I've found for running 5.5 on win7 talks about installing some JDK files or something, then editing something else, then someone said that didn't work in 32bit and to install v8 and then copy files here there and everywhere...

I got lost however so far am ok with php designer and fixed the minor gripe I had

On Windows 7 you can install a Windows XP virtual Machine. Not that that would be ideal for a program you use all the time. If you want me to take a look, let me know and I can remotely connect and help with the instructions.

[Mr Anderson]

I think I have one of those but it doesn't work. The only solution I've found for running 5.5 on win7 talks about installing some JDK files or something, then editing something else, then someone said that didn't work in 32bit and to install v8 and then copy files here there and everywhere...

I got lost however so far am ok with php designer and fixed the minor gripe I had

On Windows 7 you can install a Windows XP virtual Machine. Not that that would be ideal for a program you use all the time. If you want me to take a look, let me know and I can remotely connect and help with the instructions.

Installing one isn't a problem. The issue, as you've mentioned already, would be having to use one on a constant daily basis in order to do her core work. It would be more logical to just use XP.

[sarahA]

I tried using it in Vista compability, didn't work As for XP virtual machine, I tried that on my old laptop and it was so slow, and so cumbersome it wasn't worth it.

phpDesigner so far seems okay. It's a bit slow to load a project, processing every file before you can do anything, but other than that it's running fine. Will try the free ones out though before committing to another payment!

[Jem]

Might have a look at this phpDesigner jobby myself..

[sarahA]

It's not as slick as Zend was IMO, but that's just a case of learning to get used to something different. The real time error detection does have a slight delay at times, but then at others its a bit too quick whilst you're still trying to type the code(!) and the error notice is a bit glaring with a bright red line across the screen, but that could be down to me not changing the colours for this yet. Otherwise it does what it needs to.

21 day free trial so worth seeing if it would help or hinder