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Web Development
Here are the (mostly free) tools and facilities that I use in developing PHP systems. Feel free to try them out:
- Programmers' Editor - Context
Context is a good tool that you can customize to make it even better. For more info on customizing the Context setup for PHP to integrate some other tools, click here.
- Version Control - CS-RCS
CS-RCS is a pretty simple way to keep a repository of your code by version. It can be integrated with Context so you can do everything from one place. I tried some other options but I found them difficult to install, understand and use. CS-RCS is easy to install and very simple to use.
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Test Environment - EasyPHP
EasyPHP is a package that gives you a "LAMP" (Linux, Apache server, MySQL database, PHP) environment in which you can run your PHP programs. It also includes the PHPMyAdmin tool that you can use to manage your MySQL databases. This runs in a Windows environment and simulates Linux. It is vey clean and doesn't interfere with your Windows operating system.
- FTP & Sync: Upload & Download From Your Server
There are two programs that I use for this. BlazeFTPis free but you'll have to pay for Beyond Compare 3. The latter program has the ability to compare directories / source libraries and show you the differences in each individual module. It can do this between your local machine and the server or between local or server libraries. I recommend both of them.
- Search a Code Library for a String
If you want to find all the references to a particular module or where you have used a particular variable, then Agent Ransack can do it.
- Create a Favicon for a WebSite
A free online tool to convert a picture to a favicon - click here.
- Free Code for Download
One of the advantages of PHP is the huge amount of free (open source) code that you can download and use. There are many sources but I have mostly used Hotscripts and to a lesser degree, SourceForge.
- Server
If you're going beyond local experimentation, then you'll need your own site on a server. You can get a free site from your ISP or from other companies but they probably won't provide you with PHP and MySQL. There are hosting companies out there that sound good and promise a lot but don't always deliver. I have been using ICDSoft for many years now and I'm very satisfied with them. They provide reliable service and very quick support. Their price is reasonable and they can provide more disk space and bandwidth (as part of one of their packages) than you're likely to need. [I am an affiliate but I only recommend them because they do a good job].
PC Development
If there is some development that you want to do for the Windows environment, then these are good tools to use:
- Compiled Basic - Emergence Basic
Emergence Basic is a very capable development tool tool that is relatively easy to use but can also do some pretty complex stuff. It is a complete development environment that includes an IDE (development interface) and an integrated compiler and linker.
The developer (Ionic Wind) offers a couple of other options as well: Creative Basic (even simpler) and Aurora (object oriented). You can do a free-download and there is an online forum for support and code examples.
- Windows Scripting - Autoit 3
Autoit is a Basic-like tool that can do many things but is particularly capable at automating tasks that need to work with the Windows GUI. "It uses a combination of simulated keystrokes, mouse movement and window/control manipulation in order to automate tasks in a way not possible or reliable with other languages."
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