feyd wrote:funny.. the developers I know personally dislike Zend Studio.. we only use it here when absolutely necessary (which is rare).. so I can't recommend it considering the price and perceived functionality is brings..
that, actually, is quite funny. We use the professional version by the way.
Feyd, I don't see how you can't like it.
But for those of you who aren't sure, i'll give you a few of the features that I love right off the top of my head :
1) Project Control - Zend allows you to create projects. A project could be anything from a simply user authentication script, to a complete CMS tool. The great thing about this is, when you use this feature, you can easily and quickly manage what files youa re working on that belong to the project you open.
So instead of having to search through hundreds of directories for files pertaining to a project you worked on, you simply load the project file and it loads all the files related to it for you.
2) Inspector - This utility has made my life so much easier, that I don't think I could use another app. Basically, this tool breaks apart a class you have into a tree structure. The limbs are actually functions you have that are contained within that function.
You can double click the name of a function, and it will take you STRAIGHT to the line where that function lives. No more searching for functions, it takes y ou right to it. It also has a nice right-click feature that allows you to add comments to it that are phpdocumentor-friendly. Not only this, but it also shows you the included classes or files you have extended or included within any file/class , and also displays them int eh same tree-like structure.
3) Auto Complete - This feature also rules. If you don't know what a function does, or you can't remember the exact spelling of a function, you can type the first few letters and it will display a list of possible function names, their syntax, and their descriptions.
So say for instance you need to know what mysql_fetch_assoc() does. if you type mysql it will automatically attempt to find any type of php-related functions that work with and for mysql, and show you all the possible commands. once you select one, it will still have the window open and give you the correct syntax, and an explanation of what this command does.
But it doesn't only work for php! It also works for html, javascript, css, AND
custom classes.
So say you have a class that you included within your script, but youc an't remember the function name, or the syntax it uses, or whatever. If you type simply $Object_naem-> it will automatically list the functions available to you for that class.
VERY nice feature.
4) Analyze Code (Debugger) - The debugger is a great feature as well. If you want to konw if you have undeclared variables, incorrect syntax usage, unused variables, variables called before they were defined, this tool tells you. And it works on a line per line basis. The ONLY thing this debugger doesn't do as far as I can tell is tell you WHERE you have a missing } at.
It ALSO tells you if your coding structure is wrong by creating red dots and commas where problems lie withing your application.
5) SQL Management - This tool even goes so far as to allowing you to have a management console tab for your database. You click the tab, and presto!, ur connected. You can view, edit, and manage your entire database/tables.
6) PHPDocumentor - This is also pretty nice. It will take code you have commented, and export it straight to html, text, pdf, and may other formats. The view it creates is like an encyclopedia for your class giving you an index page consisting of all the functions, variables, etc in your project, and looks like you actually took the time to do all the hard work.
These are only 6 pro's to using Zend. if you are in a professional enviornment, it's not a requirement, but it makes developer's lives a lot better.
My coding has went up from using simply Zend pro, and for anyone to say it's not worth the money either a) doesn't have a big enough demand or cash flow for having a great coding enviorment, or b) simply don't know what they are talking about.
but you can make your own decision. if you like the demo, great. if you don't, i'd suggest you to look and play with it a little more. Cuz if you don't explore what Zend Studio can offer you, you are seriously going to regret it later on when you finally do.