The Ideal Development Environment

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Davey
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The Ideal Development Environment

Post by Davey »

I wanted your opinions on what you feel is the most productive PHP development environment, for testing and developing new PHP applications.

What would you want your PHP build to do? (i.e. whats your ideal ./configure line)

CGI or Apache module? or both? do you think multiple cgi installs are good? i.e. you'd have the latest stable release and the latest RC from qa.php.net and you can test with both.

Would you like the opportunity to test on windows and *nix?

What else would you like? CVS, FTP, phpMyAdmin, phpPgAdmin, that sort of thing...

Do you think having error_reporting set to E_ALL in php.ini would cause problems (shouldn't do as you can change it with .htaccess and ini_set() and lets not forget error_reporting()) or would it promote you to write cleaner code?

register_globals on or off? again, it can be set by yourself in .htaccess and ini_set.

whats the general concensus on what a *nix box should have on it for the most people to get the most out of their development environment?


I am asking all this because I am looking into providing some PHP developer services, and a good install is important.

my current setup is http://www.its-explosive.net/~davey/info.php and I find it pretty adequate... what do you think?

- Davey
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BDKR
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PHP setup and testing

Post by BDKR »

OK, here goes.

1) I think the ./configure line should simply be based on what you need.

2) As for CGI or Apache, I say both. That's becuase I use cron jobs to fire php scripts on a regular basis. However, while testing certain things, I have created multiple cgi executables and named them php, php1, php2, and so on.....

3) I'm not too interested in testing in Windows.

4) I've used the php(your_db_here)admin stuff a good deal and I think it's great. As for CVS, I haven't yet gotten around to setting that kind of thing up as I've had no need.

5) As for error reporting, it's great to have it all turned on during development. However, if it's a web site we are talking about, I turn all of it off so those esoteric (to the visitor) messages.

Let me also say that the coolest editor in the world, IMHO, is Cooledit. I use it for both PHP and C. Just easy to use and look at.

Now ultimately, I feel that what makes for good productivity above and beyond the things mentioned above, is a sound methodology that is followed relighously. In other words, a way of doing things that you don't waver from unless there is good reason.

What do you think? I'd like to hear how some others do it too.

Later on,
BDKR (TR Cox)
Zmodem
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Re: The Ideal Development Environment

Post by Zmodem »

What would you want your PHP build to do? (i.e. whats your ideal ./configure line)

Well, My main dev box is windows. So I really don't have to worry about ./configure lines ;)

CGI or Apache module? or both? do you think multiple cgi installs are good? i.e. you'd have the latest stable release and the latest RC from qa.php.net and you can test with both.

No brainer. Apache module. It's a little faster, and far more secure. Also, there is no need for a shebang line at the top of PHP scripts if you use the apache module.


Would you like the opportunity to test on windows and *nix?


Though my primary dev box is windows, I do have a red hat machine at my disposal, which I test all my scripts on. Each of my scripts will run on windows/unix flawlessly. Portability is important to me.


What else would you like? CVS, FTP, phpMyAdmin, phpPgAdmin, that sort of thing...


I use homesite because it ROCKS!. Used to use phpMyadmin until I discovered MySQL-front. It is a buggy program, but it gets the job done, and it's better than that overly-complicated phpmyadmin.

register_globals on or off? again, it can be set by yourself in .htaccess and ini_set.


Off. If you write a script assuming that globals are off, then your script will work whether they are on OR off. If you do it the other way around, it will ONLY work if globals are on. Again, portability is important to me :)

hope that helps
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James Pelow
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Re: The Ideal Development Environment

Post by James Pelow »

What would you want your PHP build to do? (i.e. whats your ideal ./configure line)

'./configure' '--disable-cli' '--with-apxs' '--with-mysql' '--with-pgsql' '--with-gd=/usr/local' '--with-png-dir=/usr/local' '--with-zlib-dir=/usr' '--with-jpeg-dir=/usr/local' '--with-freetype-dir=/usr/local' '--with-t1lib=/usr/local' '--enable-trans-sid' '--enable-exif' '--with-xml' '--enable-wddx' '--with-curl=/usr/local' '--with-pdflib=/usr/local' '--enable-ftp' '--enable-mbstring' '--enable-mbstr-enc-trans' '--with-ldap' '--enable-xslt' '--with-xslt-sablot=/usr/local' '--with-imap=../imap-2001a' '--enable-dbx' '--enable-dbase' '--with-mcrypt=/usr/local' '--enable-sockets'

:)


CGI or Apache module? or both? do you think multiple cgi installs are good? i.e. you'd have the latest stable release and the latest RC from qa.php.net and you can test with both.

Apache, easy!

Would you like the opportunity to test on windows and *nix?

Windows I'm not bothered about. Mac OS X has a unix core so that's me testing on *nix ;)

What else would you like? CVS, FTP, phpMyAdmin, phpPgAdmin, that sort of thing...

phpMyAdmin is always useful even though I don't use MySQL often.

Do you think having error_reporting set to E_ALL in php.ini would cause problems (shouldn't do as you can change it with .htaccess and ini_set() and lets not forget error_reporting()) or would it promote you to write cleaner code?

Cleaner code where possible

register_globals on or off? again, it can be set by yourself in .htaccess and ini_set.

On, definatly. Alot more secure.

whats the general concensus on what a *nix box should have on it for the most people to get the most out of their development environment?

Mac OS X base install.


I am asking all this because I am looking into providing some PHP developer services, and a good install is important.

xServe is your man.


-James
Davey
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Post by Davey »

*cough* IRISH MAC FREAK *cough*

hehe

- Davey
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Heavy
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Post by Heavy »

The Ideal Development Environment
Gentoo Linux...
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