What a good editor should have...

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tores
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What a good editor should have...

Post by tores »

Hi all...

Have been browsing a bit in the following thread
viewtopic.php?t=6288,
as I'm looking for a new php editor to use... Currently I'm using Xemacs which is quite good, but lacks some functionality I'd like to have.
Below is a list of things I think an editor should provide (entries marked :) means that Xeamcs has this feature. Unmarked entries means that I don't know if that entry is available for Xemacs):

- Automatic identation :)
- Syntax highlighting :)
- Collapse functions or block of code
- Search & replace :)
- Remove lines of code without marking them first :)
- Different colours for different key-words, functions etc :)
- Support for embedded HTML code (typically by having "html" colours on the html and "php" colours on the php)
- Debuggingtool
- Goto-line functionality :)
- Switching among open files shoulb be easy :)
- Built-in php and html manual
- Autocompletion of keywords

There are certainly more useful features not listed here. If you want to you should post your own list. The goal should be to agree upon a editor (preferably free) that fulfils most of these features.

regards tores
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Chris Corbyn
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Post by Chris Corbyn »

I can almost guarantee Burrito will come and post "Multiple Resource tabs"...

I like my editors to have Tab -> space and vice versa conversion too and also, automatic nesting. Bracket pairing is a must also.

I think you have it pretty much covered in what you have written and all I can say is that Zend Studio does all that and more (it even offers the parameters for functions if you want it to).
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Weirdan
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Post by Weirdan »

- editor must be written either in interpreted language or run on as many platforms as possible
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pickle
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Post by pickle »

Xemacs can have html colours in a PHP file and vice versa - just not at the same time. To alternate between the modes, type [Meta], then 'X', then type "html-mode" or "php-mode". [Meta] on my system is 'esc'.
Real programmers don't comment their code. If it was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.
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Post by Deemo »

just by looking at that list, i can say the PHPEclipse does most of that, but its still a bit buggy and stuff, so therefore:

-is not buggy :P
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Skara
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Post by Skara »

here's what I look for at least..

- Syntax highlighting
- Collapse functions or block of code
- Search & replace
- Support for embedded HTML code (typically by having "html" colours on the html and "php" colours on the php)
- Just line numbers are enough
- Switching among open files shoulb be easy
- Built-in php and html manual --would be nice, but not necessary
- Autocompletion of keywords --ditto
- work on both linux and windows would be a big plus
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Burrito
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Post by Burrito »

Umm...it needs to have multiple resource tabs

:D

just for you D11
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Post by Roja »

Its funny, I actually prefer my editor to *not* have almost everything being listed. I use Nano, a very simple (opensource, free, multi-platform) text editor.

The only critical features for me:

- Search & replace
- Goto line number
- No annoying and obnoxious "coloring" tricks.

I prefer for my OS and apps to get out of the way and let me get work done, not get in the way with rainbow screen vomit trying to "help" me do things. :)
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Buddha443556
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Post by Buddha443556 »

Column mode that works with cut/copy/paste.
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Post by Deemo »

how about a built in MySQL GUI, that would be nice :P
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neophyte
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Post by neophyte »

Roja wrote: I prefer for my OS and apps to get out of the way and let me get work done, not get in the way with rainbow screen vomit trying to "help" me do things. :)
Couldn't have said it better myself. MS Office is perfect example of how programs that "do things for you" are total junk. I find that the amount of "tricks" and knowledge you have to learn to deal with the automation is roughly 2x what you would have had to learn had you learned the necessary skills in the first place. I use Dreamweaver for my html editor more out of habit than anything else. But I find with experience I'm using the drag and drop/push button features less and less. These I use more as a form of quick reference than for wysiwyg editing. Autocompletion stuff is crap. But I do like code hints and a handy reference manual. Line numbers and a good find and replace feature is a must as well. I almost always have php.net open some place for my senile moments.
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Post by jmut »

I would add....
- line bookmarks - really helpful when working on long scripts
- abbreviations - so you can quickly insert code snippets that you use often
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Post by hawleyjr »

Macros give me Macros!!!
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John Cartwright
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Post by John Cartwright »

Roja wrote:- No annoying and obnoxious "coloring" tricks.
I've rather learned to enjoy the beatiful colors, atleast different shades of the same colors. Allows me to spot parse errors that I may have mistyped sooner 8)
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Post by Roja »

Jcart wrote:I've rather learned to enjoy the beatiful colors, atleast different shades of the same colors. Allows me to spot parse errors that I may have mistyped sooner 8)
(I'm going to go a bit offtopic, pardon me)

Its funny.. I often wonder about this. I love movies and music, and things of that sort. But on my computer, I turn *all* sounds off, unless I'm playing music. I have very simple themes for everything, and prefer mono-terminal colors for everything except my prompt and directory listings.

ie, I'm very spartan, despite LOVING movies, music, and things of that sort. I always see/hear the syntax coloring and the computer sounds as distractions. Am I odd in that sense?
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