- phpedit:
- the licensing issues are a headache, and the download/install process gives new meaning to the term bloated. the lack of ftp support means i can't use it. otherwise, if you're not interested in a project manager, you may want to check this one out.
- maguma studio free:
- a better choice than phpedit, but still less than optimal. again, limited ftp support means i can't use it.
- dev-php:
- too buggy for consistent use. it's a shame, i generally favor open source solutions, but this just isn't usable.
- mps php designer:
- waste of disk space, don't use it.
- pspad:
- if you don't mind reorganizing the layout and reopening remote files every time you start the program, use this editor. i found it to be too much of a pain, but there's no accounting for impatience...
- crimson editor:
- my pick. use it, use it, use it.
phpedit: my first attempt. there's a sizable online community (forums, profiles, etc.), and a few application spinoffs. waterproof, the parent company, has just released version 1.0, complete with a brand new licensing plan. *coughgag* you download the 20mb+ install file, wait five-ten minutes for the several megabytes of raw html manuals to copy over (anyone care to explain why they didn't use .chm format?), and then learn, "sorry, you need a license." you're confused, you go back to the main site for more info. nothing doing. you try the forums, and aha! you can get a temporary license in your phpedit online profile! no mention, however, of the alleged "free license for personal use." ah well. barring the installation, this is really not a bad editor if you can live without a project manager (the included plugin is extremely buggy) and ftp support (it's in the project manager). the install includes php 4.3.6, which is the latest version i've seen an editor include, and the dbg debugger, so testing out that code doesn't require your own server. it also has context-sensitive tooltips for help remembering which function syntax belongs to which function. very nice.
summary: the licensing issues are a headache, and the download/install process gives new meaning to the term bloated. the lack of ftp support means i can't use it. otherwise, if you're not interested in a project manager, you may want to check this one out.
maguma studio (free): the 'lite' incarnation of the pro version. install was not a problem, and included php 4.3.4 and the debugger. studio free is crippled, which means most of the really nifty features are disabled. the project manager is one of the few tools that works, but it won't take ftp files. outside the project manager, ftp support is limited--you can't batch open files from your server, and they aren't included in the editor's 'open file' memory (which keeps track of every open file at program exit, and reopens them at the next program start). the function tooltips are quite good, including both the syntax and an explanation. i did have some problems customizing the fonts, but that's mostly cosmetic.
summary: a better choice than phpedit, but still less than optimal. again, limited ftp support means i can't use it.
dev-php: hard-core open source, back in active development after a long freeze. (not related to dev-c++, which is a solid ide for c and c++.) dev-php uses the nullsoft installer, which means installation takes about fifteen seconds. it doesn't make any shortcuts (start menu, quick launch, etc.), however, nor does it include a build of php, a debugger, or a manual, so you'll have to get those yourself. the editor is relatively lightweight, with a slick interface (i'm a gui junkie, leave me alone). i couldn't get the ftp client to make nice with my linux firewall, so i have no idea how that all works. the syntax highlighting is buggy, but the tooltip function help is adequate (syntax only, which is really all you need).
summary: too buggy for consistent use. it's a shame, i generally favor open source solutions, but this just isn't usable.
mps php designer: this one's something of a joke. once you get past the "no disk" startup errors (just keep hitting cancel), you're treated to an office xp lookalike, complete with a "my bar" widget on the left. it includes "my projects," "my snippets," "my tags," etc. (i don't know, i found it really annoying--i'm using php instead of asp for a reason, here, folks--but maybe some people would find it...um...inviting?) on the right, there's an html tag generator, which produces code that won't validate as xhtml. more annoyingness. to top that off, there was no tooltip function help, and the ftp client had the same problem as the one in dev-php.
summary: waste of disk space, don't use it.
pspad: full-featured web ide. i like a lot more than i dislike about this editor, so i'll get the three negatives out of the way. first, the open file memory doesn't include remote (ftp) files; it opens the temporary copies rather than reloading off the server. (probably because the multiple ftp account support means it doesn't automatically reconnect to ftp servers.) second, the tooltip function help doesn't include the syntax in the tooltip. i generally know what my function does, but i can never remember the argument order, so that's not terribly helpful. (the syntax appears in the actual file if you select the function, but then you've got a bunch of deleting to do.) third, there's no layout memory. pspad has a lot of tools that dock along the sides of the editor, so that's a pain. i have to spend a couple minutes reorganizing every time i start the program. that's it, everything else i like. the syntax highlighting customization is great, it handles my fixedsys font properly, the ftp manager is really nice, it's got a whole host of html/css/etc. tools (such as integration with the top style css editory), the code explorer is well-organized and useful, etc., etc., etc. some of the other tools include a clipboard monitor for organizing your copy-paste's, an ascii table, and a couple color tools, to name a few.
summary: if you don't mind reorganizing the layout and reopening remote files every time you start the program, use this editor. i found it to be too much of a pain, but there's no accounting for impatience...
crimson editor: all-around programmer's editor. extremely versatile--i use it as an ide, i know others who use it as a notepad replacement. no frills whatsoever, just pure functionality. it's a beautiful thing. anyway! (this was actually the editor i started with and wanted to move from, and i ended up coming back.) the only weakness of crimson editor is its lack of tooltip function help. other than that, it's perfect. open file memory includes remote files, ftp client includes multiple account support, layout memory includes every dock position. the project manager is the best i've seen, for two reasons. one, it easily allows remote files to be added. two, it has right-click options like "add active file" and "add all open files." you'd think it would be obvious, to include the ability to add files in use to your project file, but every other editor i tried made me go through dialogs and explorer windows--it was absurd. the file is sitting right there, open, just add it! it's also got customizable template files, which is handy for such people as litestep developers. *cough* the real power of this editor, though, is in its ten customizable user tools. i have it set up so that f1 references the current word in my php chm manual, f2 in my mysql chm manual, and f3 in my html chm manual. shift+f1 searches the documentation at php.net for it. f9 checks my php syntax, and a couple more hotkeys give me a preview of the active file in firefox and internet explorer. there are also ten customizable macros, i haven't looked at those yet. *grin grin*
summary: my pick. use it, use it, use it.
hmm...that's a little extensive. maybe i'll move it to a separate software review page someday....