Top PHP Development Tools You Can Adopt in 2022
PHP is the most popular and commonly used server-side programming language for developing websites and online applications. There are several compelling reasons why many developers choose PHP over alternative server-side languages such as Python and Ruby. PHP comes with extensive documentation, a plethora of ready-to-use scripts, a large community, and well-supported systems. Experts have created various PHP development tools that boost programming efficiency to make PHP work simpler. PHP tools are designed to provide an ideal IDE (Integrated Development Environment) in which PHP developers may effectively construct engaging, inventive and feature-rich PHP applications.
Today's market is swamped with PHP tools, and selecting the finest one among them is a difficult process. Which software is best for PHP programming? Find the answer in this post.
Which Software is Best for PHP Programming?
Here are our top 8 picks of PHP development tools:
1. PHPStorm
PHPStorm is the most common alternative to other PHP development tools due to its lightweight, very quick, and smooth nature. This PHP IDE is compatible with prominent PHP frameworks such as Symfony, Yii, Zend Framework, Laravel, and CakePHP, as well as popular Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Magento, Drupal, and WordPress. This IDE supports live editing of important front-end technologies such as HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and others, as well as unit testing, code refactoring, and debugging. Furthermore, it enables developers to interact with databases, command-line tools, remote deployment, version control systems, composers, rest clients, and a variety of other tools.
PHPStorm Features
- Code completion
- Code re-arranger
- Zero Configuration Debugging
- Native Zen Coding support
2. Zend Studio
Because of its fast performance, Zend Studio is preferred by the majority of web developers. Writing and troubleshooting code in Zend Studio requires no more work or time from developers. It debugs PHP programs by combining X-ray, Xdebug, and Zend Debugger while supporting PHP 7. This powerful PHP IDE has an intriguing range of capabilities and is capable of deploying applications on a variety of hosts, including cloud servers. Zend Studio may be extended by developers using Eclipse plugins.
Zend Studio Features
- Indexing & searching PHP Code
- Faster Performance in the validation
- Zend Framework & Zend_Tool Integration
- Docker Support
- Support for Eclipse Plugin
3. NuSphere PhpED
NuSphere's PhpED is a proprietary integrated PHP development tool. This PHP IDE includes a powerful PHP editor, a PHP debugger, a profiler, a database client, and code insight. This application supplies developers with a number of tools and changes that will make the entire web development process easier. PhpEd accelerates application development by utilizing the commercial PHP accelerator PhpExpress. This IDE is perfect for creating complicated websites and online apps. It supports HTML, JavaScript, and CSS3 while also providing extensive PHP 7.1 support. Its refactoring features enable developers to enhance the quality of their code.
PhpED Features
- Accelerate PHP apps with PhpExpress
- Support for composite file extensions
- Parallel Debugging
- Full integration with PHPUnit
- Refactoring of PHP code
4. Netbeans
NetBeans is the most used PHP IDE for developing PHP applications. This application has a plethora of functions and supports many languages. NetBeans was originally used for Java programming, however, the latest version is lightweight, quicker, and compatible with PHP development services. It features an extension that allows it to handle various programming languages such as C, C++, and HTML5. It allows for the creation of large-scale online programs and supports a variety of languages including Japanese, English, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, and simplified Chinese. This free source PHP development tool is compatible with nearly every prominent PHP framework, including CakePHP, FuelPHP, Zend, Symfony 2, Smarty, and WordPress CMS. NetBeans PHP IDE has a number of capabilities tailored to the development of web applications using the most recent PHP versions.
NetBeans Features
- Code Formatting & folding
- Smart code completion
- Getter Setter generation
- Try/catch code completion
- Syntax Highlighter
5. Cloud 9
Cloud9, an open-source cloud IDE, offers a development environment for a variety of programming languages, including PHP, C, C++, JavaScript, and Python. Developers may begin writing right away using pre-configured settings known as workspaces, and construct web apps with capabilities like browser compatibility testing and live preview. They can use collaborative coding capabilities to collaborate with their peers. It provides a faultless experience for developing serverless apps, allowing you to specify resources, launch serverless apps, and debug from a distant location. You may share your development platform with your colleagues, allowing you to pair programs and track all real-time inputs.
Cloud9 Features
- Real-time language Analysis
- Tabbed file Management
- Integrated Debugger
- Built-in image editor
- Code reformatting
6. Aptana Studio
Aptana Studio is a free and open-source PHP development tool that integrates with a variety of server-side and client-side web applications. Some of these technologies are CSS3, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Python, Ruby, and HTML5. It includes debuggers and a command-line API to make PHP app dev easier. It includes SFTP, FTP, and IDE customization. This robust web development engine makes use of Eclipse's flexibility and includes information on the breadth of support for each component in the top web browsers. Aptana Studio is a high-performance PHP IDE with a plethora of appealing features to boost your productivity.
Aptana Studio Features
- Set breakpoints, inspect variables, control execution
- Supports latest HTML5 specifications
- IDE Customization
- Git Integration and Built-in terminal
7. Sublime Text
Sublime Text is one of the most popular text editors for PHP developers. Nonetheless, it is not a true IDE; however, with the implementation of specific plugins/packages, you may transform it into a decent editor for writing PHP applications. This cross-platform source code editor supports a variety of programming and markup languages natively. With its feature-rich functions and exceptional looks, the text editor is regarded as the greatest IDE for PHP programming by the developer community. As the foremost configurable text editor with a bespoke UI toolkit, it allows you to navigate among symbols, words, and lines by utilizing proper key shortcuts. Furthermore, you may make modifications to any line of code.
Sublime Text Features
- Split editing
- Instant Project Switch
- Better command palette
- Distraction-free mode
- Plugin API
8. PHPDebugbar
PHPDebugbar is a PHP debugger that can operate alongside any project and display data from a variety of web applications. This PHP development tool is divided into two sections: the mainDebugBar object and information collectors and the render.
Along with PHP, you can detect JavaScript and HTML issues. PHPDebugbar can also scan CSS elements, monitor networks, and validate JavaScript code. It becomes a really outstanding open-source solution by providing additional functionality that developers want. It may be the finest alternative for data profiling from any online application. It enables you to easily design your own gather or for easy integration.
PHPDebugbar Features
- Monitor network traffic
- Handles AJAX requests
- Log & debug directly to Debugbar
- Fast & easy to use interface
- Preview config& application config
Conclusion
Each tool on this list is jam-packed with great features and functionality that allow you to swiftly and easily create PHP websites. These aren't the only PHP development tools commercially available. There are many more commercial and free PHP utilities available! Keep in mind that new PHP IDEs are being released on a daily basis; it is always worthwhile to stay up to date on the current PHP developments.