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After coding practically everything (PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML) in the outdated Zend Studio 5.1 -- from around 2006) for about 2 years -- it is now up to version 8 but I wont go into that -- I've switched over to using NetBeans IDE full time for about 2 weeks and I'm loving it. I have tried NetBeans and the newer, Eclipse-based Zend Studio 7 before but found them too slow and somewhat odd for PHP development. Part of the reason may have been because those newer IDEs do not perform very well on older processors.
That changed when I upgraded to a modern dual-core Athlon II X2 computer with 4GB of RAM. I decided to give NetBeans another shot, since I now had faster hardware, and having seen many of my coworkers use it for a while. I was also attracted to its GPL2 license, respecting the user's freedom with the side effect of not costing anything.
After using it for a few weeks it has gained my full approval and I can only list a few drawbacks.
Figure 1: Extensive code completion with PHPDoc information (not shown)
Figure 2: It even has MySQL code completion & hinting, although I haven't used it yet.
Figure 3: CSS Code Completion. Guesses what CSS class I'm typing by parsing the project's HTML code.
Because NetBeans is open-source, it depends on the community for feedback, testing, and bug reports. One thing I noticed about the development team is that they're always looking to increase the performance of the IDE, so it's always getting better -- and you can take part in the process. Let's just hope Oracle doesn't screw it up like they're trying to do with everything else...
Michael joined the RustyBrick team in 2008 to focus on transitioning existing web sites to new & enhanced platforms. He graduated from Rutgers University in 2005 and holds a B.S. in Computer Science.
This article is under Programming, PHP Programming, Web Programming
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