A computer program does what you tell it

to do, not what you want it to do.

~ unknown
PHP Development completely changed in a few
years and now being a developer, you have to
deliver more accurate, performing, and well-
structured code under a minimum time slot to
stay competitive in the market.
2020. So, if you are associated in the same
industry, it’s the time when you can improve
yourself.

Even, revolution of technology in the form of AI,

IoT, Crypto Currency, etc., provoke PHP
developers to have a great skill of coding.

Plenty of “X-coders” and experts have confirmed

that the industry is looking for the talents that are
skilled and expert in efficient PHP development.

And if we believe on rumors than the industry will

require more than 1 million skilled developers by
I think, the demand of seamless PHP
development appears after the increased
requirement of on-demand solutions such as
Uber like taxi booking solutions, Oyo like Hotel
booking system, Dream11 like Fantasy Cricket
Platform, or Virtual Reality applications.
This is the question that most of developers
asked online or to their seniors, team leaders,
and project managers. And what they attest, is
the right selection of code editor or IDE can help
you to produce effective, performing, and
structured code.

These trends completely change the scenario,

and increase the requirement of well-paced
developers.

Now, the question is:

How to write an efficient, error-free, and

well-structured code?
As there are thousands of lines in a code with different styles, and a single miss
of “;” semi-column can create bug, which isn’t easy to find out. But with a code
editor, it can be easy to get instant error of missing things at the time of code,
even some editors auto complete the required symbols, which enhance the
quality of code and performance as well.

Here, in this article, we have accompanied

leading code editors & IDEs to make your efforts
minimal, but productive. Before moving ahead to
the list, first take a look at the conceptual
enhancement of both terms beneath.
It might not be your look up, but I have to make a clearer
view to newbies because now these days the separation
line faded away as few of them works same or have Difference
functionalities of both.

Being a developer its quite complicated to choose one

between Code
Editors and
from them, as the coding structure and common features
that can make you confuse.

While the PHP coding is a common skill, still it has a great

scope in market as there are lots of vacancies available
and market welcomes new-ones due to their unique
IDEs…
thought process and zeal. For them,
 • An Integrated Development Environment or IDE is a
complete package, where you can write, compile,
execute and debug your codes. They have complete
libraries to help you out in your problems, provide hints
and make you aware about common mistakes of PHP
programming. On the other side, Code Editors only
have functionalities of code editing and you can use
them only to write error free code.

Difference • Usually, IDEs support only single language for which

between Code they are build and have their compiler or debugger
embedded. While Code Editors are more general and
Editors and IDEs… supports multiple languages to write codes.

• In common, they both can help you in code completion,

provide hints, highlight errors, and custom folding of
code sections. Even, few code editors have IDEs
functionality on their pro versions.
Although, choosing a compatible Code Editor or
Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
depends on your preference, PHP Framework,
workflow, and requirement. Here’s what we have
concluded as per developers’ preference,
reliability and performance.
Code Editing with a compatible IDE will be a fun as you PHPStorm
have complete opportunity to check your final outcome
without struggling over uploading again and again. You
can enable advance functionalities with pro versions or
NetBeans
through additional addons. Here’re few IDEs, that
embarks their presence so far…

Visual Studio

Let’s explore there features and functionalities in detail:

Eclipse
Leading in the list due to its high compatibility and user
trust. Initially, it was released in 2009 and supports cross-
platforms Microsoft Windows, MacOS X, and Linux.
JetBrains built it on IntelliJ IDEA, first of its kind JAVA IDE.

PHPStorm provides on-the-fly error prevention and code

refactoring, along with major PHP framework support. It is
a combination of WebStorm, PHP and DB/SQL. Check out
more details on Wiki and download it from JetBrains
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

PHP 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 7.0, HTML and

Supported Languages :
JavaScript

USD 199 for the first year, Subsequent usage

Price :
cost less

Code quality analysis, PHPUnit tests,

More Features :
Supports GitHub and Perforce
Second in the list just because of its vital use and user
ratings. Its multi-language support makes it more popular
among PHP Development geeks as it supports JAVA,
PHP, C, C++, HTML5, XML, Groovy, Javadoc, and
JAVASCRIPT.

This free of cost IDE allow developers to code Desktop,

mobile and web applications on any platform – Microsoft
Windows, MacOS X, Linux and Solaris.
Initially, it was released in early 1996 as a student project
named “Xelfi”, then after in 1997, Roman Stanek started a
company based on this IDE and commercially released as
NetBeans. Later in 1999, Sun Microsystems bought it and
open sourced the NetBeans IDE. Check out more details
on Wiki and download it from NetBeans
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris

Java ME & SE, JavaScript, HTML5, PHP,

Supported Languages :
C/C++, XML, Groovy, Javadoc, JSP

Price : FREE (CDDL or GPLv2)

Integration of Subversion, Mercurial, and Git,

More Features :
NetBeans Profiler
Well known and reputed IDE that allow Php
Development geeks to develop, debug, test, collaborate,
and extend to more possibilities. In an enhancement,
Visual Studio IDE supports 36 different programming
languages including C, C++, Visual Basic, PHP, CSS,
JavaScript, XML, HTML, TypeScript, C#, F#, and .Net.
Even you can use Node JS, Python, Ruby and M through
available Plug-ins.
Visual Studio IDE leveled up their service in their latest
version 2017 through supporting Xamarin, a tool that
deliver Native and Hybrid Application and from now mobile
users can use same IDE for application code.

Microsoft first released Visual Studio in early 1997 as a

package before that they used to deliver separate IDE for
different languages. Check out more details on Wiki and
download it from Microsoft VS
Platform(s) : Linux, MacOS, Windows

Supported Languages : C++, C, C#, Visual Basic, PHP, JavaScript

Price : Free to $2,999+

Cross-platform support, Integration with

More Features :
GitHub, Subversion and other team tools
Last but not the least, Eclipse has its own user base due
to its JAVA IDE workspace, but PHP developers can
enhance their workflow using extensible plug-ins, which
allow them to use Ada, ABAP, C, C++, C#, COBOL, D,
Fortran, Haskell, JavaScript, Julia, Lasso, Lua, NATURAL,
Perl, PHP, Prolog, Python, R, Ruby, Rust, Scala, Clojure,
Groovy, Scheme, and Erlang.
The IDE is supported by Microsoft Windows, MacOS X,
Linux and Solaris and available with Public license.
Initially, released in 2001 by IBM, but later on 2004, it
operates through specially built not-for-profit corporation
Eclipse Foundation. Check out more details on Wiki and
download it from Eclipse.org
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris

Ada, ABAP, C, C++, COBOL, D, Fortran,

Haskell, Java, JavaScript, Julia, Lasso, Lua,
NATURAL, Perl, PHP, Prolog, Python, R,
Supported Languages :
Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Rust, Scala, Clojure,
Groovy, Scheme, and Erlang, LaTeX,
Mathematica.

Price : FREE (Eclipse Public License)

Rich Client Platform, supports Tomcat,

More Features : Glassfish and other servers, Web Tools
Platform.
Here, in this list we have only explored top 4 IDE for PHP PHPStorm
Development.

NetBeans
but there are plenty of IDEs available such as Vim,
Komodo, Sublime Text Pro, Aptana Studio, Atom IDE,
ZendStudio, etc. So, you can choose anyone from the
available PHP Editors as per your preference, even you Visual Studio
can explore internet to get more details about them.

Eclipse
PHP, leading programming language that
keeps your work flawless and make your
business grow!

~ anonymous
Custom code needs more attention and accuracy and
without having a compatible Code Editor (if you only want Atom
to write code), you can puzzle out.
Sublime Text

Code editor isn’t just a doctype workplace as like Notepad++

Microsoft word, but it can be your assistant who can help
you out with auto suggestions, highlighting errors, and
much more. Here’re few Code Editors, that resembles as Visual Studio Code
market leaders so far…
Komodo Edit

Let’s explore more beneath:

Brackets

UltraEdit
Lead the list of Top PHP Code Editors, as preferred by
several PHP Development geeks and used by millions.
Atom is the initiation of GitHub and free open source
platform. Initially released on Feb 2016 and in the
meantime of 2 years, it has been the top most text editor
among developers due to its simple workspace and
functionalities. Check out more details on Wiki Or
download it from Atom
Pros:

• Easy to navigate interface

• Supports Command Palette

• Special Developer Tools

• Package Manager Integrated for

Plugins support
Cons:
• Customizing UI is easier as compared
to other code editors • Slow as compared to other text editors

• The GitHub community is pretty active • CoffeeScript needed to write the

in getting any issues resolved if the packages.
developer is struck somewhere while
• No Corona Package
programming

• Difficulty in handling large files

• Fuzzy File Finder
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

PHTML, CSS, Less, Sass, GitHub Flavored

Markdown, C/C++, C#, Go, Java, Objective-
C, JavaScript, JSON, CoffeeScript, Python,
Supported Languages : PHP, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, shell script,
Clojure, Perl, Git, Make, Property List
(Apple), TOML, XML, YAML, Mustache, Julia
& SQL

Price : FREE (MIT License)

Open source, built-in Package Manager,

More Features :
Themes
Runner up in the list of Top PHP Code Editors, due to its
complicated interface, that somehow downgrade its
functional excellence.

At Sublime Text 3, You are allowed to extend the

functionality with different addons and can customize
appearance, code linters, Color pickers, GIT plugins, etc.
which lead it to occupy second place in the list. Check out
more details on Wiki Or download it from Sublime Text
Pros:

• Multi-Line selection and editing

• Offers a cross-platform support

• Instant file switching

• Beginner friendly interface Cons:

• Black screen supports distraction free • Poor Support for Linux

editing mode
• Opening big files takes time
• Fully customizable
• Crashes Frequently
• Support for TextMate and Windows
• The much-used package manager is
Decoration themes
missing from the software
• Haxe and OpenFL integration via
• The code editor does not support the
plugin support
print option
• Syntax detection and highlighting the
• No toolbar of its own
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

Supported Languages : All popular languages

Price : Free to $80/license

More Features : Package Manager

It’s an upgraded version of Notepad text editor (inbuilt
editor of Windows OS), where you can find out advance
features that helps you to write error free code using
supported libraries and syntaxes. PHP
Development Geeks rated it as the best HTML editor and
one of the easiest code editors that immediately highlights
the errors. Check out more details on Wiki Or download it
from Notepad ++
Pros:

• Being built for the Windows platform,

it can also run on Linux, Unix, Mac
OS X (using Wine).

• It is a lightweight application and

launches quickly.

• Supports external plugins including

macros.

• Interface supports tabbed editing. Cons:

• Auto indentation and auto complete
• Spell check with file comparison
• Compiler Integration & FTP support
• Drag and Drop Option for beginners
with Smart syntax highlighting
• Remote file editing does not support
HTTP, SSH or WebDAV
• Does not support large files
• Third party program (wine) is needed to
run the application on Mac OS X.
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows

Ada, Asp, Assembly, AutoIt, Batch, Caml,

Cmake, COBOL, CoffeeScript, CSS, D, Diff,
Flash ActionScript, Fortran, Gui4CLI, Haskell,
INNO, Java, JSP, KiXtart, LISP, Lua,
Supported Languages : Makefile, Matlab, MS-DOS, INI file, NSIS,
Pascal, Perl, PostScript, PowerShell,
Properties, R, Resource file, Ruby, Shell,
Scheme, Smalltalk, SQL, TCL, TeX, Visual
Basic, VHDL, Verilog, XML, YAML, etc.

Price : FREE (GPL)

Open source, Macro recording and playback,

More Features :
User Defined Syntax Highlighting and Folding
Microsoft powered Code Editing Platform that provides an
amazing development experience, faster execution of
codes due to its lightweight installation and 30+
programing language support. Check out more details
on Wiki Or download it from Visual Studio Code
Pros:

• Supports more than 30 programming

languages, including Microsoft’s core
language ASP.NET, C#, etc.

• The application installs in very less

time due to its compact size.
Cons:
• Visual Studio Code also has a
portable version to download in the • The software takes a huge time in

supported devices. updating on Linux systems.

• Enables GitHub control and offers • Calls for an immediate improvement in

debugging features. the extension support.

Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

Batch, C++, Clojure, CoffeeScript,

DockerFile, Elixir, F#, Go, Pug template
language, Java, HandleBars, Ini, Lua,
Supported Languages :
Makefile, Objective-C, Perl, PowerShell,
Python, R, Razor, Ruby, Rust, SQL, Visual
Basic, XML

Price : FREE (MIT License)

More Features : GitHub support, code refactoring, debugger

A bit expensive and limited in terms of functionality,
programing language support, and productivity, but still it
gets listed in Top 7 PHP Code Editors due to coder’s
support and ultra-fast performance. Check out more
details on Wiki Or download it from Komodo Edit
Pros:

• Syntax Highlighting and Code coloring

• Code auto complete

• Auto indentation Cons:

• Extension support and macros • Spell Check not available

• Cannot edit collaboratively

• Large files not supported

• The tool comes with a hefty fee of

$295(without upgrades and support) and
$382(with updates and support)
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

Python, Perl, PHP, Ruby, TCL, SQL, Smarty,

Supported Languages :
CSS, HTML, XML

Price : USD 295/License

Package Manager, Vagrant, Docker, Unit

More Features :
Testing
An open-source text editor offered by the renowned
organization “Adobe”, who is well-known for its unique, but
productive range of softwares. The PHP text editor comes
with an adorable “Extract” feature that allows a developer
to pick colors, measurements, fonts, and gradients from a
PSD to ready-for-web CSS. Check out more details
on Wiki Or download it from Brackets
Pros:

• Uses Inline editors for faster access

to a particular part of the code and
more rapid implementation.

• Preview the code establishing a real-

time connection.
Cons:
• Brackets is an excellent tool for
implementing JavaScript, HTML, and • Split screen not supported
CSS.
• No full screen for comprehensive view
• Easily customizable being an open
source platform. • Third party plugins not allowed

• Regularly updated with the latest • Does not support auto-completion of

features and bug fixes. code
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

C++, C, VBScript, Java, JavaScript, HTML,

Supported Languages :
Python, Perl, Ruby

Price : FREE (MIT License)

More Features : Live Preview, JSLint, LESS support

Impactful, editable and multi-language supporting PHP
code editor, initially launched in 1994 by the founder of
IDM Computer Solutions Inc., Ian D. Mead. The
commercial editor has several unique features and plugin
support to enhance PHP Development geek’s coding
experience. Check out more details on Wiki Or download
it from UltraEdit
Pros:

• Multi-Select option for editing a

common code at once.

• Code and syntax highlighting to notify

any error in the code.

• Integrated FTP for secure file transfer.

• Column/Block Editing
Cons:
• File and data sorting
• The tool is very expensive as compared
• Integrated SSH to the other text editors in the same
segment.
• Good at handling large files
Platform(s) : Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

C/C++, Perl, PHP 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 7.0,

Supported Languages :
HTML and JavaScript

Price : USD 99 for the first year

Blazingly fast large file handling, Integrated

More Features :
FTP client, Layouts
 Atom
Here, in this write up, we have clustered TOP 7 CODE
EDITORS FOR PHP DEVELOPMENT Sublime Text

Notepad++
which are highly recommended, and used by industry
experts. Although, that’s not a full-fledged list as there
are plenty more available online that can be your choice. Visual Studio Code
You can choose one as per your comfort or your
requirement from this list or from Dreamweaver, Komodo Edit
SlickEdit, jEdit, RJ TextEd, Rapid, Codeanywhere, Text
Wrangler, TextMate, Coda, BlueFish, etc. Brackets

UltraEdit
Wrapping words aka

THE CONCLUSION.

Be crazy to write down the most anticipating error free code, but without
a code editor that will be a puzzle. Being a PHP development geek, you
have to include a recommended PHP code editor in your routine that
can help you in identification of errors immediately. Along with that, you
also have to keep your eyes on web development trends to know
what’s in trend, what’s going to be viral, and what’s appealing a
customer to become a consumer.
Remarks aka

THE REFERENCES.
• http://www.rginfotech.com/php-development-code-editors-2018/
• http://www.rginfotech.com/php-development-code-editor-ide-2018/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_(text_editor)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublime_Text
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notepad%2B%2B
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_Studio_Code
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_Edit
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brackets_(text_editor)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UltraEdit
About us aka

WHO WE ARE?
RG Infotech founded in the year 2007 and recommended for its web
development, eCommerce development and mobile development solutions by the
industry leaders. We have combined proven methodologies and technology
expertise of skilled IT professionals to deliver high-quality solutions.

Check out more at : http://www.rginfotech.com/who-we-are

 15A, Shivraj Niketan, Raghuveer Marg, Opp. SBI
Bank, Gautam Marg, Vaishali Nagar
Jaipur - 302021
As a leading eCommerce, mobile & web development company
info@rginfotech.com sales@rginfotech.com
that has more than 10 years of experience, we offer Web
0141-401-9752 www. r g i n f o t e c h . c o m
Development, Mobile Application Development, E-Commerce
Development, WordPress development, Custom Software
Development, Web Design, and Digital Marketing services to
customers across USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Feel free to contact us!

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