What it is
PhpStorm is an integrated development environment for PHP made by JetBrains. It indexes the whole project, so it can autocomplete across files, find every usage of a function and rename things safely. It also understands the HTML, CSS, JavaScript and SQL that usually sit alongside PHP in the same project, and checks them as you type.
It includes a step debugger, database tools, version control and support for deploying files to a remote server. It is commercial software sold by subscription, with free licences offered for some uses such as education and open-source projects. Its main value shows up in large codebases where a change in one file can affect many others.
How I use it
- Part of my toolkit for PHP work. PHP and CodeIgniter still run the Rental Pilot API.
- Used alongside the command line, where deploys run as scripts with their own safety checks.
- Changes still go through review and an on-screen check before they ship, whatever the editor says.
An IDE like PhpStorm is worth it on a large PHP codebase where a change in one file can break something in another. I keep it in the toolkit for PHP work because it can see the whole project at once.
Questions
What tools do you use for PHP development?
PhpStorm for the code, the command line for servers and deploys, and git for source control. Deploys run as scripts with safety checks rather than from the editor.
Do you work in older PHP codebases?
Yes. I have written PHP since 1999, and a good IDE helps most in large older codebases where usages are spread across many files.