PHP Editor
IntelliJ IDEA provides PHP support via a dedicated PHP plugin. Plugin functionality is similar to that of PhpStorm, a specialized PHP IDE built on IntelliJ platform.
We've collected some of the most exciting features that, in our opinion, the IDE provides. Just the top of the iceberg. Read the sections below, scan the screenshots and download the product to try it in action.
Intelligent Editor
Web IDE provides rich and intelligent code editor for PHP with syntax highlighting, on-the-fly error checking, and smart code completion.
Thorough source code analysis allows us to provide code completion even to an unannotated code, for example:
- function return type is deducted from its body and return statements
- class property types (and even declarations) are extracted from constructor code
- code completion for array indexes in PHP code.
File structure view and class, method and call hierarchy views allow for faster code review and navigation.
PHPDoc support
IDE editor considers PHPDoc for providing code completion based on @property, @method
and @var annotations.
Variables name and types are completed when writing PHPDoc.
PHP code refactorings also consider PHPDocs to keep them up to date.
PHP 5.4 Language Features Support
PHP 5.4 is now fully supported, including traits and all the new syntax improvements: class member access on instantiation, short array syntax, array dereferencing on function call, binary literals, expressions in static calls, etc.:
PHP Code Sniffer
PhpStorm 4.0 allows you to check your code on the fly with PHP Code Sniffer (phpcs), just by opening a PHP file. The check is triggered every time you change something in the file, so it's extremely easy to fix problems reported by PHP Code Sniffer.
Visual PHP Debugger
The IDE provides numerous options for debugging your PHP code, so you can:
- Inspect context-relevant local variables and user-defined watches, including arrays and complex objects, and edit values on the fly.
- Setup remote debugging for your server.
- Evaluate an expression in runtime.
- Debug a page in multiple sessions simultaneously.
- Keep a debugging session alive while moving between pages.
You can use our browser bookmarklets, Zend Toolbar or XDebug toolbar to initiate debugging directly from any page in a modern browser such as Firefox, IE, Google Chrome or Safari.
Read more about zero-configuration debugging in PhpStorm blog.
And when (in some cases) you still need to configure debugging manually read this article: How to configure PHP debugging in IntelliJ IDEA
Watch our video on how to configure remote debugging:
Refactoring
Rename refactoring works for files, functions, constants, classes, properties, methods, parameters, local and global variables. Make global project changes easily and safely. Local changes are made inplace.
PHP Unit Testing Support
Develop PHPUnit tests in Web IDE and run them instantly from directory, file or class using the context menu options.
Dedicated Run/Debug
configurations allow running a needed set of tests at any time later.
Tests are executed in a dedicated Test Runner UI displaying results overview and detailed stats for the whole suite and every particular test.
in case of a test failure you can instantly get from the stacktrace to the line of code where the error occurred.
