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PHP EDITOR - gPHPEdit

VERSION: 0.9.50 WEB: www.gphpedit.org

When we covered gPHPEdit in November 2003's HotPicks (LXF46), we found it to be a top-notch app for writing PHP code - not bursting at the seams with features, but very usable all the same.

Since oure look at 0.4.3, the lead developer Andy Jeffries has been steadily adding new features and fixing bugs, and as it approaches 1.0 editor deserves a quick catch-up. Handily, the superb Scintilla editing component has been rolled into the main source tarball, the eliminating a dependency (just Gnome is required).

On the outside, there haven't been any drastic changes to gPHPEdit's minimal interface: it's uncluttered and compact, with tabs for multiple documents, works well at lower resolutions and, most importantly, keep out of the coder's way. Syntax highlighting and checking, along with code-block collapsing, a nifty find-as-you-type search box and a primitive macro facility, make up the program's editing features.

Additions and updates since 0.4.3 include a system for plugins (only a few available at present, but they're a doddle to write); support for the GnomeVFS library, a reworked Preferences dialog boxx and a time-saving mini-templates/shortcut system (enter a keyword, and then expand it to a full block).

These new features transform gPHPEdit from a decent little PHP editor into a much more useful tool, and newcomers and regular coders alike should fine it a useful tool. A couple of important extras (such as bookmarks) are in the development pipeline - they'll make gPHPEdit 1.0 a well-rounded release.

Taken from Linux Format May 2005 - Issue 66.