Quote:
Originally Posted by potter
However the same could be said for even writing a php script (that was so complex it would need an IDE) from scratch instead of starting off with one of the many great open source platforms out there today. There isn't a single thing you could program today in which 99% of would not be reinventing the wheel.
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I don't tend to use libraries because they often have significant bloat that I or my clients don't need. Also, there's something to be said for not doing what 99% of people are doing.
But overall, you're right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by raymor
I'll race you. I think it's more about learning curve. Kind of like WYSIWYG versus a text editor.
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I think you're confusing what an IDE does. It's not about inserting <div> automatically for you. Really, it's about what the coder finds helpful (and enables) and what he/she does not find helpful (and disables). For me, here are the main advantages. Other coders' advantages will vary:
1. I use camel-case methods in my classes. So, if I'm doing a query like this:
Code:
echo $modelObject->getModelEthnicityCodeByID($modelID);
I can simply auto-complete the method with my tab button, as opposed to continually (and possibly incorrectly) typing it. This saves me a lot of time on pages with complex queries inter-meshed with each other, and on pages with lots of queries in different places.
2. File transfers are a snap for me in an IDE. For example, in my preferred IDE (phpEd), when I'm editing a page, I simply press CTRL+SHIFT+S, and the page is uploaded to the server. Likewise, there are shortcuts to upload my directory, the whole project, etc. No dragging, dropping, logging into other programs, etc, etc.
3. File management is very easy, too. From right inside of the IDE, I can drag-and-drop images, includes, and all sorts of files, as needed. I can then see them in a directory structure and reference them for includes, etc, etc.
4. Fewer typo errors. When I'm auto-completing, there's very little chance of a type in a method, class, or object name.
5. Error checking. I'm beyond leaving off semi-colons, of course, but sometimes when I'm four parenthesis deep, I'll accidentally use three. The IDE lets me know visually and immediately. Same for unclosed nests, etc.
6. Working with a live site is less harrowing. Often, we need immediate changes to a live site without running them through a development environment first. In these cases, they are mission-critical pages that simply cannot load with a PHP error. The IDE helps me check my code to ensure that it'll run right the first time.