Editor's words Rapid PHP Editor 2010

This is a PHP editor for Windows, released by Blumentals Software. The publisher is positioning the product as a sophisticated PHP editor that extends far beyond the basic PHP editing requirements and also allows you to create and edit HTML, XHTML, CSS and JavaScript code and files. The reviewed version, 8.1, is the last, currently, released.

The install is pretty easy and the custom option allows you to select if you want to install also CSS and HTML help files. The rest of the process is also standard, accepting or selecting the install folder, adding start menu folder, desktop shortcut.

Configuration wizard
On first run you are walked through a configuration wizard. You can change latter the settings from preferences. Let's see the wizard steps

• Select primary file type. This is the most used file type: PHP, XML, JS ,CSS, HTML. It will set the new file shortcut icon to create directly a file of this type. To create a different file you can select the new file option from the file menu.
• Choose HTML, CSS specifications. You have to select the HTML/XHTML and the CSS standards that you are going to use.
• Workspace layout and interface style. There are three options compact, normal, full but you can customize it as it suits you better by enabling or disabling and positioning the snippets. The interface style sets the way the toolbars look.
• File association allows you to set file associations and add new types. It's a good thing that you can add new types but you can not set that a smarty tpl file to be parsed as HTML.
• Set PHP path in order to be able to check syntax. This feature requires that you have xDebug Windows module for the PHP installed but it is explained in the help section of the product.
• Integrate with local web server. Set web server root and local server url for testing and debugging local PHP scripts.

Basic functionalities

• Customizable code coloring for CSS, JavaScript, HTML, PHP, ASP, PERL, XML, SQL, VBScript.
• Visual brace matching
• Search and replace in all open files
• Unfortunately code folding is a feature that is missing

Advanced functionalities

• Auto complete for PHP functions, local functions and even user defined variables
• Functions declaration and definition tooltip
• PHP syntax checker and script debugging.
• Regular expression searching capabilities
• It does not include a CVS client but as you define FTP accounts it allows you to publish local working files on FTP. In this way you can develop locally and publish final versions on the web. It supports only FTP transfers; it does not support SCP, or SFTP.
• The Project feature is week. It is just a reference to a folder that allows you to quickly browse that folder. The only powerful feature of a project is that you can publish it on FTP.
• Integrated SQL client for Mysql, PostgreSQL, Firebird and Interbase, that allows you to connect to database server and to list databases, database tables and table fields, and to run SQL queries. It's basic but it allows you write and test your SQL.

Other functionalities that I liked

• You can create new file templates.
• Built in PHP/HTML snippets that can be extended by user with new custom defined snippets.
• Integrated HTML Tidy for validating and formatting HTML and XHTML documents
• HTML, CSS, JavaScript editor support including auto complete, predefined snippets, and valuators.

Support and documentation
A user guide CHM file is integrated with the editor along with the help files for CSS and HTML. It includes also a reference to online manual for PHP and you save other resources url as favorite online resources. You can access also the online FAQ and post questions on the support forum.

Final words
Rapid PHP is a great editor for web development covering not only PHP coding but also HTML, JavaScript and SQL queries. It does not claim to be and integrated development environment although it provides project functionality, a FTP client, an SQL mini client that give the product an advantage over simple editors.  It is a recommended product for mid size and small projects that involves one or few persons which have to work also on the design process.