ODPHPTools for Xcode

Using Apple's Xcode to develop websites with PHP unfortunately is a bit, well let's say spartanic. There are of course other development tools more tailored towards PHP - also for the Mac. But Xcode is a very fine development tool, so why not try to make it a bit more comfy also for PHP developers?

PHP system function lookup

• Type the first few characters of a PHP system function into your source code
• Call the "Lookup PHP Function" command of ODPHPTools
• A panel pops up, listing matching PHP functions including parameters
• Type in some more characters to narrow the search
• Press Enter and the function including text markers for each parameter will be inserted
• Use Xcodes "Select Next Placeholder" command to jump to each marker

You can also call "Lookup PHP Function" without typing anything into your source - it will then list all functions and you narrow the list by starting typing...

PHP help lookup

• Place the text cursor in or right behind a PHP function name
  (or select the function name)
• Call the "Search PHP Help" command of ODPHPTools
• A browser window opens, showing the help page for this PHP function (using the URL http://www.php.net/functionname)

Download

ODPHPTools Xcode plugin, version 1.2
ODPHPTools.pbplugin.zip	Download	97 kB

Installation

After downloading and uncompressing the bundle (ODPHPTools.pbplugin) move it to

/Library/Application Support/Apple/Developer Tools/Plug-ins

and (re-)start Xcode.

You should then find two new menu items in Xcode's "Edit" menu:

• Lookup PHP Function
• Search PHP Help

To define shortcuts for the ODPHPTools commands, use the Mac OS X systems keyboard shortcuts.

To do so, go to System Preferences, choose "Keyboard and Mouse", select the "Keyboard Shortcuts" tab and add keyboard shortcuts for the above menu items (make sure to exactly use the titles listed above). You cannot use shortcuts used by Xcode for other commands. You could for example choose F9 and F10.