Is there a way to use Xcode for PHP web development?

Question

I have heard you could use Xcode for PHP development with syntax highlighting, syntax check, code completion etc. some time ago, maybe years ago.

Is there a way to add PHP support to a current Xcode version (3.2.2 or later)?

Currently I use NetBeans for PHP development and I've tried some other IDEs. I just like Xcode and wondered if this is an option, too.

Answer 1

While I'm sure there's a way to do it, I would stick to a traditional text editor like TextMate or BBEdit for PHP.

They are lighter, and more full featured the Xcode in this particular area. Xcode is applications development specific, with all the bells and whistles you need from a true IDE. It's not cut out for PHP programming or web development in general.

Answer 2

While I have not used Xcode yet, Apple has a developer article about using Xcode for PHP development:

http://developer.apple.com/internet/scripting/phpappledevtools.html

I personally prefer using Coda for most day to day HTML/CSS coding or a full IDE such as NetBeans or Eclipse when needed.

Answer 3

Although this question is now a bit old, I just needed to do a little PHP editing myself using Xcode 4. To turn syntax highlighting on for PHP (and lots of other) file types, all you have to do is open the file in Xcode 4, then select Editor->Syntax Coloring->PHP. Sweet!