Templated Forms
Templated Forms are a major new feature for Delphi for PHP 2.0. Templated Forms enable PHP developers to develop applications using “tagging" similar to ASP.NET or Cold Fusion. For instance, developers can now create a templated form and add tags. Those HTML pages can be edited in the Visual Designer or in the text editor. This mode of development enables the decoupling of the PHP code from the HTML code so that developers can pass off their HTML files to external designers who can provide the styling of the HTML pages while working around the PHP tags in the HTML. This is a major feature for those PHP developers who are hesitant to begin using a pure visual design solution.
Zend Framework Support
Delphi for PHP 2.0 now includes the Zend Framework for PHP. The VCL for PHP includes four components that can be used to add the Zend Framework to an application.
Form Designer
The Form Designer has been completely rewritten for Version 2.0 with an emphasis on performance and smoothness. Developers can expect the designer to respond instantly to the placing and movement of components. Developers will find that placing and manipulating components on the designer is responsive and will enable them to layout their components with speed and precision. By using the Form Designer and the Object Inspector, developers can control all aspects of their PHP pages, including DocType, Encoding settings, colors, etc. The Form Designer also includes visual guidelines that aid in the alignment and spacing of code. As controls are moved on the design surface, the visual guidelines appear, indicating that the sides of selected controls are aligned. Controls also “snap" into alignment, making it easy for developers to align and size controls. In addition, as controls are moved next to each other, small guidelines appear between controls, enabling developers to properly space controls.
HTML Designer
In direct response to customer requests, Delphi for PHP 2.0’s HTML Designer now enables the graphical development of HTML documents with embedded PHP and templated forms. HTML pages can be designed in a WYSIWYG fashion or in pure code. PHP can be embedded in the HTML files and made part of a project. Code Insight also works in the HTML designer, providing support for PHP while writing HTML and PHP code together. This is a powerful new feature that enables developers to have complete control over their HTML while at the same time having the power of RAD development.
Filterable Tool Palette
Finding components on the Tool Palette can sometimes be difficult, especially as the number of components increases. The Tool Palette now makes it very easy to find a specific component by filtering the components on the Tool Palette based on developer input. Developers can click the funnel icon to put the Tool Palette into filter mode, and then begin typing any portion of the name of the component they are looking for, and the Tool Palette will then display only those components whose name contains the text entered by the developer.
Code Folding
The editor now supports Code Folding, allowing developers to hide or reveal portions of their PHP code. Developers can choose to collapse function bodies, individual <php> tags, and other code segments so that they can concentrate on the code that they want to see.
SyncEdit
SyncEdit is a feature that enables developers to edit all the identical code symbols in a selected portion of code. The developer can select a portion of code, invoke SyncEdit, and the editor will then highlight all the identical identifiers in the portion of code under the SyncEdit mode. The developer can then tab from identifier to identifier, and make changes in one location which will result in the identifier being changed in all locations in the selected code. For instance, if the developer selects a chunk of code with the identifier “Button1" in three places, the developer can change “Button1" to “MyButton" in one location, but all the instances of “Button1" within the SyncEdit block will be changed at the same time. (Note that SyncEdit is purely syntactical and doesn’t do anything more than symbol matching.)
Change Tracking
The Delphi for PHP 2.0 IDE will now show an indicator in the left side of the editor that tells the developer the state of change of a given line of code. A yellow bar indicates the line has changed since the last save. A green bar indicates that the line of code has changed since the file was first opened. Thus, developers can determine what portions of a given file have been altered.
Error Insight
Error Insight is a Code Editor feature that constantly scans source code, immediately marking syntax errors as they are found. Errors in the Code Editor are underlined with a red “squiggly" line, and are also displayed in the TreeView as part of the Structure Pane. (See Figure 4 below).
Code Insight
Code Insight is a collection of Code Editor features that enable developers to type code more efficiently and effectively with fewer errors and with insight into the structure and capabilities of their code. It includes a number of separate features described below:
Code Completion
Code Completion is an IDE feature that provides developers with both a coding productivity tool and a view into the members of any given PHP class. As a developer types object code, a window pops up providing a list of the possible methods and members of the given object. (The Code Completion) Once the list appears, developers can either select the desired member, press Enter, and the selected member is automatically entered in the Code Editor. Alternately, the developer can continue typing the name of the desired identifier, and the list will be filtered to include only those members matching the entered text. At any time, the developer can press the enter key to have Code Insight enter the selected item.
Help Insight
In addition, Help Insight provides a Window attached to the Code Completion window that provides basic help information about the identifier selected in the Code Completion window. These Help Insight hints result from the inclusion of PHPDoc comments in the source code.
Parameter Insight
When coding, developers naturally make calls to routines requiring parameters, and remembering the exact order and type of those parameters isn’t always possible. Delphi for PHP 2.0 provides Parameter Insight, a feature that provides a small hint window that informs the developer about the currently required parameters. As parameters are entered, the hint window changes by making bold the current parameter that contains the text cursor. Delphi for PHP 2.0 also uses the available PHPDoc to provide typing information in Parameter Insight. This is a useful and powerful feature. The combination of PHPDoc information and Parameter Insight enables developers to write more efficient code.
Other Delphi for PHP 2.0 Enhancements
Wiki-based Documentation
All the documentation for Delphi for PHP 2.0 is now hosted on a Wiki, allowing community members to add and update content. In addition to the content being constantly updated, developers can download the help from the Wiki at any time for use on a local computer.
Internationalised IDE
Delphi for PHP 2.0’s IDE is completely localisable by design. Delphi for PHP 2.0 ships with the ability to display the IDE in the following languages: English, Spanish, German, Traditional Chinese, and Portuguese. In addition, the string tables used by the IDE are laid out in such a way that they can be easily translated, and those translations can be easily shared by community members for the benefit of all. In addition, Delphi for PHP 2.0 includes a tool to translate IDE strings to new languages. In addition, the PHP Help manual, the Welcome page and the IDE help are in sync with the active language and are external resources that can be translated without requiring an IDE update.
Improved Database Access
Delphi for PHP 2.0 includes new and improved support for component-based access to Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, DB2, Informix, and Sybase.
Hardware
- 512 MB RAM (1 GB for Microsoft Windows Vista)
- 300 MB free hard disk space
- CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
- SVGA or higher-resolution monitor (XGA recommended)
- Mouse or other pointing device
Processor:
Intel Pentium III/M 1.4 GHz, or Pentium IV 1.4 GHz minimum
Operating System
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (SP1)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional (SP2)
Windows 2000 Professional (SP4)
Windows 2000 Server (SP4)