Installing Xdebug (Ubuntu)

If you're not familiar with xdebug, here's a brief intro taken from the site:

The Xdebug extension helps you debugging your script by providing a lot of valuable debug information.

Execute this command in terminal:
sudo apt-get install php-dev php-pear && sudo pecl install xdebug

Then restart your web server: sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart (since I'm using Apache2)

Create a php file named phpinfo.php in the "Document Root" and add this line:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Update: For some reason I can't get it to work with vim yet. Huhu You can find the error message here. If you happen to know the solution, hope you can share it with me.

Anyways, according to the tutorial here, you need to download the vim script found in this link. After that extract the files to /.vim/plugin/. And to test it, open the php file in vim and press F5. Then quickly go to your browser and enter the URL path to your script with the suffix ?XDEBUG_SESSION_START=1. You can do this within only 5 seconds then it will "disconnect". And that's it.

My Current Text Editor

I always wonder why I keep on looking for a good text editor. I have tried a lot of editors ever since I was practicing PHP (as if tuod). And until now, I'm still trying to find one. Just a while ago, I was forced to download Notepad++ again because it was the editor installed in the workstation I was working on. I have already tried Notepadd++ a long time ago but, then, stopped using it after it crashed. It was not able to handle the large files I was opening. Anyways, after installing Notepad++, I just found out that aside from having the most features of most editors out there e.g. syntax highlighting, auto completion, matching braces, it also has an FTP function. I'm not sure if this feature was already added when I first tried it but it's there now so I guess, from now on, Notepad++ and I would be partners again.

The current Notepad++ release also has some plug-ins pre-installed. The last time I tried it, I had to manually install the TextFX plug-in.

Here's a few list of Notepad++'s features that I consider useful:

• auto-completion
• "Run" feature
  
• syntax highlighting
• convert spaces to tabs
• match braces
• auto indention
• folding
• incremental search
• search and replace
• macro
• full screen mode
  
• light explorer plug-in
• TextFX plug-in
• FTP synchronize plug-in

I consider these features useful though I don't use them often. The drawback that I noticed when I was using it a while ago was that it becomes slow when many plug-ins are being used. It probably depends on the computer you're working on.

Firefox 3: Download Day

It's been a while since I last updated this. Anyways, here's something worth sharing. By the way, I should've posted this a long time ago.
Do you happen to have this?
Jealous? :D Don't be. You can also get one here.

PS. For some reason, I don't want to reveal my identity.
Cheers!

Introducing Pidgin

Familiar with Pidgin? Pidgin is an IM client that allows connection on different IM protocols such as YM, Google Talk, ICQ, Aim, etc. It also allows multiple connection of accounts on one protocol. In other words, if you have two accounts on YM, you are able to connect those two accounts at the same time. Pidgin was released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Basically, this IM client is a free software.

Pidgin has support on the mostly used features of IM clients. This includes file transfer, away messages, adding a contact, and such. It also has additional features of its own such as Buddy Pounce wherein you get to choose an action whenever a buddy becomes online, sends you a message, etc.

Pidgin can run on various platforms such as Windows and Linux.

If you're also interested in the text-based version of Pidgin which can be ran on console, you can check out Finch. This is what I use to get my YM account up all the time.

Pidgin Download Page.

Using Textpad as a PHP IDE

Using Textpad as a PHP IDE
First off, download the latest version of textpad here and install. And since we will be using it as a PHP IDE, let's download Textpad's php syntax definition which can be found here (or you can choose other php syntax definitions here). Now extract the syntax file (*.syn) in the "samples" folder of your Textpad directory.

Now, open up Textpad, click on the "Configure" menu and select "New Document Class". A pop-up will prompt to input a Document Class Name. Type in "php" then click on "next". Now type in "*.php" for the class members field and click "next". Then, check the box saying "Enable syntax highlighting". Then, click the drop down menu and choose the syntax file we have extracted a while ago. Then, click on "next" until done.

Next step is to add a tool so we could really make Textpad act as a PHP IDE. Click the "Configure" menu on Textpad and select "Preferences". Select "Tools" in the preferences dialog box, click on the "Add" drop down menu and select "Program". Now, browse for your "php.exe" file, click "Open", and click "Apply". Now that your back on the preferences dialog box, you can expand the "Tools" menu found on the left side, select the tool we just created, and change the options necessary.

If everything is done, click "Ok". In order to use the tool, click on the "Tools" menu, select "External Tools" from the menu, then click on the tool we have created.

Success!!